Russia-Ukraine updates: EU states promise to send Kyiv more tanks
All the updates on February 7 as they happened.
The live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Tuesday, February 7:
The live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Tuesday, February 7:
- Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands say they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks.
- Russian forces are suffering heavy losses as they press an eastern offensive with at least 1,030 troops killed in a day, Ukraine’s army says.
- Ukraine’s governor of the mainly Russian-occupied Luhansk region says Moscow is pouring in reinforcements for an assault that could begin after February 15.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for an end to speculation after reports that his defence minister will be sacked.
- The mayor of Paris, who recently said Russians could take part in the 2024 Olympic Games, changes her position and now opposes their inclusion.
Netherlands, Denmark, Germany to send Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine
Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands say they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks, a pledge that comes as Kyiv anticipates a new Russian offensive around the anniversary of its invasion.
The announcement followed Germany agreeing last month to allow deliveries of the more modern German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
In a joint statement, the defence ministers of the three countries said the shipment of the older Leopard 1 tanks was part of an effort “to support Ukraine in their endeavor to withstand Russian aggression.”
”(It) will significantly enhance Ukraine’s military potential for the restoration of their violated territorial integrity,” they said, adding that the delivery would occur “within the coming months” and include logistical support and training.
Protective structures at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant near ‘completion’
An adviser to the head of Russia’s nuclear plants operator Rosenergoatom says the construction of protective structures for key facilities at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine is nearing completion, the Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Europe’s largest nuclear power plant was captured by Russian troops in March in the opening days of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. It remains close to the front lines and has repeatedly come under fire, raising fears of a nuclear disaster.
“The erection of engineering and construction structures, which are designed to provide additional protection for important infrastructure facilities of the nuclear power plant, including those related to the storage of radioactive materials, is at the completion stage,” TASS quoted Renat Karchaa as saying.
Karchaa did not provide any other information about the structures.
Fire breaks out at US drone factory supplying Ukraine
A fire broke out at a US factory in Latvia used to build drones for Ukraine’s military and NATO allies.
Fire brigades and ambulances were at the factory run by the US firm Edge Autonomy.
Footage of the fire has flooded social media.
According to its website, the California-based company produces long-range uncrewed aircraft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Germany approves Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine
The German security council has approved the delivery of 178 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine from industry stocks, Germany’s Spiegel Online reported without citing its sources.
It said some of the tanks would be sent in the summer but the bulk would be delivered next year.
The move follows the German government’s decision last month to allow the shipment of the more modern Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine after international pressure mounted and ended months of hesitation by Berlin.
Ukrainian rescue workers to arrive in Turkey ‘soon’: Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy says a group of Ukrainian rescue workers will travel to Turkey to help in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly earthquakes.
The Ukrainian president tweeted, “Speaking to President [Recep Tayyip] Erodgan, I expressed condolences over the tragedy that befell the Turkish people due to the earthquakes. I informed of the decision to send a group of rescuers and equipment from Ukraine to Turkey to help in overcoming the aftermath. They will soon arrive in affected regions.”
Turkey has imposed a state of emergency as the death toll rapidly rises.
Speaking to @RTErdogan, I expressed condolences over the tragedy that befell the 🇹🇷 people due to the earthquakes. I informed of the decision to send a group of rescuers and equipment from 🇺🇦 to 🇹🇷 to help in overcoming the aftermath. They will soon arrive in 🇹🇷 affected regions.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 7, 2023
Russia upholds verdict to remove Novaya Gazeta’s license
A Russian court has upheld an earlier ruling to revoke the license of an independent newspaper that has been critical of the Kremlin as Russia cracks down on dissent.
Novaya Gazeta’s appeal was rejected after a September ruling by a district court in Moscow approved a petition by Russia’s media regulator to revoke Novaya Gazeta’s license.
Dmitry Muratov, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning editor-in-chief of the newspaper, denounced Tuesday’s ruling, saying that it “serves a bunch of people who want to leave the nation facing only propaganda”.
The regulator accused the newspaper of failing to submit its newsroom charter to authorities on time, a claim the newspaper rejected as it called the move an attempt to censor an independent voice.
Zelenskyy calls for end to ‘rumours’ surrounding defence minister
Zelenskyy calls for an end to the spread of “rumours or any other pseudo-information” that could undermine unity.
An address to parliament appeared intended to end public speculation over whether Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov will be removed from his post.
“We are taking personnel and institutional steps at various levels in the defence and security sector that can strengthen Ukraine’s position,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, citing his speech to parliament.
“I thank everyone who refrains from spreading any rumours or other pseudo-information that could weaken the focus of our people in their work for the victory of Ukraine,” he said.
On Sunday, David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker and Zelenskyy ally, said Reznikov would be replaced after a corruption scandal at the ministry, but a day later, Arakhamia said there would be no personnel changes this week.
Washington will support New Delhi ahead of G20 talks: US embassy
The US will support India’s G20 presidency as New Delhi seeks the backing of its partners ahead of crucial meetings starting this month.
India has maintained its trade and defence ties with Russia despite calls from the US and other Western nations to sever them following the invasion of Ukraine.
“We support India on a range of issues, including addressing current food and energy security challenges and continuing our efforts to build a resilient global economy,” a spokesperson for the US embassy in New Delhi said in a statement to the Reuters news agency.
Officials from the US, Europe and China are expected to head to India in late February and early March for meetings of their finance and foreign ministers.
Could more Western weapons lead to a wider war?
Russia has warned that an increase in Western arms flowing to Ukraine could lead to NATO’s involvement in the conflict.
Currently, the US is the biggest arms supplier to Ukraine, followed by the UK and Germany.
Al Jazeera’s Inside Story examines whether the influx of Western weapons could lead to the war spreading across Europe.
Russia demands US embassy stop spreading ‘fake news’
Russia demands the US embassy in Moscow stop spreading what it regards as fake news about its war in Ukraine and has threatened to expel US diplomats, the TASS news agency reports.
Citing a senior Russian foreign ministry source, TASS reported that an official note has been delivered to the US embassy in Moscow, warning that diplomats engaged in “subversive activities” would be expelled.
Washington’s new ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, arrived in the Russian capital last month.
Ukraine increases 2023 state budget to fund reconstruction
Ukraine’s parliament approves changes to the 2023 state budget to raise spending to support small businesses and channel more funds into reconstruction and recovery projects following Russia’s invasion.
Roksolana Pidlasa, the head of the parliamentary budget committee, said spending had been increased by 5.5 billion hryvnias ($150m).
The increase included funds to finance and modernise hospitals in Kyiv and the western city of Lviv and to rebuild bridges damaged in the conflict.
As the anniversary approaches, the war has depleted Ukraine’s public finances, leading to double-digit inflation, higher unemployment, a sharp fall in exports, and significant revenue and tax income losses.
Who controls what?
Here are four maps we update daily, charting the latest war developments.
Sweden looks to restart NATO talks with Turkey
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says he is ready to restart negotiations over its application to join NATO as soon as Turkey wants.
Finland and Sweden sought NATO membership shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, but Turkey has yet to approve what must be a unanimous process.
Ankara suspended talks last month as tensions rose following protests in Stockholm, where a far-right politician burned a copy of the Quran in front of its embassy.
“The first thing we need to do is calm down the situation. It is hard to have good talks when things are literally burning around you,” Kristersson told a news conference during a visit to Estonia.
Last week, Turkey said it looks positive on Finland’s application but does not support Sweden’s.
UK must boost military support to Ukraine, says Labour defence chief
The Labour Party’s defence policy chief says the United Kingdom must set out a new strategy to boost military production to support Ukraine better.
John Healey said the country needs to step up its defence production, end cuts to its armed forces, and fulfil its commitments to NATO.
“What is required now from the British government … is not just the ad hoc announcements of military help … but a longer-term plan that takes us through 2023 and beyond for the military, diplomatic, the economic, the humanitarian help that we are willing to provide Ukraine,” Healey told Reuters.
“These are decisions for now. These are decisions for next month in the new Integrated Review and in the spring budget,” he said in an interview, referring to a review of Britain’s foreign and defence policy.
Paris opposes inclusion of Russian athletes at 2024 Olympics
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo opposes the presence of Russian competitors at the 2024 Olympics “while the war continues” in Ukraine, her office said.
It represents a change in the position of Hidalgo, who said last month she believed Russians could take part “under a neutral flag” to avoid “depriving athletes of competition”.
The International Olympics Committee has previously said Russian and Belarusian athletes could potentially play in the 2024 Games if they qualify for the Asian Games, which has sparked condemnation by Ukraine and its allies.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 349
Click here for a roundup of the key events from day 349 of the war.
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Western sanctions have led to VTB bank losses, says CEO
Russia’s VTB Bank’s losses last year were due entirely to sanctions, CEO Andrei Kostin, said in a rare admission that Western sanctions had hurt parts of Russia’s financial sector.
Western countries blocked several Russian banks’ access to the international SWIFT payments system soon after Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24 last year, leaving lenders such as Sberbank and VTB to shut down operations across much of Europe.
In an interview with state television channel Rossiya 24, Kostin said the bank had managed to grow its retail and corporate loan portfolios but that sanctions accounted for all the lender’s losses.
“The main thing on which we incurred losses is that from February 24 to March 10, before decisions were made about restrictions on issuing funds in foreign currency to the population, $26bn was withdrawn from our accounts,” Kostin said.
Western arms are ‘dragging NATO’ into the war: Russian defence minister
Russia’s defence minister says Western arms shipments to Ukraine are effectively dragging NATO into the conflict and warn this could lead to an “unpredictable” level of escalation.
“The US and its allies are trying to prolong the conflict as much as possible,” defence minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
“To do this, they have started supplying heavy offensive weapons, openly urging Ukraine to seize our territories. In fact, such steps are dragging NATO countries into the conflict and could lead to an unpredictable level of escalation,” he said.
‘Particular attention’ is being paid to Bakhmut, says Zelenskyy
In Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s nightly address, he said that at a general staff meeting, “particular attention” is being paid to the situation in Bakhmut.
“To our defence. To the occupier’s attempts to surround the city and break the defence there. We are countering them,” he said.
Zelenskyy added his commendations for the brigades fighting in the conflict and said, “thank you, warriors, for your bravery and steadfastness! For the resilience, Ukraine needs so much.”
At the meeting, Zelenskyy said, they also discussed ammunition supply.
Russian forces have ‘attempted’ a new offensive since early January: British MoD
According to an intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), it is “highly likely that Russia has been attempting to restart major offensive operations” since early January to claim more of the Donetsk region.
“Russian forces have only managed to gain several hundred metres of territory per week. This is almost certainly because Russia now lacks the munitions and manoeuvre units required for successful offensives,” the MoD said.
The update added that military commanders “likely” require “undermanned, inexperienced units to achieve unrealistic objectives due to political and professional pressure”.
“Russian leaders will likely continue to demand sweeping advances. It remains unlikely that Russia can build up the forces needed to substantially affect the outcome of the war within the coming weeks,” the update said.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 7 February 2023
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/WPxtRJO9h3
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/a9JW1mHMLT
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 7, 2023
Russia, Ukraine row over alleged use of chemical weapons
Russia’s state Investigative Committee has said it is examining the alleged use of chemical weapons by Ukrainian forces near Bakhmut and nearby Soledar.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces say they have never used chemical weapons anywhere at any time and accused Moscow of engaging in disinformation and of itself using banned weapons.
Since the start of its invasion nearly a year ago, Russia has repeatedly warned that Ukraine might be preparing to use nonconventional weapons, including biological weapons or a radioactive dirty bomb. No such attack has materialised.
Ukraine and its Western allies rejected those accusations but saw them as a possible prelude to a “false flag” attack, meaning Russia might itself resort to such tactics but seek to blame Ukraine. Russia has dismissed that claim.
To read more on Russia’s alleged use of phosphorus bombs — restricted but not illegal under international law — click here.
Russian troops seize a Donetsk village, says Moscow
The war is reaching a pivotal point as its first anniversary approaches, with Ukraine no longer making gains as it did in the second half of 2022 and Russia pushing forward with hundreds of thousands of mobilised reserve troops.
Russia said its forces had captured Mykolaivka, a village in the eastern Donetsk region.
There was no immediate response from Ukraine, which has disputed other Russian battlefield reports.
Russia’s main target has been Bakhmut, where its state media said the Wagner mercenary group had gained a foothold.
Ukraine said on Monday evening that Russian forces had trained tank, mortar and artillery fire there in the past 24 hours.
EU invites Zelenskyy to summit in Brussels
The European Union said Zelenskyy has been invited to take part in a summit of EU leaders, amid reports he could be in Brussels as soon as this week, in what would be only his second known foreign trip since the invasion began.
Zelenskyy’s office has not commented on the meeting, which comes soon after EU leaders met in Kyiv.
Ukraine, which has candidate status, is keen to join the bloc quickly but is unlikely to be granted membership soon.
Despite a recent Ukrainian crackdown on high-level graft, EU leaders say Ukraine needs further anti-corruption measures.
‘They bring ammunition that is used differently’: Ukrainian governor on Russia’s buildup
Serhiy Haidai, governor of the mainly Russian-occupied Luhansk province, has told Ukrainian television: “We are seeing more and more (Russian) reserves being deployed in our direction, we are seeing more equipment being brought in.
“They bring ammunition that is used differently than before – it is not round-the-clock shelling any more. They are slowly starting to save, getting ready for a full-scale offensive. It will most likely take them 10 days to gather reserves. After February 15 we can expect (this offensive) at any time.”
The war is reaching a pivotal point as its first anniversary approaches, with Ukraine no longer making gains as it did in the second half of 2022.
Britain’s Defence Intelligence said in its daily report that Russia’s military has likely attempted since early January to restart major offensive operations aimed at capturing Ukraine-held parts of Donetsk.
However, Russian forces have gained little territory as they “lack munitions and manoeuvre units required for a successful offensive”, it said.