Russia-Ukraine updates | Tanks will change nothing on battlefield: Kremlin

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin urges Western allies to support Ukraine with military aid at the opening of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base.

"This is not a moment to slow down, it's a time to dig deeper. The Ukrainian people are watching us, the Kremlin is watching us and history is watching us," the host of the donor meeting said. 

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of Klishchiivka, a settlement south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.

Klishchiivka, which had a pre-war population of around 400 people, was captured with the help of aerial support, the ministry said.

Ukraine said Friday it had detained seven "Russian agents" suspected of handing coordinates to Moscow's forces to carry out strikes in the eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, where dozens of civilians were recently killed in a missile attack.

"The detainees gave the Russians the coordinates of critical infrastructure facilities," Ukraine's security services said in a statement. "Information about the possible involvement of the detainees in the Russian missile attack on a residential building in Dnipro on January 14, 2023 is currently being checked."

Warning that Western tanks will make little difference on the ground in Ukraine, Kremlin  spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "One should not exaggerate the importance of such supplies in terms of the ability to change something."

"This will add problems for Ukraine, but this will change nothing in terms of the Russian side advancing on the path to achieving its goals."

Reacting to weapons supply matter, Russia has said that Western tanks for Ukraine will change 'nothing' on battlefield. Kremlin further said that West has "dramatic delusion" that Kyiv can win the conflict. 

Ukraine President Zelensky has urged allies to 'speed up' weapon supplies

Allies need to 'dig deeper' at 'decisive' time for Ukraine: US

Germany's new Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has said he did not know of any requirement that Ukraine receive US and German tanks simultaneously.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government has so far not authorised the export of German-made Leopard tanks to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Finland has announced a 400-million-euro ($424 million) military aid package to Ukraine, its largest to date. The package includes heavy artillery as well as munitions, but no Leopard tanks.

"Ukraine continues to need support in defending its territory," Defence Minister Mikko Savola said in a statement.

More details about the package were not disclosed, but special adviser Miikka Pynnonen told AFP that the aid did not include Leopard battle tanks.

A Polish deputy foreign minister has said that the country could send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine even without Germany's re-export approval. The statement comes ahead of a crunch meeting on weapon supply for Kyiv.

While Germany has been prolonging the decision to send tanks, Warsaw and other NATO allies have been asking it for the go-ahead to send the German-made tanks to Ukraine. Kyiv has been asking for heavy weaponry and says is essential to turning the tide against Russia's invasion.

"I do not rule out that we are ready to take such a step," Pawel Jablonski told private radio RMF FM referring to the possibility of sending tanks to Ukraine even if Germany opposes it.

Ukraine President Zelensky thanks US for 'powerful' $2.5 billion defence package

A Canadian company supplying battle-ready armoured vehicles to Ukraine will deliver the 200 vehicles promised by Ottawa to Kyiv before summer, the firm's Chief Executive Officer Roman Shimonov said on Thursday.

Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand visited Kyiv to meet Ukrainian officials on Wednesday and announced the supply of 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, as part of its latest military assistance package.

German government sources have said the country will go ahead with giving Leopard tanks to Ukraine if Washington agrees to send Abrams tanks. The tanks were not included in Thursday's announcement by the United States.

Germany's new Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier, however, that he did not know of any requirement that Ukraine receive US and German tanks simultaneously.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky said his government was expecting "strong decisions" from the Friday meeting between defence leaders of NATO and other countries. Over 50 nations are meeting to discuss boosting Ukraine's ability to confront Russian forces with modern battle tanks.

Supply of Germany's Leopard 2 tanks used by armies across Europe will be on the discussion table.

Officials from around 50 countries, including all 30 NATO members, will be meeting in Ramstein, Germany to discuss what further support they could offer the war-torn country.

The Pentagon will be sending supplies worth $2.5 billion to Ukraine, it said Thursday. This will include Bradley fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, air defence systems, and tens of thousands of rockets and artillery rounds.

Russia on Thursday (January 19) issued a warning that the ongoing Ukraine war will escalate if the West provides Kyiv with longer-range weapons. Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started, the United States has sent advanced and high-precision weapons and other military assistance to Ukraine to help the war-torn nation against Russian aggression. 

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