Daily Flyer - February 26-27, 2023
A voice of Ukraine to the West
Russians attacked Kherson Oblast, and one person was wounded.
One person was wounded as a result of Russian attacks on Dniprovske village, Kherson Oblast, on 26 February.
The Russian army fired on Dniprovske village from artillery this evening.An enemy shell hit the local residents’ yards. A 55-year-old man was wounded as a result of Russian shelling. The ambulance took the victim to the nearest hospital. Now doctors are providing him with the necessary medical assistance.
Leopard tanks are provided to Ukraine for defense, but not attacks against Russia – Spanish Defence Minister.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles has stated that Leopard tanks are being delivered to Ukraine for defense only, and not offensive operations.
"There are several types of Leopard: 2A4 and 2A6. The 2A4 tanks, which were stored in Zaragoza in deplorable conditions, are now being repaired. This will allow us to include them in the battalion along with tanks delivered by other countries. At the same time, we have already started training the crews of these tanks and the teams that will be engaged in their maintenance. I firmly insist that the Leopards have an exclusive purpose: defense, not aggression against Russia," Robles said.
She also ruled out the Spanish military's participation in hostilities on Ukraine's territory.
"This is an absolutely impossible scenario; it does not exist. Spanish soldiers would intervene only in case of aggression against a NATO country. Never, never, not a single soldier from a NATO country, and Spain is one of them, will go to participate in the war in Ukraine. Never, never. I want to say this very clearly, very explicitly," the minister said.
Lukashenko says that he produces and sells weapons to 57 countries despite sanctions.
Self-proclaimed president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has said that despite the sanctions, Belarus, together with Russia, produces various types of weapons and sells them to 57 countries.
"I would like to note that despite the unprecedented sanctions pressure, we produce enough weapons and military equipment for the needs of the Belarusian army.
This is due to the fact that everything we need — I mean weapons, ‘steel’— we can easily get from Russia. And as for microelectronics, optoelectronics, optics, and other things, kudos to those who preserved the production we inherited from the Soviet Union. Thus, together with Russia, we can produce any weaponry," - Lukashenko said.
According to Lukashenko, Belarus produces so many weapons that it "can also afford to export these products to 57 countries, which it does".
He also added that Belarus "successfully develops modern weapons" not only in those areas where it has "scientific and technical achievements and competencies" but also is mastering "new areas in demand: rockets and large-caliber artillery ammunition".
White House clarifies Biden's words that Ukraine does not need F-16s.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has clarified President Joe Biden's comments on Sunday that Ukraine does not need F-16 fighter jets yet.
Sullivan reiterated that the White House is prioritizing the immediate needs of this war and will continue to do so.
"Every phase of this war, the president has tried to make sure that the Ukrainian military gets what they need," Sullivan said.
"In the first phases, they were defending Kyiv. That were Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger anti-air systems. And that worked. It helped Ukraine defend Kyiv. In the second phase, it was heavy artillery to help them hold against the Russians pushing in eastern Ukraine. In this phase, the critical element is ground maneuver capability. And that means tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles."
According to Sullivan, "what the president is saying is, he’s focused on those capabilities".
"The F-16 question is a question for later," Sullivan said in another interview on CNN, adding: "Therefore, President Biden said that he's not making any progress with it right now".