Scholz to give Ukraine Leopard 2 tanks.

Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, has decided to transfer Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

According to the publication, Germany plans to provide Ukraine with at least one company of Leopard 2A6 tanks, which is about 14 units of equipment, under NATO standards.

It is claimed that the German Leopard tanks are to arrive from the warehouses of the Bundeswehr. In the medium and long term, additional tanks may be prepared from stocks held by the German industry.

The German army has 320 Leopard 2 tanks in service. These tanks are in various conditions in terms of repair and readiness for deployment, and the exact number of these that can be ready for dispatch to Kyiv is not publicly disclosed.

EU Reacts to Resignations in Ukraine Based on Accusations of Corruption.

The EU welcomes the fact that the Ukrainian authorities are taking corruption charges against high-ranking officials seriously.

"We take note of the reports that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is investigating these cases. As a general rule, you know very well that we do not comment on ongoing criminal investigations. Still, we do welcome the fact, of course, that the Ukrainian authorities are taking these issues seriously," Ana Pisonero, European Commission spokesperson Ana Pisonero, commented on the wave of resignations in the Ukrainian government.

At the same time, according to her, as part of the EU membership process, Ukraine is expected to further strengthen the fight against corruption, in particular at high level.

Pisonero also pointed out that following the publication of the EU opinion, Ukraine has taken several measures in the field of anti-corruption, in particular, appointing the head of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and starting the process of selecting a new director of NABU.

"Of course, there will be further actions to strengthen anti-corruption institutions," Pisonero added and reminded that the EU will assess Ukraine's progress as a priority matter in the autumn of 2023.

She also underlines that anti-corruption measures are not only a key part of the EU accession process but also one of the conditions for allocating macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.

On January 24, The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine made a number of personnel decisions, dismissing six deputy ministers and agreeing on the dismissals of five heads of oblast military administrations.

In recent months, several corruption scandals in Ukraine related to officials and deputies of various levels.

In particular, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Military Administration, Valentyn Reznichenko, is a suspect in the criminal proceedings opened after the investigation of "Ukrainska Pravda" and "Schemes" about his close friend, whose company received 1.5 billion UAH for roads in the region.

On 21 January, NABU( National Investigation Bureau) conducted searches and detained the Deputy Minister of Hromada, Territory and Infrastructure Development, Vasyl Lozynskyi. Sources of Ukrainska Pravda reported that Lozynskyi is accused of receiving a bribe in the amount of $400,000 during the purchase of generators.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the firing of Vasyl Lozynskyi, Deputy Minister of  Territory and Infrastructure Development, a signal to everyone whose actions or behavior violate the principle of justice and promised "powerful, necessary steps."

Western allies advise Ukraine to switch from Bakhmut to the country's south front.

US and Western officials have urged Ukraine to shift its focus from the battle for Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast to a potential offensive on the country's south, US and Ukrainian officials told CNN.

CNN reported that Ukrainian troops have been going toe-to-toe with the Russian forces on the Bakhmut front for almost six months. The city is almost destroyed following intense Russian attacks.

"It is a brutal and grinding fight," said a senior Western intelligence official, adding that each side exchanges 100 to 400 meters of land per day and exchanges several thousand artillery rounds almost daily.