North Korea Blasts US Tanks For Ukraine, Vows To "Stand In Same Trench" With Russia

"Kim Yo Jong's statement came on the heels this week of the US confirming it will send 31
M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and they were her first public remarks in months. She charged that Washington is crossing a "red line" in its drive to escalate a "proxy war" aimed at regime change in Russia. "I express serious concern over the US escalating the war situation by providing Ukraine with military hardware for ground offensive," said Kim.

Importantly, at a moment the US is accusing Pyongyang of supplying Russia's military with artillery shells and other lethal equipment, particularly the Wagner Group, Kim stressed that North Korea will always "stand in the same trench" with Russia." ZH

US provided ‘cover’ for Scholz on tanks – WaPo

 "The US devised a plan to commit M1 Abrams tanks to

Ukraine in order to provide “cover”
for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was reluctant to send the country’s own tanks to help Kiev, the Washington Post reported...... the report details how the White House struggled to win over Scholz who initially resisted delivering the Leopard 2 tanks to fight Russian forces in Ukraine unless the US agreed to commit the Abrams. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Pentagon reportedly were against sending American main battle tanks that they believed would be too difficult for Ukrainians to operate and maintain.Germany said it would provide 14 tanks directly from its army stocks. Scholz announced later that Berlin and other European countries would together send 112 Leopards to fight in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the 31 US Abrams tanks slated for Kiev need to be assembled first. According to Politico, since Washington is procuring the tanks from the manufacturer, it could take “many months, or potentially years” for them to roll onto the battlefield." RT

Ukrainian defence forces strike 13 Russian concentrations and 2 air defence systems

"Over the course of the past 24 hours, Russian occupation forces carried out 10 missile strikes,
including one on civilian infrastructure facilities in Zaporizhzhia, 26 airstrikes and 81 attacks using multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), including several on civilian facilities in Ochakiv. There are civilian casualties and fatalities." Pravada

The West promises Ukraine 321 heavy tanks – Ambassador of Ukraine to France

"Ambassador of Ukraine to France Vadym Omelchenko claims that Western countries have generally promised to provide Kyiv with 321 heavy tanks." Pravada

Russia Scoffs at Biden’s Ukraine Tank Giveaway: They ‘Burn Just Like All the Others’

"Russia dismissed the potential on Tuesday of a shipment of dozens of American tanks,
promised by left-wing President Joe Biden, to change the momentum of its invasion of Ukraine, suggesting they would “burn just like all the others.” Breitbart

Russia launches over 30 missiles on Ukraine, explosions ring out in Kyiv city and Vinnytsia Oblast

"Air Defence Forces are operating in Ukraine because of a Russian missile attack throughout
the morning of 26 January. According to the Air Force of Ukraine, the occupiers have launched more than 30 missiles on Ukraine. Explosions rang out in the city of Kyiv and in Vinnytsia Oblast." Pravada

US will send Ukraine more advanced Abrams tanks, but without "secret armour"

"The Abrams tanks that the United States intends to transfer to Ukraine are the modern M1A2, not the A1, which the US military has in stock, but they will also be stripped of their so-called secret armor, which includes depleted uranium." Pravada

Ukraine's Security Service exposes another traitor: Lieutenant Colonel leaked data to Russians

"The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), together with the State Bureau of Investigation, has exposed an employee of one of the service's divisions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast who had been conducting intelligence and subversive activities for the Russian special services. the SSU Lieutenant Colonel secretly collected official information based on the results of operational search activities and information that constitutes a state secret. He was particularly interested in the layout of roadblocks in the oblast. He photographed documents using his personal mobile phone. After that, using the Telegram messenger app and an email address registered to a Russian domain, he transmitted the information to representatives of the aggressor country. Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation said a notice of suspicion of high treason is currently being drawn up for the detained SSU Lieutenant Colonel, as well as a petition to the court to select a preventive measure in the form of detention without the option of bail." Pravada

US To Increase Artillery Ammunition Production By 500% For Ukraine

 "The Pentagon is planning to boost its production of artillery ammunition by 500% over the next two years as the US is depleting its military stockpiles by sending millions of shells to Ukraine, The New York Times reported Tuesday. 

Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the US has pledged to send Ukraine over one million 155mm artillery shells. Before the US Army began efforts to increase production, it produced 14,400 155mm shells a month, but under the new plans, the number could reach over 90,000 each month." ZH

Zelensky Purges Nine Top Officials as Ukraine Corruption Allegations Linger

"Nine senior government officials have now been purged in Ukraine as part of
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s response to widespread allegations of corruption across his administration....Ukraine’s deputy prosecutor general, Oleksiy Symonenko, also announced his resignation on the same day....The clearout follows months of allegations that some of Ukraine’s top leaders were profiting from the bloody conflict with Russia, buying military food at inflated prices and taking luxury holidays as their countrymen fight Russia’s invasion..... deputy infrastructure minister, Vasyl Lozynsky, was fired for alleged participation in a network embezzling budget funds....." Breitbart

 

Ukraine Army aircraft launch 16 strikes on enemy positions

"The aircraft of the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched 14 strikes on Russian military

personnel concentration areas and two strikes on the positions of the enemy's anti-aircraft missile systems.

Suffering numerous losses, the enemy continues offensive operations in the Bakhmut and Novopavlivka areas. Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives in the Lyman and Avdiivka sectors. In the Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson areas, they are defending.

The Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled enemy attacks outside the settlements of Chervopopivka in the Luhansk region and Verkhniokamianske, Spirne, Rozdolivka, Blahodatne, Bakhmut, Klishchiivka, Marinka, Vuhledar and Pavlivka in the Donetsk region." Ukrin

German Foreign Minister Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud On Ukraine

"German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock bluntly stated in fresh remarks that Western
allies are fighting a war against Russia. The remarks came during a debate at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Tuesday amid discussions over sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Contradicting this official stance, Baerbock said the quiet part out loud, and introduced the comments with: "And therefore I’ve said already in the last days – yes, we have to do more to defend Ukraine. Yes, we have to do more also on tanks."

And that's when she asserted: "But the most important and the crucial part is that we do it together and that we do not do the blame game in Europe, because we are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other.” ZH

 

Biden Downplays US Tanks In Ukraine As Russia Warns Decision Is "Extremely Dangerous"

"Biden in the remarks while flanked by his top defense officials unveiled an international tank
coalition of nations in support of Ukraine, including that the US will send 31 Abrams tanks.....Russia is furious over the decision of the United States and Germany to authorize Western-manufactured advanced tanks for Ukrainian forces, calling it "extremely dangerous" and pointing out the unprecedented decision blows past Kremlin "red lines"." ZH

 

German Intelligence "Alarmed" Ukraine Losing Hundreds Of Soldiers Every Day

"The German foreign intelligence service assesses that Kiev is losing a "three-digit number" of soldiers daily, according to a report in Der Spiegel. Berlin informed politicians of the assessment during a secret meeting this week.

Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) is "alarmed" by the high number of losses Ukraine is suffering. The report says Berlin believes Ukraine was losing a three-digit number of soldiers every day during the battle of Bakhmut with Russian forces. The BND informed German politicians of the high number of injured and killed Ukrainian forces during a covert Bundestag meeting last week." ZeroHedge

Metropolitan Epiphanius visits Vatican to testify about Russian aggression

"Epiphanius, the primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and Metropolitan of Kyivand All Ukraine, has announced that he will be staying in the Vatican this week with a delegation to testify about Russian aggression against Ukraine." Pravada