KYIV—Ukraine on Friday battled Russian troops trying to pierce its lines in the east and northeast before Kyiv takes delivery of tanks from its Western allies, saying the fighting showed it needed more weapons to repel the Russians.
Kyiv said fierce battles were underway, a day after at least 11 people were killed in missile and drone strikes which were widely seen in Ukraine as a response to the promises by important allies to send tanks.
After weeks of wrangling, Germany and the United States this week said they would send Ukraine dozens of modern tanks to help push back Russian forces, opening the way for others to follow suit.
Poland gave Ukraine a further boost on Friday by promising an additional 60 tanks on top of 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks it had already pledged.
Both sides in the war are widely expected to launch spring offensives though Washington has advised Ukraine against doing so until the latest weapons are in place and training has been provided—a process expected to take several months.
Russia said the United States was “pumping weapons into Ukraine,” which Moscow says does Washington’s bidding, and chided President Joe Biden, saying he held the key to ending the conflict but had not used it.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked allies for their support but renewed calls for tougher sanctions on Moscow and more weapons in the twelfth month of the war.
Hours after he spoke, Ukrainian officials reported fierce battles in the northeast and east of the country, scene of some of the heaviest combat since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24 last year.
Power Shortages
Millions of Ukrainians faced electricity shortages after Thursday’s missile and drone strikes.Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of targeting civilian infrastructure, a charge that Moscow denies.
Russia said the strikes focused on “facilities that operate Ukraine’s defense industrial complex and transport system,” and limited Ukraine’s ability to repair military hardware and transport arms provided by its allies.
“The goals of the massive attack have been reached. All the assigned targets have been neutralised,” it said.
Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.
Front lines have been largely frozen for two months, with Russia trying to gain ground in the east after occupying swathes of territory there and protect a corridor of land it has seized in southern Ukraine.
Oleskandr Musiyenko, head of the Military and Strategic Research Centre of Ukraine, said Russia was sending in more reinforcements, mainly conscripts, to block Ukrainian advances.
Japan tightened sanctions on Friday, expanding an export ban list and freezing assets of Russian officials and entities.
But Ukraine’s hopes that the European Union will impose sanctions affecting nuclear energy were dealt a blow by Hungary, which said that it would veto such moves. Hungary has a Russian-built nuclear plant which it plans to expand.
Russia tightened its own moves against Western entities, with communications regulator Roskomnadzor saying it had blocked the websites of the CIA and FBI, accusing the two U.S. government agencies of spreading false information.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Eritrea on the last stop of a tour of Africa that was intended to shore up support and began in South Africa, which plans joint military drills with Russia and China.
Ending her own tour of African nations, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she had discussed economic sanctions on Russian during every stop and hoped an agreement could be reached soon on the next cap on the price of Russian oil.
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