Ukraine aims to obtain an additional seven Patriot air defense batteries as soon as possible and has offered countries to loan the systems to Kyiv, Kuleba told the Washington Post (WP) in an interview published on April 10.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs 25 Patriots to cover the country completely but Kuleba said he is initially focused on securing seven. This would be enough to protect Ukraine’s largest cities and leave at least one battery to be closer to the battlefield.
Kuleba said that his team identified over 100 available Patriots abroad, adding that he “struggles to understand” why some countries refuse to transfer at least one of their systems to Ukraine.
The 7 listed aircraft are from the Yeysk air base only.
For the curious:
The Beriev Be-200 Altair is a jet-powered amphibious flying boat designed for fire fighting, search and rescue operations, and maritime patrol, as well as freight and passenger transportation.
The HUR thinks it can disable the bridge soon. “We will do it in the first half of 2024,” one official told the Guardian, adding that Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the main directorate of intelligence, already had “most of the means to carry out this goal”. He was following a plan approved by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, to “minimise” Russia’s naval presence in the Black Sea.
Over the past five months Ukraine has sunk seven landing boats and large ships belonging to Moscow’s Black Sea fleet. The latest, the Sergei Kotov, capsized in March after a night-time raid involving 10 Ukrainian Magura V5 amphibious drones packed with explosives as it was on patrol south of the Kerch bridge. HUR officials indicated this was a “shaping operation” prior to another attack on the crossing.
Another interesting piece of the article:
Pro-Kremlin Russian channels last month released an intercepted phone call in which high-ranking German military officials discussed the capabilities of Taurus. The experts estimated that 10 to 20 missiles would probably be enough to destroy the bridge.
Russia has been steadily adapting its defensive capabilities to counter new Western weapons as they arrive, unnamed Ukrainian military officials told Politico.
Tldr: Advanced western equipment takes so long to reach Ukraine that Russia adapts to it’s potential capabilities before it’s deployed.
Relevant section:
Unnamed Ukrainian military officials said there is an unfortunate pattern of the West finally sending weapons when they are “no longer relevant” for the current battlefield dynamics, Politico reported on April 3, citing sources.
While Ukraine’s Western allies have provided tens of billions of military aid and equipment, some of the more advanced systems pledged, such as the F-16 fighter jet, have been slow-walked and have yet to reach the battlefield. At the same time, Russia has been steadily adapting its defensive capabilities to counter new Western weapons as they arrive.
An international coalition to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s was launched in the summer of 2023. Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have also pledged to supply Ukraine with dozens of U.S.-made fourth-generation jets.
Yet, the unnamed Ukrainian military officials told Politico that the “F-16s were needed in 2023; they won’t be right for 2024.”
The official explained that Russia has been testing its air defense posture and has likely deployed its radar and anti-air missiles in a manner that would render much of the F-16s’ offensive capabilities ineffective.
Ost-West Handelsbank has been removed from the list, according to the information on the office's website. The names under which the bank used to operate earlier – VTB Bank Deutschland and VTB Bank Europe – were also struck down.
Tldr: Germany took over control of the bank from Russia, so US removed it from the sanctions list.
Relevant section:
Germany-based Ost-West Handelsbank has been removed from the list, according to the information on the Treasury’s website. The positions with names under which the bank used to operate earlier – VTB Bank Deutschland and VTB Bank Europe – were also struck down.
The U.S. announced extensive anti-Russian sanctions that also targeted VTB Bank at the offset of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
In the wake of the sanctions, German authorities wrested control of the Frankfurt-based subsidiary from its Russian parent in April 2022 and appointed a special representative to help run it.
VTB Europe officially changed its name to Ost-West Handelsbank in November 2023.
Kuleba: Ukraine aims to obtain 7 Patriot batteries in near future (kyivindependent.com)
Ukraine aims to obtain an additional seven Patriot air defense batteries as soon as possible and has offered countries to loan the systems to Kyiv, Kuleba told the Washington Post (WP) in an interview published on April 10.
Source: Russia lost 7 aircraft in Ukraine's April 5 attack on air base (kyivindependent.com)
The HUR source said the Ukrainian drone attack damaged four Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jets, two transport aircraft, and one Beriev Be-200 Altair.
‘No choice’: Ukraine eyes Kerch bridge in Crimea for drone attack (www.theguardian.com)
Third attack on Kerch bridge between Russia and occupied Crimea ‘inevitable’, say Ukraine’s military intelligence
Politico: Ukrainian officers complain of pattern of receiving Western weapons systems 'when they're no longer relevant' (kyivindependent.com)
Russia has been steadily adapting its defensive capabilities to counter new Western weapons as they arrive, unnamed Ukrainian military officials told Politico.
US lifts sanctions against former European branch of Russia's VTB Bank (kyivindependent.com)
Ost-West Handelsbank has been removed from the list, according to the information on the office's website. The names under which the bank used to operate earlier – VTB Bank Deutschland and VTB Bank Europe – were also struck down.