Ukraine war live updates: Fighter jets after tanks? Ukraine pushes NATO for more firepower; Russia carried out several missile attacks

Following missile attacks targeting Ukraine’s capital city on Thursday morning, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said one person was killed and two others were injured.

“As a result of a rocket hitting a non-residential building in the Holosievsky district, one dead and two injured are currently reported. The injured have been hospitalized by doctors,” He said on Telegram.

There were also updates from the cities of Odessa and Vinnytsia, southwest of Kyiv, with reports of damage to vital energy facilities.

Yuri Kruk, head of the Odessa District Military Administration, said on telegram on thursday that the Russian military “continued to fire missiles into the territory of Ukraine from the air and sea.”

Asking citizens to stay in shelters, he said, “There is already information about damage to 2 important energy infrastructure facilities in Odessa. There are no casualties.”

In Vinnytsia, Serhiy Borzov, head of the regional military administration, posted on Telegram that “there are hits of enemy missiles in Vinnytsia [region], There have been no casualties. All operative services work on site.”

– Holly Elliot

Air raid warnings sounded across Ukraine on Thursday morning as the country braced itself for more missile strikes from Russia. emergency power outage Kyiv has been introduced in the city and wider region as well as in Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk and Zhytomyr while the threat of missile attacks remains.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on telegram that part of the city had exploded as he warned civilians to take shelter, while Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, commented on an earlier telegram that the Russian military had “more than 15 cruise ships in the direction of Kyiv”. Missiles were launched.” ,

Popko said that “thanks to the excellent work of the air defense, all air targets were shot down.” He warned, however, that the threat of airstrikes has not been averted.

An emergency blackout was introduced in the city on Thursday, with the city’s military administration saying “the reason is the threat of a missile attack. The early power cut will help avoid possible damage to critical infrastructure.”

Moscow has been incensed after Ukraine was given a big boost by its allies on Wednesday after the US and Germany agreed to send battle tanks to the country for the first time. Russia reacted angrily, with officials saying it was “extremely dangerous” and crossed “red lines”.

Serhiy Brachuk, head of the Odessa RMA (Regional Military Administration), said this morning that “about six Tu-95 aircraft (originating from the Murmansk region) took off and fired missiles at the port city. We expect more.” 30 rockets, which have already started appearing in many areas. Air defense is working, there is no information about drones yet,” Brachuk said.

CNBC was unable to immediately verify the reports.

– Holly Elliot

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during a parliamentary session that he would consider visiting Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, depending on “various circumstances”. Reported,

“Nothing has been decided at this point, but we will consider,” Kishida said.

The prime minister’s response came after a lawmaker from the ruling party urged him to follow the leaders of allied countries in the Group of Seven, as Japan prepares to host the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima in May.

– Jihye Li

The dust has barely settled since Wednesday’s key decision by the US and Germany, but talk has already turned to possible supplies of other weapons to Ukraine, particularly fighter jets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Kyiv’s allies on Wednesday, saying the decision by the United States, Germany and Britain to send tanks to Ukraine was “historic”. He said he also spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg yesterday and during that call he asked for more assistance.

“We have to unlock the supply of long-range missiles to Ukraine, it is important for us to expand our cooperation in artillery, we have to get the supply of aircraft to Ukraine. And this is a dream. And this is a task. We An important task for all,” He said in his night address.

Ukraine has not hidden the fact that it would like to receive fighter jets from its allies, such as the US’s F-16, to help fight Russia, but there has been little positive response.

Having just won a diplomatic victory in getting the tanks, the focus is now on practical matters, with Zelensky saying how many tanks Ukraine will receive is a moot point.

“The important thing now is speed and volume. The speed of training of our army, the speed of supply of tanks to Ukraine and the volume of tank support,” he said.

– Holly Elliot

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the Pentagon’s upcoming training for Ukrainians using the M1A1 Abrams tank would take place outside Ukraine.

Kirby said the US has not yet decided on a specific location or time for the training.

He also said that the Pentagon does not have additional tanks from its existing arsenal to provide to Ukraine.

“We just don’t have it,” Kirby said, “even if there were additional tanks, it would still take months.” He also declined to say when the M1A1 Abrams tanks would be ready for the Ukrainian army.

-Amanda Macias

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked US President Joe Biden for his decision to provide Kyiv with 31 Abrams tanks as well as training and maintenance support.

The transfer of the M1A1 Abrams tank, Zelensky said, was “an important step on the road to victory.”

“Today the free world is united as never before for a common goal – the liberation of Ukraine,” he said.

-Amanda Macias

The State Department downplayed reports that Germany and the United States were hesitant to provide Leopard 2 and M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

“Germany has repeatedly proven itself to be a strong ally of the United States,” Price said, adding that Berlin and Washington had held only constructive discussions in the weeks leading up to the separate security aid announcements. .

Earlier Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Berlin would Deliver 2 Leopard tanks to Ukraine,

Germany stated that its goal was to “quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine”. The country will supply 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks in what it calls the “first step”.

-Amanda Macias

Biden Administration said it would equip Ukraine With the powerful M1A1 Abrams tank, the West’s effort to arm Kyiv has taken a significant turn as it prepares for a new Russian offensive.

The 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks, the equivalent of a Ukrainian tank battalion, would be an expansion on top of the $26 billion the US has committed to the battle for Kyiv. Since Russia invaded about a year ago.

The US plans to buy new M1s using funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative approved by Congress.

A senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday that the supply of tanks to Ukraine would “take some time”. “We are talking of months rather than weeks,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

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-Amanda Macias

Russia has expressed anger at the prospect of modern Western tanks being sent to Ukraine, calling it “extremely dangerous” and saying that previous “red lines” are a thing of the past.

Germany announced Earlier on Wednesday that it was prepared to send 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, and to allow other countries to send their own German-built tanks to Kyiv. The US is expected to announce its intention to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine soon.

The Russian embassy in Berlin called the German government’s decision “extremely dangerous” and said it “takes the conflict to a new level of confrontation” while the Foreign Ministry warned that “red lines” were “a thing of the past” because It criticized what the West saw as waging a “hybrid war” against Russia.

Ukraine’s use of modern Western tanks is likely to boost its efforts to drive Russian forces out of the country’s occupied territories, particularly the eastern Donbass region, but Russia sees the gift of the tanks as further evidence What the West is waging what it sees as a proxy war against it in Ukraine.

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– Holly Elliot