The first heavy battle tanks, the British Challengers, arrived in Ukraine. Germany also delivered 18 Leopard tanks.
The first heavy tanks promised by Ukraine’s allies are arriving on the ground. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiï Reznikov announced on Monday March 27 the arrival of British Challenger 2 tanks. A spokeswoman for the Ukrainian ministry, Iryna Zolotar, confirmed to AFP that these tanks “were already in Ukraine”without giving the exact number at this stage.
Franceinfo looks back on the highlights of the day on the war front.
The first British and German tanks delivered
The first British Challenger tanks have arrived in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense has announced. Oleksiy Reznikov indicated that “British Challengers, American Strykers and Cougars and German Marders” had “added to Ukrainian units”. The Minister posted a photo of these vehicles in his Facebook post, without saying when exactly they arrived.
Earlier in the day, Chancellor Olaf Scholz revealed that 18 Leopard tanks had been delivered to kyiv. “Our tanks arrived as promised and punctually in the hands of our Ukrainian friendsadded the Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius. I’m sure they can make a difference on the pitch.”.
Zelensky and Grossi Together Ahead of IAEA Chief’s Visit to Zaporizhia NPP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, met on Monday at a hydroelectric station in the Zaporizhia region (Ukraine). The second is expected in the coming days at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Moscow, for his second visit there since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. “Without the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and personnel from (the plant) and adjacent territories, any initiative to restore nuclear safety and security is doomed to failure”warned President Zelensky, according to comments reported by the Ukrainian presidency.
Two dead and more than 30 injured in a bombardment in Sloviansk
Russian missiles slammed into the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk on Monday, killing two people in their car, injuring more than 30 others and destroying buildings. According to the police, the two deceased people were driving near the city center at the time of the bombardment. “These are random victims”, Dmytro Nogin, senior Kramatorsk district police official, told reporters. The police report showed 32 wounded, including five seriously injured, while Mayor Vadym Lyakh counted a total of 36 in this city located 40 kilometers as the crow flies from Bakhmout where Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces are engaged in a bitter battle.
A city on the front evacuated
The administration of the city of Avdiïvka announced on Monday the evacuation of municipal employees from this locality located on the front in eastern Ukraine and regularly bombarded by Russian forces. “Avdiivka looks more and more like a place taken from post-apocalyptic films (…) Therefore, a difficult decision was made to evacuate (…) municipal workers who at least tried to maintain cleanliness and the vitality of the city”announced Vitaliy Barabash, head of the local military administration, on social networks.
He “highly recommend” to leave town, “because Russian rockets and projectiles spare nothing and no one”, he added. Russian troops have been trying for months to take Avdiivka, which has been on the frontline since 2014 and the start of the war between Ukrainian forces and Kremlin-led separatists.
Moscow maintains plans to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus, despite criticism
Russia said on Monday it would not change its plans to deploy nuclear weapons “tactics” in Belarus, despite numerous criticisms from Western countries. “Of course, such a reaction cannot have any impact on Russia’s plans.”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that preparations would begin as early as next month to deploy such weapons in Belarus.