26 March 2023
- The General Staff of North Macedonia has backed the transfer to Ukraine of 12 Mi-24 military helicopters (source)
65 Ukrainians are wrapping up training on the Patriot missile system at Fort Sill, in the coming days. The Ukrainian air defenders and two donated Patriot systems will be on the battlefield in a matter of weeks, after training began in mid-January.
(source)The Department of Defense announced a new military package for Ukraine in value of $400 mln:
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that so far it had gathered only 14 newer A6 type Leopard tanks and three from Portugal out of 30 previously promised to Ukraine. He added: “For the German Leopards, I want to say again that ours will be delivered in the last week of March. That is certain.”
(source)Switzerland said Friday it had blocked Spain from sending Swiss-made anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine, in line with its strict military neutrality. This marks the third time Bern has blocked the transfer of Swiss-made arms to war-ravaged Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion a year ago.
(source)The Defense Department announced a new package of security assistance for Ukraine. This includes the authorization of a presidential drawdown of security assistance, valued at up to $425 million, as well as $1.75 billion in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds.The presidential drawdown package includes: additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems; additional 155 mm artillery rounds; additional 120 mm mortar rounds; 190 heavy machine guns with thermal imagery sights and associated ammunition to counter unmanned aerial systems; 181 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles; 250 Javelin anti-armor systems; 2,000 anti-armor rockets; Claymore anti-personnel munitions; demolitions munitions; cold weather gear, helmets and other field equipment. Under USAI, the DOD will provide Ukraine with: 2 HAWK air defense firing units; anti-aircraft guns and ammunition; equipment to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles and radars with Ukraine's air defense systems; equipment to sustain Ukraine's existing air defense capabilities; air defense generators; counter-unmanned aerial systems; four air surveillance radars; 20 counter-mortar radars; spare parts for counter-artillery radars; Puma unmanned aerial systems; precision-guided rockets; secure communications equipment; medical supplies; funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.
(source)Greece suspended an arms swap deal with Germany that included the transfer of BMP-1 armored vehicles from its inventory to Ukraine in return for receiving German Marder 1A3s infantry fighting vehicles. 40 Marder vehicles will be delivered directly to Ukraine by Germany. Greece refused to send the BMP-1s to Ukraine unless it received six more of the German military vehicles, in addition to the 14 shipped so far.
(source)Three German political scientists from the European Council on International Relations - Gustav Gressel, Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin – said that the supply of battle tanks, in particular Leopards, to Ukraine would be an urgent need rather than an escalation, and such a German initiative would create trust and serve the security of Europe.
(source)Germany has supplied four more Gepard anti-aircraft armoured fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukraine as a whole has received 12 Gepard anti-aircraft armoured fighting vehicles from Germany. Some 49,000 shells for Gepard, and three armoured recovery vehicles have been supplied over the past few days
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