Ukraine/Russland/NATO – der Sammler am 7. März 2022 (Update: US-Briefing)

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In der Ukraine halten die russischen Angriffe unvermindert an und treffen zunehmend die größeren Städte. Ein Großangriff auf Kiew soll bevorstehen – das allerdings wird seit Tagen erwartet. Ein (zunächst sehr sparsamer) Sammelthread am 7. März 2022:

• Das morgendliche Update des britischen Verteidigungsministeriums:

Russia is probably targeting Ukraine’s communications infrastructure in order to reduce Ukrainian citizens’ access to reliable news and information.
Russia reportedly struck a TV tower in Kharkiv yesterday, suspending broadcasting output. This follows a similar strike on a TV tower in Kyiv on 01 March 2022.
Ukrainian internet access is also highly likely being disrupted as a result of collateral damage from Russian strikes on infrastructure. Over the past week, internet outages have been reported in Mariupol, Sumy, Kyiv and Kharkiv.

• Zwei Lesehinweise aus der New York Times:

Aus der Morgenzusammenfassung am Montag:

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned his nation to expect a renewed bombardment of major cities on Monday, as Russian forces regrouped and renewed their assault after being stalled by stiff resistance and suffering unexpected heavy losses.

und eine sehr ausführliche Geschichte zu den Waffenlieferungen des Westens:

In less than a week, the United States and NATO have pushed more than 17,000 antitank weapons, including Javelin missiles, over the borders of Poland and Romania, unloading them from giant military cargo planes so they can make the trip by land to Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and other major cities. So far, Russian forces have been so preoccupied in other parts of the country that they have not targeted the arms supply lines, but few think that can last.

• Für die Stadt Mariupol im Südosten der Ukraine soll es einen neuen Anlauf für humanitäre Korridore zur Evakuierung geben – zwei solcher Versuche waren in den vergangenen Tagen gescheitert.

• Nach Angaben von Verteidigungsministerin Christine Lambrecht sind inzwischen alle von Deutschland zugesagten Waffen- und Ausrüstungslieferungen in der Ukraine angekommen – das müssten also neben den 5.000 Gefechtshelmen die 1.000 Panzerfäuste, 500 Stinger-Flugabwehrraketen und rund 2.000 Strela-Flugabwehrraketen aus NVA-Beständen sein; außerdem das von Deutschland finanzierte und von Estland gelieferte Feldhospital:

Da gibt’s ein gewisses Delta zu den Aussagen des ukrainischen Botschafters Andrij Melnyk am Sonntagabend in der ARD-Sendung Anne Will; nach seinen Worten soll eben nicht alles angekommen sein. Klären lässt sich das derzeit nicht.

• Update: Aus dem Briefing am Montag im Pentagon twittert erneut, wie schon in den vergangenen Tagen, die Stars&Stripes-Kollegin Caitlin Doornbos:

Senior defense official: Nearly 100% of the combat power Putin amassed along the border around Ukraine’s borders with Belarus and Russia are now fighting in the country. Russia has launched 625 missile since war started Feb. 24.
DOD approved the deployment of 500 more American troops to Europe over the weekend „to augment existing forces that are there. These additional forces are going to be positioned to respond to the current security environment in light of rushes renewed aggression against Ukraine.“
„I would remind that nothing has changed about President Biden’s very clear direction that we will not be putting U.S. troops in Ukraine. These additional forces are going to be going to NATO (countries) to shore up capabilities that are already there.“
Among those deployed: KC-135 refueling aircraft to Souda Bay, Greece. Unclear from where they will come as the „services are still sourcing this requirement.“
An air support operations center will deploy to Poland and Romania. „Again, I don’t have sourcing on that. I don’t have exact numbers.“
Also „an ordinance company and a maintenance company to Germany to provide additional logistic support to the first Armored Brigade Combat Team Third Infantry Division which is already deployed there. „These are enablers that the Secretary ordered over the weekend.“
Again, the additional 500 troops to be deployed include:
-KC-135 refueling aircraft to Greece.
-An air support operations center to Poland and Romania.
-Ordinance and maintenance companies to Germany to provide additional logistic support to the 1st ARCT, 3rd Infantry Division.
„These are enablers, as you can see. We’re [sending] operations center support personnel, ordinance and maintenance company personnel.“
Why send them now?
„One of the things we’ve talked about is how important protecting NATO territory is & that includes NATO airspace. Now that the airspace is contested in Ukraine, these assets will prove helpful to our ability to make sure that we’re protecting NATO airspace.“
„It wasn’t [decided on] the basis of a conversation that General Milley had on his trip [to Europe.] These enablers were already kind of queued up to go and again, fully in support of our efforts to be able to defend NATO airspace if needed.“
Putin „has an awful lot of combat power available to him and he has it in numbers that are superior to the numbers the Ukrainians have arrayed against them. I just don’t think we should underestimate that or the firepower that he is so clearly willing to increase his use of.“
On dead Russian soldiers: „I know of no request by Ukraine for mortuary assistance. We have anecdotal reports that at places and at times, the Russians have not recovered their dead but we can’t say that that’s some sort of wholesale decision by the Russian Ministry of Defense.“
On U.S. position on Poland potentially sending jets to Ukraine: „We would not stand in the way if a country like Poland wanted to contribute aircraft to Ukraine. That’s a sovereign decision that they can make.“
„As for the proposal of a potential backfill from the U.S. to a third nation like a donor nation, we’re still working our way through that. But we pose no objection to another nation that wants to make a sovereign decision to contribute aircraft to Ukraine. That’s up to them.“
„Vast majority of [Russian moves and fighting] remains along those 3 lines we’ve talked about for over a week: From the north down toward Kyiv, from the south from Crimea toward Mykolayiv & Mariupol, both of which are being contested, & then a northeasterly route toward Kharkiv.“
On the 40-mile convoy north of Kyiv remains stalled after more than a week: „We believe it’s still not moving and that it was principally designed as a resupply convoy. There were some combat elements in there, but again the convoy is not going anywhere.“
„We’re certainly not disputing that civilians are being hit as they attempt to flee. And we have seen increased bombardments of Kharkiv … and now we’re seeing bombardment surrounding Mykolaiv down in the south, as well as Mariupol, which continues to be under assault.“
„We certainly have noticed increases in long-range fires, bombardment rocket attacks artillery, as well as the missile strikes. And we do assess that they that these strikes are are hitting civilian targets, civilian infrastructure, residential areas.“
„It’s not clear to us … how much of those [Russian] strikes on civilian infrastructure and residences are deliberate.“
Russia has „basically been stalled throughout the course of the weekend. They have not made any significant progress on the ground towards Kyiv, Kharkiv or Chernihiv. The Ukrainians are putting up a very stiff resistance and [Russians troops] just have not made much progress.“
„Putin still has the vast majority of his aircraft fixed and rotary wing that he had amassed over the last few months. He has the vast majority of them still available for use, even though we know that the some of the aircraft have been shot down by the Ukrainians.“
„And we assess that he’s also had some some sustainment issues of his own in terms of his ability to maintain his aircraft, but the vast majority of the fleet, that he had assembled is still available to him.“
We have seen no indication that he has felt compelled to flow in [more air capability] in from elsewhere in Russia.“

(Weiter nach Entwicklung; Hinweis: ich bin heute unterwegs, deswegen werden Updates und die Freischaltung von Kommentaren ggf. deutlich länger dauern als sonst)