Kyiv (TIP): Ukraine on January 27 battled Russian troops trying to pierce its lines in the east and northeast before Kyiv takes delivery of tanks from its Western allies, saying the fighting showed it needed more weapons to repel the invaders. Kyiv said fierce battles were under way, a day after at least 11 people were killed in missile and drone strikes which were widely seen in Ukraine as a response to the promises by important allies to send it tanks. After weeks of wrangling, Germany and the US this week said they would send Ukraine dozens of modern tanks to help push back Russian forces, opening the way for others to follow suit.

Poland gave Ukraine a further boost on Friday by promising an additional 60 tanks on top of 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks it had already pledged. Both sides in the war are widely expected to launch spring offensives though Washington has advised Ukraine against doing so until the latest weapons are in place and training has been provided – a process expected to take several months. Russia said the US was “pumping weapons into Ukraine”, which Moscow says does Washington’s bidding, and chided President Joe Biden, saying he held the key to ending the conflict but had not used it. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked allies for their support but renewed calls for tougher sanctions on Moscow and more weapons in the twelfth month of the war. Millions of Ukrainians faced electricity shortages after missile and drone strikes. Russia said the strikes focused on “facilities that operate Ukraine’s defence industrial complex and transport system,” and limited Ukraine’s ability to repair hardware and transport arms provided by its allies. — Reuters