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Ukraine conflict – day 342: U.S. rules out fighter jets for Kyiv while France says it is an option
CGTN
Europe;Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers ride atop an infantry fighting vehicle along a road, near a frontline in Donetsk region. /Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters
Ukrainian soldiers ride atop an infantry fighting vehicle along a road, near a frontline in Donetsk region. /Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

Ukrainian soldiers ride atop an infantry fighting vehicle along a road, near a frontline in Donetsk region. /Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

TOP HEADLINES

· U.S. President Joe Biden said he will not be sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help its war against Russian attackers, but said he would visit crucial ally Poland. When asked by White House reporters if he was in favor of sending the jets, which Ukraine's leaders have said are at the top of their latest weapons wish list, he said a clear "no."

· Biden's comment comes after France's President Emmanuel Macron said he would not rule out sending fighter jets to Ukraine but warned against the risk of escalation in the conflict.

· Ukraine's defense minister is expected in Paris to meet Macron amid a debate among Kyiv's allies over whether to provide fighter jets for its war against Russia, after the U.S. and Germany ruled out giving F-16s.

· A Moscow proxy official said Russian forces were advancing near Vuhledar, a town in the eastern Donetsk region, which is the epicenter of fighting in Ukraine, but Kyiv denied the claim. "Our units continue advancing in the direction of Vuhledar," said Denis Pushilin, the Kremlin-appointed leader of the Donetsk region. READ MORE BELOW

· Ukraine's general staff said Russia had carried out air strikes and three missile strikes in the past 24 hours, one of them on Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine. It is also continuing offensive operations in the areas of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, it said.

· Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Ukraine to investigate accusations it used thousands of rocket-fired antipersonnel landmines in and around the eastern city of Izyum when Russian forces occupied the area. HRW said use of antipersonnel mines violates international humanitarian law because the devices cannot discriminate between civilians and combatants.

· The Kremlin said calls by the president of Lithuania to supply fighter planes to Ukraine were evidence of what it called the "extremely aggressive position" of the Baltic states and Poland, and that "major European countries" should counterbalance this position.

· Ukraine's military will spend nearly $550 million on drones in 2023, and 16 supply deals have already been signed with Ukrainian manufacturers, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.

· France and Australia announced a deal to jointly produce 155mm artillery shells for Ukraine after a ministerial meeting in Paris that showcased efforts to relaunch ties between the Pacific allies. 

· Norway will send part of its fleet of German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine "as soon as possible," indicating perhaps late March, Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram said. The country has 36 Leopard 2 tanks, but has not said how many it will provide to Kyiv. 

· Ukraine's foreign ministry criticized Croatian President Zoran Milanovic for saying Crimea would never return to Ukrainian control, describing his comment as "unacceptable."

· From NATO's secretary general to the Ukrainian president, the conflict in Ukraine dominates the publicly known names submitted for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize. The list of nominees submitted to the committee is kept secret for at least 50 years, in line with Nobel statutes. Most of the names that have been publicly disclosed so far are involved in the nearly year-long conflict, or opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

· The worldwide transition away from fossil fuels could be accelerated by the Ukraine-Russia conflict, British energy giant BP forecast. "The increased focus on energy security as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war has the potential to accelerate the energy transition," BP said in its report.

A man uses a chain saw to cut down trees for wood in Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region. /Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP
A man uses a chain saw to cut down trees for wood in Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region. /Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

A man uses a chain saw to cut down trees for wood in Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region. /Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

IN DETAIL

Russia claims advance in Vuhledar, Kyiv denies it

A large Russian force has advanced hundreds of meters in a major new assault on a Ukrainian-held bastion in southeastern Ukraine this week, though it is unlikely to force a significant breakthrough there, the UK said.

Russian officials claimed the advance had secured a foothold in the coal-mining town of Vuhledar. Kyiv has acknowledged heavy fighting there but says it has repelled the push so far while inflicting heavy losses on the attackers.

In an intelligence update offering rare battlefield detail, the UK ministry said Russia was attacking the town with a force at least the size of a brigade, a unit normally comprising several thousand troops with a full range of capabilities.

So far, the Russians had likely advanced from the south several hundred meters beyond the Kashlahach River, which it said had marked the frontline for months. The small river flows on the edge of the town of Pavlivka, about two kilometers south of Vuhledar.

"There is a realistic possibility that Russia will continue to make local gains in the sector. However, it is unlikely that Russia has sufficient uncommitted troops in the area to achieve an operationally significant breakthrough."

Vuhledar lies at the southernmost end of the eastern front in Ukraine, overlooking railway lines that supply Russian forces on the adjacent southern front. Ukraine has repelled several Russian attacks on the town since the start of the conflict 11 months ago.

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters

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