Free Republic

In the 13 weeks since launching a long-anticipated counteroffensive along several axes in southern and eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian army has lost just five of its 71 Leopard 2 tanks. Many more of the German-made tanks—at least 10—have suffered damage. But the Ukrainians are repairing the damaged tanks at depots in Poland and Germany and returning them to the front. The fundamental toughness of the 69-ton Leopard 2 means tanks might take damage, visit a repair depot, return to the fighting then again take damage and head out for repairs. So on and so forth. The Leopard 2 lends itself...

Poland is ready to hand over all of its MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with CNN on March 8. “...the remaining part of the MiG-29s which we have in Poland, which are operational, and which are now serving in our Air Force – we stand ready to provide those planes and I’m sure that Ukraine would be ready to use those planes instantly because Ukraine has got pilots able to operate those machines, right now,” Duda said. The president noted that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to switch to NATO standards...

Nearly one year into the war between Russia and Ukraine, Americans’ support for Ukraine holds steady. A stable 65% of U.S. adults prefer that the United States support Ukraine in reclaiming its territory, even if that results in a prolonged conflict. Meanwhile, 31% continue to say they would rather see the U.S. work to end the war quickly, even if this allows Russia to keep its territory. These data are from a Gallup web survey conducted Jan. 3-22, while the Russia-Ukraine conflict was at a relative stalemate and negotiations were underway among the U.S., Germany and other Western allies, who...

The first task is to wipe off or cover up the Z, says Anatoly, 44, of the call sign infamously daubed on Russian hardware involved in the war in Ukraine. “We don’t want friendly fire later on.” Then the mechanics get to work. In a secret location in Ukraine, within a vast warehouse that could be mistaken for a tank graveyard, what was once Russian – Soviet, in many cases – is being turned Ukrainian. (snip) But for all the efforts of the Nato allies, it is Russia that is unwittingly, and yet by some margin, Ukraine’s biggest donor of...

The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sought Sunday to tamp down speculation that the new GOP majority will be less likely to fund aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, though he did suggest some members of his party may need to be convinced about the need to continue US support. “I think there’s enough support on both sides of the aisle. Majority in the Democratic Party, majority in the Republican,” Texas Rep. Michael McCaul told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” referring to aid to Ukraine. But he added, “We have to educate...