Russia has thrown fresh contingents of troops at Ukrainian positions in the east but failed to make notable advances, the Ukrainian military said on February 1, as Kyiv stepped up its efforts to convince its Western allies to give it fighter jets.
"The enemy has not paused its offensive actions in the Lyman and Bakhmut directions [in the eastern region of Donetsk," Ukraine's General Staff said in its daily report early on February 1, adding that Russian forces also conducted "unsuccessful offensives" in the Avdiyivka and Novopavlivka areas of Donestk as well, and "suffered great losses."
The information could not be independently verified.
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Russia has kept pressing its attacks on the town of Vuhledar, some 150 kilometers southeast of the fighting in and around Bakhmut, which has been the focal point of months of fighting in Donetsk.
The latest wave in the incessant Russian offensive came as Washington is preparing a fresh $2.2 billion package of military aid for Ukraine that is expected to give Kyiv longer-range missiles for the first time, as well as other munitions and weapons, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter who spoke to Reuters on January 31.
But the United States, which has given Kyiv some $27.2 billion in military aid since the start of Russia's unprovoked invasion almost one year ago, has so far been reluctant to provide warplanes for Ukraine.
U.S. President Joe Biden responded negatively when asked by reporters on January 30 if Washington would send F-16s.
On January 31, he told reporters that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy were "going to talk" but gave no further details.
France also gave mixed signals on the matter, with Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu saying after talks in Paris on January 31 with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov that "there was no taboo" about supplying Kyiv with fighter planes.
A day earlier, President Emmanuel Macron also told reporters that "nothing is excluded" when it comes to military assistance but offered no specifics.
But Reznikov voiced guarded optimism at a joint news conference with Lecornu on January 31, saying that all of Ukraine's requests were initially met with refusal by its allies, only to be eventually granted.
"In the beginning, all types of aid went through the 'no' phase. That means no as of today. The second stage: let's discuss, study the technical possibilities. Third stage: let's prepare your crews. And the fourth stage: take it. It happened with HIMARS, it happened with 155 mm artillery, the same with Bradley [fighting vehicles]," Reznikov said.
After months of reluctance, the United States and Germany agreed last month to send Abrams and Leopard 2 tanks, respectively, to Ukraine, while the United Kingdom earlier in January said it would send 14 Challenger 2 tanks.
Germany also allowed other countries, such as Norway and Poland to send their German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
WATCH: Ukrainian civilians come under shelling as they attempt to flee from Russian attacks in Bakhmut, in a video posted online by foreign volunteers.
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On January 31, Ukraine said it was expecting up to 140 modern tanks from its Western allies.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba gave the estimate, saying that 12 countries had promised more than 100 tanks after the U.S. and German opposition was lifted.
"Ukraine's armed forces will receive between 120 and 140 modern Western tanks," Kuleba said, describing the figure as the "first wave of contributions."
"These are Leopard 2, Challenger 2, M1 Abrams," Kuleba said, without specifying a timeline for the deliveries.
Kuleba noted too that Kyiv was "very much counting on" France to pass over to the Ukrainian military its Leclerc battle tank.