Copies of Bradley fighting vehicle sent. “They’re small tanks equipped with heavy weapons,” says Hammelburg. At the same time, France is sending something similar, it’s the AMX-10. “These are lighter and smaller than that American tank and will likely be used for fighting in smaller streets and towns.”
Own product
According to Peter Wijninga, a defense specialist at the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague, the supplied armored vehicles will be mainly used in reconnaissance roles. “Sometimes you find them in combat situations, but they’re not as connected to infantry combat as a real tank is. Also, they run on wheels and not rails. So they are less capable on the ground, while they can move much faster on the road.’
“It won’t make much difference to the battle,” says Hammelburg. “But it’s special that an EU country does something other than contribute or transfer something from its own stocks, but instead supplies its own product.”
Hypersonic
Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a Russian frigate equipped with hypersonic missiles would be sent to the Atlantic Ocean. This can only be a threat to NATO. This is a transatlantic alliance. Every hostile weapon in this ocean is a threat.
According to Hammelburg, it is doubtful whether the frigate is equipped with so-called hypersonic missiles. “There are recordings, but no one has seen this weapon live. If the weapon existed, it would be something special.” According to the Russians, this missile flies faster than sound, while ordinary cruise missiles, as it were, trudge towards their target, Hammelburg knows this. “But I don’t believe it, especially not aboard a frigate. It seems to me one of the forms of intimidation and manipulation.
Cease-fire
Turkish President Erdogan has pressed Putin for a unilateral ceasefire that Russia could declare in its war with Ukraine. According to Wijninga, it’s a pretty hopeless call. “The Russians maintain their position that negotiations cannot begin until Russian demands are met. they’re actually indicating that they’re not willing to make any concessions, so it doesn’t make sense.’
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The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has announced that on the occasion of Christmas, which the church celebrates on January 7, it is better to pause the fighting. So it could be that there will be a temporary ceasefire after all. “But that doesn’t help much, I’m afraid,” says Wijninga.