Delivery of Leopard 1 tanks from Germany may take some monthspublished at 12:54 Greenwich Mean Time 3 February 2023

12:54 GMT 3 February 2023

Jenny Hill
reporting from Berlin

The Leopard 1 was the first main battle tank produced in Germany after the end of the second world war; the vehicles were retired from the German army 20 years ago.

But the manufacturer Rheinmetall still has them in stock (unconfirmed reports vary but there may be as many as 88).

The German government confirmed this morning it would allow their export but gave few other details.

It’s thought that delivery may take some months; largely because the tanks will need to be fully refurbished but it’s also feared that there may be difficulties obtaining the corresponding ammunition.

The government’s decision follows its announcement last week that Germany would send 14 of the more modern Leopard 2 battle tanks from its army stock and allow their export from third countries.

Paul Adams
reporting from Ukraine

Since October, when temperatures began to plummet, Russia has been using strikes on Ukraine's power grid to force the civilian population into submission.

Each hit deprives hundreds of thousands of households of electricity, forcing the state energy company, Ukrenergo, to find ways of diverting power along alternative routes.

Data collected by Kyiv's Energy Industry Research Centre (EIRC) suggests that about 100 substation transformers, of various sizes, have been hit since October. Due to their cost and the many months it takes to manufacture them, not a single one has yet been replaced.

Read more about the constant race to maintain Ukraine's power here.

Russian foreign policy strategist Sergey Karaganov has denied Russia has been committing war crimes in Ukraine.

Karaganov told the BBC's Hardtalk programme that crimes were committed by Ukraine, saying “we have an opposite picture of atrocities of Ukrainian troops".

Responding to claims by former Russian military officer, Konstantin Yefremov, that Russian troops have tortured Ukrainians, Karaganov said: “We have tonnes of evidence of the opposite behaviour of Ukrainian troops and they will pay for that”.

The BBC is unable to independently confirm Konstantin Yefremov's specific allegations of torture, but they are consistent with other claims of abuse of Ukrainian prisoners.

A warning that this video contains descriptions of violence.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has called on the Kremlin to fulfil its obligations under an arms control treaty known as New START, and allow officials to carry out inspections in Russian territory.

In a media release, external, Nato allies have agreed that the New START Treaty will contribute to international stability by constraining Russian and US strategic nuclear forces.

"We note with concern that Russia has failed to comply with legally-binding obligations, including on inspection and call on Russia to fulfil its obligations under the treaty", Stoltenberg said in a tweet.

Back in August, Russia told the US it has "temporarily" suspended on-site inspections of its strategic nuclear weapons.

At the time the Russian foreign ministry said the US was seeking advantages and had deprived Russia of the right to carry out inspections on US territory.

It said US sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine had changed conditions between the countries.

The treaty came into force in 2011.

It's the last remaining arms reduction agreement between the former Cold War rivals. It caps at 1,550 the number of long-range nuclear warheads that each country can deploy.

Image source, Reuters

As we reported a short time ago, Germany has authorised the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine. The announcement came from a government spokesperson during a press conference.

The move follows a headline-grabbing announcement late last month that 14 of the country's newer Leopard 2 tanks would be sent Kyiv's way - and other countries would also be authorised to send their own Leopard 2s as well.

As many as 88 of the older Leopard 1s are to be sent, according to a report earlier today by Süddeutsche Zeitung. But, the newspaper writes that these vehicles are in need of repair. The Leopard 1 entered service in the 1960s.

Officials in Berlin have declined to confirm the number due to be sent.

EU head Ursula von der Leyen has tweeted about a scheme to help reduce Ukraine's energy consumption as its war effort against Russia continues.

She's in Kyiv to take part in the EU-Ukraine summit which will discuss the country's bid to gain EU membership.

Image source, Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/EPA

President Volodymyr Zelensky wants negotiations on joining the EU to start "this year" - although there appear to be a number of hurdles in the way of it fully signing up to the bloc.

Ukraine was granted official EU candidate status last June, following Russia's full-scale invasion in February.

But that doesn't bring any guarantee of a swift join-up, as Albania and North Macedonia will tell you. Both countries have been stuck in this proverbial waiting-room for years.

Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron said it could take "decades" for Kyiv to achieve full membership.

The EU wants Ukraine to crack down on corruption, believing this to be an entrenched issue. President Zelensky recently launched an anti-corruption drive.

As for Russia - it shrugged off Ukraine's assumption of candidate status last year, but it has long opposed any effort by Ukraine to foster closer ties with the West. President Putin once described Russians and Ukrainians as "one people, a single whole".

Manufacturers in Germany have been authorised to send Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, a government official has just confirmed.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently approved the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks - following pressure from the international community for Berlin to step up its supplies for Ukraine.

The Leopard tanks are highly coveted military vehicles.

• The weapons being supplied to Ukraine.

Colour has been brought to the walls of Kyiv and other nearby towns by Italian street artist Tvboy - who has been decorating war-damaged buildings with murals that feature the Ukrainian national colours.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The boss of Ukraine's state-owned railway network has been speaking to the BBC about how he's helping to keep people connected as Russia continues to strike the Ukrainian energy network, causing widespread blackouts.

"Our stations never switch off," Oleksandr Kamyshin says. He explains that around 5,000 Ukrainians visit their local station each day to charge their devices and stay warm.

The railways themselves have been the target of Russian attacks, but it's Kamyshin's job to keep trains running on schedule. He and his colleagues "get used" to the strikes, and he insists that "we know what to do" when it comes to making repairs.

But hundreds of railway workers have been killed during the conflict, he says - and nearly 9,200 employees have signed up for the army. That is the "high price we pay in this war", he adds.

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Ukraine's defence minister says Russia is preparing for a major new offensive, and is warning that it could begin as soon as 24 February.

Oleksii Reznikov says Moscow has amassed thousands of troops and could "try something" to mark the anniversary of the initial invasion last year.

Any attack would also mark Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day on 23 February, which celebrates the army.

Reznikov says Moscow has mobilised some 500,000 troops for the potential offensive.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a general mobilisation of some 300,000 conscripted troops, which he said was necessary to ensure the country's "territorial integrity".

But Reznikov suggests that the true figure recruited and deployed to Ukraine could be far higher, telling the French BFM network: "Officially they announced 300,000 but when we see the troops at the borders, according to our assessments it is much more."

The BBC cannot independently verify this figure.

Read more on this story here.

Image source, PA Media

As we've been reporting, Ukraine is hoping for a speedy entry to the European Union. One man backing Kyiv is former British prime minister, Boris Johnson.

Earlier this week, he said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "demolished any objections to Ukrainian membership".

He added: "I believe that, once this war is done, once the Ukrainians have won, then yes they should begin the process of induction both to Nato and to the EU."

While in power, Johnson had said there was "no way" Ukraine would be quickly able to join Nato - a military alliance of Western nations.

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent, BBC News

Snow and sirens have set the tone for today’s summit between President Zelensky and European Union officials. The latter will remind everyone of the threat Ukraine continues to face.

It’s why Zelensky argues that his country “deserves” negotiations to start for it to join the bloc of 27 members. He claims it would also motivate his countrymen as they continue to endure this war.

What he privately knows, is that joining takes years, if not decades.

There will be some substance to these meetings. Further Russian sanctions, financial and military support, as well as repairs to Ukraine’s damaged infrastructure has already been discussed.

However, what Kyiv wants most is membership. Ukraine has politically wanted to join the EU for years. It would bring economic benefits, but also allow the country to lean further to the West, and away from the clutches of Moscow.

The presence of EU officials on the ground in a country at war is significant - the West isn't being shy about its support for Ukraine.

EU chief Charles Michel has arrived in Kyiv ahead of the EU leaders summit.

In a tweet, Michel said he was in the Ukrainian capital with an European Union delegation - EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Commission Vice President Josep Borrell.

"We will also support you every step of the way on your journey to the EU," he says.

Image source, Reuters

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hopes of a fast-track entry into the EU are expected to be rebuffed at an EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv today.

Ahead of the meeting, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine had set what he called an "ambitious goal" of joining the EU in two years.

But a group of member states have warned it should be made clear to Kyiv that this will not be possible.

"We will do it but there are no short-cuts," said one diplomat.

Last June, Ukraine gained EU candidacy status at record speed, in what Zelensky said was a unique and historic moment.

While it is a first step to membership, the process typically takes many years with other countries queuing for years.

An update on Ukraine's progress towards membership is expected in the spring with a more formal assessment to follow later in the year.

Read more on this from our Brussels Correspondent Jessica Parker here.

Ahead of the EU summit later today, air raid sirens have sounded this morning in Kyiv and across Ukraine.

It comes as the country prepares to host senior leaders from the bloc, in a bid to speed up its bid to join the EU.

We'll bring you the latest as soon as we have it.

Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage.

Air raid sirens have been sounded in Kyiv and across Ukraine as European Union officials prepare to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine is hosting an historic summit as it seeks to speed up its bid to join the European Union.

The war-torn country is hopeful, but EU officials say much still needs to be done before Ukraine is in a position to join the bloc.

Today's summit comes after another large financial package was announced on Thursday, along with another round of sanctions on Russia.