Europe

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces fired another rash of missiles and self-exploding drones in nearly a dozen provinces of Ukraine early Thursday, causing the first attack-related death of the year in Kyiv and killing at least 11 people in all.

The spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, Oleksandr Khorunzhyi, announced the casualty toll in comments to Ukrainian television. He said the attacks also wounded at least 11 people.

25 Jan 2023; MEMO: France has repatriated 15 women and 32 children from a detention camp in north-west Syria after pressure on the European country from human rights organisations.

The decision follows criticism from a UN committee that said Paris is failing to protect its citizens and is violating the Convention against Torture.

MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/: The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) collected a total of 11,053 doping samples from Russian athletes in 2022, a spokeswoman for the agency told TASS on Wednesday.

"The Russian Anti-Doping Agency collected 11,053 doping samples in the period between January and December 2022," she said.

RUSADA Director General Veronika Loginova told TASS in late December that the agency had met its target for 2022 on doping testing of athletes ahead of schedule with the reported figure standing at over 11,000.

MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/:  Russian combat aircraft, missile troops and artillery struck over 70 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"In the past 24 hours, operational-tactical aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 79 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military equipment in 124 areas," the spokesman said.

BERLIN, January 25. /TASS/: First Leopard tanks may be shipped to Ukraine in about 3 to 4 months, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on TV Wednesday.

"This [shipment of tanks] will not happen sooner than in 3 to 4 months," Pistorius said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the German government confirmed that it will send 14 Leopard 2 tanks from Germany’s own stock to Ukraine and will authorize other countries to re-export German-made tanks.

MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/: Defending Russia and its people from threats against its historical lands has been the special military operation’s objective, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

"The goal [of the special military operation], as I have said many times before, is primarily to protect the people and Russia itself from threats being posed to it on our historical lands bordering our territory. We cannot allow this to happen," the Russian leader said in his speech devoted to Russian Students Day.

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin avoided commenting on Germany's landmark decision on Wednesday to supply tanks to Ukraine during a visit to Moscow State University, instead dispensing career advice to students and fielding questions on other topics.

Germany's announcement that it would send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine after weeks of pressure from its allies prompted a furious reaction from Russia's foreign ministry and its embassy in Berlin, but the president steered clear of the issue.

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Russia reacted with fury on Wednesday to Germany's decision to approve the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, saying Berlin was abandoning its "historical responsibility to Russia" arising from Nazi crimes in World War Two.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Telegram post that the move was confirmation of Germany's involvement in "a war planned in advance" against Russia.

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Germany announced plans to deliver heavy tanks to Ukraine, and the United States was poised to do so too, a breakthrough hailed as a decisive military boost by Kyiv and condemned by Moscow as a reckless provocation.

ARMAMENTS

* Germany announced plans to send an initial company of 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own stocks, and also approve shipments by allies who field them, with the aim of supplying Ukraine with two full battalions.

* Poland and Britain, which have pledged 14 tanks each, welcomed the decision.

FRANKFURT, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Armin Papperger is on a roll.

On Tuesday, the chief executive of Germany defence champion Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) nudged up the group's mid-term sales outlook in anticipation of a windfall from higher defence spending due to the war in Ukraine.

A day later, Germany's long-awaited decision to send heavy Leopard tanks to Ukraine, which Rheinmetall produces jointly with peer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, pushed shares in the nearly 134-year old firm to a record high.