ISW: Tank deliveries will help defeat the Russian army and liberate Ukraine

Earlier, AFU Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyy stressed in December 2022 that Ukraine needs 300 main battle tanks to support Ukrainian counteroffensives.

A report by the Institute for the Study of War said:

The provision of main battle tanks by Western states will help Ukraine to conduct mechanised combat operations to defeat the Russian military and liberate Ukrainian territory.

ISW analysts' key findings

• Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov continued his attempts to portray himself and the traditional structure of the Russian military command as the true defenders of Russia.
• Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu appointed Colonel-General Sergey Kuzovlev as commander of the Southern Military District (SOF) and Lieutenant-General Evgeny Nikiforov as commander of the Western Military District (ZVO).
• Russian forces continued limited counterattacks along the Svatovo-Kreminna line, while Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations near Kreminna.
• Russian forces continued to launch ground attacks near Bakhmut and Avdeevka-Donetsk. Russian forces made minor territorial gains near Bakhmut.
• Russian sources claimed to have launched an offensive near Ugledar to divert attention from the lack of progress in Bakhmut.
• Russian forces continued to conduct limited and localized ground attacks in Zaporizhia region, but made no territorial gains.
• Ukrainian special forces conducted a raid across the Dnieper River in Kherson Oblast on 23-24 January.
• Russian authorities continue efforts to mobilize ethnic minorities for combat operations in Ukraine.
• Russian defence industry base (OPB) increases drone production.
• Ukrainian partisans attack member of Zaporizhzhya occupation administration.