Delivery of heavy armored vehicles to Ukraine won’t change situation on ground: Kremlin

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin on Monday said deliveries of heavy armored vehicles by Western countries to Ukraine will not change the situation on the ground.

“The special military operation will continue. These tanks are on fire and will burn just like the rest. The goals of the special military operation will be achieved,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a weekly briefing in Moscow.

Peskov said the UK's decision to send Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv could "drag out the whole story and bring more trouble to the state of Ukraine."

"We evaluate and perceive such a decision very negatively ... the UK, other European countries, Poland and so on, which are now talking about their intentions to arrange a new round of supply of new, more advanced technological military equipment for Ukraine, will not able to change the situation on the ground. They must understand this," Peskov said.

He added that Moscow doubts Western countries care about people who live in Ukraine and their future, claiming that these countries “simply use this country (Ukraine) as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals.”

On Sunday, the UK announced its decision to transfer 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine in the coming weeks following a phone conversation between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not yet decided whether to supply Leopard 2s to Kyiv, while France said it will provide Ukraine with AMX 10-RC light battle tanks.