Berlin, 26 April 2022 (dpa/MIA) - The question of Ukraine's long-term security and sovereignty was the main topic of discussion on Tuesday as representatives of some 40 countries gathered for a conference at a US air base in western Germany. The countries' defence ministers and other officials invited to the Ramstein Air Base by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin were expected to focus on the country's defence against the invasion and its needs in the period following the war. The US Department of Defence made clear that the conference was not under NATO auspices. Non-members were reportedly among those attending. It emerged early on Tuesday that Germany is to send anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine, a change in policy for a country that has come under criticism for not sending heavier weaponry to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion. Under the plan, weapons company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann will be given permission to send Cheetah anti-aircraft cannon tanks, known as Gepards in German, to Ukraine. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann will manufacture the Gepards from tanks and spare parts already owned by Germany's Bundeswehr, making modifications where necessary. Speaking at the airbase, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said Ukrainian soldiers were to be trained to use artillery systems on German soil. "We are working together with our American friends in training Ukrainian troops on artillery systems on German soil," said Lambrecht, according to a transcript of her speech distributed in advance. The minister addressed the criticism levelled at Germany, but pointed to the government's decision to provide anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine as progress. President Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine meant that Russia had "taken its leave of the circle of civilized nations." The situation remained dire in Ukraine on Tuesday, with officials reporting multiple dead and wounded across the country due to continuing Russian attacks. One rail worker was reported dead and four others injured after a series of attacks on Monday on Ukrainian railway stations, the country's rail provider said on its Telegram channel. Four other deaths were reported in the Kharkiv region due to Russian gunfire. Five others were reported wounded, according to the region's governor, Oleh Synyehubov, via Telegram. Another four civilians were reported injured in the city of Kharkiv, where a 12-storey building was on fire. Two levels were burned out. Russian attacks were also reported near the village of Bilopillia in the Sumy region. The shots came from Russian territory. No injuries or damage were reported, according to the governor, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi. There were also reports of a Russian attempt to break through lines of engagement near the city of Kherson, but Ukrainian sources said they were unsuccessful. However, the Ukrainians also said there had been an increase in gunfire and other attacks. After Russian forces largely pulled back from Ukraine's west and north following a stalled invasion and a failed attempt to take the Ukrainian capital Kiev, its forces are now focusing on the east, trying to establish a land corridor between the Donbass, much of which is held by pro-Russian separatists, and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It is also thought that Russian forces are attempting to encircle the remaining Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine. Doing so would take a large part of Ukraine's army out of action and be a significant blow to the country's defences. Russia said it had disabled two S-300 air defence systems and destroyed a launch pad for short-range Tochka-U missiles near the town of Barvinkov in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said that two Ukrainian Buk-M1 and Ossa anti-aircraft systems elsewhere in the Donetsk region had also been destroyed. Also on Tuesday, Belarus announced an unexpected military exercise involving its air force and anti-aircraft troops alongside Russian forces. The exercise is set to last until Friday, the Defence Ministry in Minsk announced, according to the Interfax news agency. The leadership of the Russian air force and anti-aircraft forces from Russia's Western Military District were due to join the manoeuvres, it said. No further details were provided. Russia used its close ally Belarus as a staging ground for its invasion of Ukraine and has continued to use the country for attacks on Ukraine since February 24. In the run-up to the Ramstein conference, Austin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kiev, where they met President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday and agreed to provide Ukraine with additional military assistance. They were also provided with important information on Ukraine's defence requirements, the details of which were due to be discussed with Washington's partners and allies attending the conference. As part of international efforts to end the war, UN Secretary General António Guterres was in Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.