[Korrespondent] 23:24 Russia has created dozens of centers where it contains at least 6,000 children taken out of Ukraine. The main goal of such centers is "political re-education" - children are surrounded by Russian-centric science, cultural-patriotic and military education, according to the Conflict Observatory initiative founded by the US State Department.
23:21 In the EU, under the leadership of Sweden, a working group will be created to study the possibility of using the frozen assets of the Russian Federation to restore Ukraine, said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The decision on the powers of the working group will be made on February 15.
23:18 Western intelligence reports that Russia is stockpiling aircraft near the border with Ukraine, writes the Financial Times. This indicates that the Russian Federation is preparing to support its faltering ground offensive. Fear of an air war in Ukraine has prompted allies to prioritize the rapid delivery of air defense systems and artillery munitions to Kyiv to respond to Russia's shift in approach, Western officials say.
23:14 The CNN TV channel published an investigation about the assault unit of the Russian army , formed from prisoners. One of the prisoners interviewed by journalists said that he was part of a group of 130 people. Of these, no more than 40 remained - the rest either died or were seriously injured. The unit became known as Storm Trooper.
23:08 Zelensky said that the situation on the front line, especially in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, remains extremely difficult: "These are literally battles for every meter of Ukrainian land. We must understand the significance of these battles. Every meter won there is the defense of our entire states. Every day that our heroes endured in Bakhmut, in Vuhledar, in Marinka and other cities and communities of Donbass, is a reduction in Russian aggression for weeks. It is there that the unprecedented destruction of Russian potential is now taking place. Everything that the enemy loses in our Donbass, it will no longer be able to restore. And this is exactly the potential of Russian aggression, from which the leadership of the terrorist state expected the destruction of all of Ukraine."
22:46 Washington is considering the transfer to Ukraine of thousands of small arms seized from smugglers off the coast of Yemen. U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal they are considering transferring more than 5,000 small arms, more than 1.5 million rounds of ammunition, as well as a small number of anti-tank missiles and about 7,000 proximity explosives to Ukraine.
The challenge for the Biden administration is to find a legal basis for withdrawing weapons from one conflict and transferring them to another. The UN arms embargo requires the US and its allies to destroy, retain or dispose of seized weapons.
22:33 Zelensky said in an evening video message about "another strong decisions" to protect Ukraine following the Ramstein meeting: "Confirmed by partners more air defense, more tanks, more artillery and shells, more training for our military. Not everything about Ramstein can be reported publicly, significant part of the agreements and discussions should be left behind closed doors, but I can say with confidence that the basic trends remain unchanged."
22:15 A meeting of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine, an association of more than 50 countries, also known as the Ramstein Coalition, was held in Brussels. About the main results of the meeting - in the material they will support the offensive .
21:56 Spain will train 55 Ukrainian soldiers to work with Leopard tanks, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said. According to her, Ukrainian tankers will arrive for training before the end of the week.
21:32 The German newspaper Nordsee Zeitung published a photo from the port of Bremergafen, where American military equipment arrives. In the port, they noticed 60 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, which the United States promised to supply to Ukraine, as well as 280 units of other equipment.
20:48 Ukrainian fighters are not going to surrender Bakhmut, a multi-echelon defense has been organized in the city, said Deputy Commander of the Svoboda Battalion, Lieutenant of the National Guard Volodymyr Nazarenko.
20:07 Greece, within the framework of military assistance to Ukraine, provided ammunition and 20 BMP-1 armored vehicles, the country's Ministry of Defense reported.
19:12 The Cabinet of Ministers has created an interdepartmental working group on humanitarian demining, the main task of which will be to coordinate all authorities, as well as to determine a strategy and a roadmap. The working group will be headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko. According to Shmyhal, this is also a step towards the creation of a state institution, the Center for Humanitarian Demining, which will allow a systematic approach to solving the problem.
18:31 The Russians continue to focus their main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Shakhtyorsky directions. Enemy aviation is actively operating, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in the evening summary.
On the territory of the Kadamovsky training ground in the Russian Federation, in the training center, approximately two brigades of Russian military personnel from among the mobilized and "volunteers" are being trained. The main part goes through a three-week training course, separate groups - a two-week course. As a result - a low level of readiness to perform tasks.
According to the General Staff, since the beginning of this year, training of Wagner PMC mercenaries has not been carried out on the territory of the training ground. The instructors of the training center are involved in training directly in the area of combat operations.
18:18 Washington now sees no signs of a possible Russian attack on Kiev, said Mark Milley, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "There is always a potential threat to Kiev, threats from the air, threats of missile strikes. Kiev is the capital and is an important target in this war "I would never rule out the possibility of the Russian Federation attacking Kiev. But as of now, we are not seeing any significant indications or warnings."
18:07 The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, called the battle of Bakhmut the largest in terms of losses at the moment. He also believes that the Ukrainian forces will not retreat from the city: “The most dynamic shift of the front line in both directions in general takes place in the Bakhmut area. The Ukrainians are changing, they are fighting on the defensive; the Russians, primarily the Wagner group, are attacking. I would describe it like an extremely protracted battle of attrition with a very high level of casualties, especially on the Russian side... I don't think the Ukrainians will just break down and lose, they will keep fighting."
18:02 Reznikov said that he had a meeting with Stoltenberg: "NATO has declared Russia the biggest and most direct threat. While our soldiers are defending peace in Europe, Ukraine has de facto joined NATO. I am doing everything possible to make this happen de jure" .
17:58 The head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, said following the Ramstein meeting that he had no news about the supply of combat aircraft to Ukraine. At the same time, he stressed that the allies will continue to work with Kiev to solve the most pressing needs, and recalled that Ukraine is preparing for a counteroffensive in the spring.
According to the US Secretary of Defense, now cooperation with Ukraine is focused on how to teach the Ukrainian military to use new systems and deliver them to the battlefield.
17:47 In February, Ukraine plans to raise more than $2 billion from the United States, the World Bank and other donors, Shmyhal said. According to him, in January Kyiv received $4.2 billion from the European Union and the United States. "We need these funds for critical expenses: financing salaries and pensions, education and medicine," the prime minister explained.
17:45 Russia is trying to deprive Ukrainians of access to water supply: after the partial destruction and deliberate opening by the Russians of the locks of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, Ukraine loses thousands of cubic meters of water every day. Therefore, part of the settlements that receive water from the Dnieper may be left without access to drinking water, Shmyhal said.
Even more, according to the prime minister, is the nuclear threat: “A decrease in the water level in the storage facility can lead to improper functioning of the cooling systems of the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Therefore, the civilized world should not be silent. Ukraine calls on all available means to put pressure on Russia so that it closes the floodgates and restores hydraulic structures at the Kakhovskaya HPP, or allowed Ukrainian specialists to do it."
17:31 Zelensky said that he met with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly in Kiev: "He spoke about the priority needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. We discussed in detail further cooperation in the field of security and defense. Canada's support for the Ukrainian army is invaluable."
17:27 Negotiations on the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine are likely to bring results, but this requires pressure, says Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak: "This case requires, like Patriots or Leopards, to put pressure on the allies. We are aware that our potential in this area is limited. We only have 48 F-16s, but the allies have much more potential. I think that this conversation will also end in positive decisions, but this requires pressure."
17:16 Reznikov said he was "very pleased" with the results of today's meeting in the Ramstein format. According to him, the meeting was attended by representatives of 54 countries, which means that "the anti-Kremlin coalition is growing."
"I want to say that I heard clear messages from all representatives: this is full support for Ukraine until victory. And everyone believes that Ukraine's victory is precisely on the battlefield ... We continued to talk about training our units so that they The equipment that we are given carried out the tasks of the General Staff to liberate the temporarily occupied territories," the minister added.
17:09 The restoration of the Ukrainian energy system is proceeding at a record pace, which no one expected, Volodymyr Kudrytsky, Chairman of the Board of NPC Ukrenergo, said: “We are performing this work several times faster than before. Therefore, it just takes time to eliminate all the bottlenecks in the network. I think that even those restrictions that may still be in some regions - for example, Odessa or Kiev - are not catastrophic. I hope we will be able to get rid of them in the near future."
17:02 Allies plan to provide Ukraine with 100 billion euros of aid in 2023, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said: “We are trying to help Ukraine by allocating approximately 100 billion euros together this year. This should be our goal, because now this figure is less ".
He also advocated a more active implementation of joint arms purchases at the EU level: “I would like us to move on to joint arms purchases. We would like the EU to jointly purchase at least a million shells for Ukraine. This is very important in order to support their fighting ability."
16:58 NATO is developing instructions in case of participation in a conflict that goes beyond the alliance's area of responsibility, writes Bloomberg. According to the agency, plans are being drawn up in the event of participation in a "high-intensity conflict", where countries will have to protect each other, using the fifth article of the NATO Charter. At a meeting in Brussels this week, the bloc's defense ministers are expected to sign these new policy instructions.
16:49 The Cabinet of Ministers approved fast-track for drones - this is the first resolution that will speed up and simplify the import of military and dual-use goods into Ukraine, in particular, UAVs and components, said Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Development. "In simple terms - no more documents from the export control service or other authorities for the import of drones, etc. And the above act is only the first among those being developed," the minister explained.
Fedorov added that Ukraine is working on the creation of 60 UAV strike companies and a new doctrine for their use.
16:15 Russia is launching balloons with corner reflectors into the airspace of Ukraine, Yury Ignat, speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told the UP. The balls move in air currents at low speed, they are used for reconnaissance and distraction of air defense.
15:38 The New York Times published the moment when a Russian anti-tank missile hit the car of a team of volunteers in Bakhmut on February 2. Then the head of the Global Response Medicine group, American Pete Reed, died and five volunteers were injured, including Norwegians Sander Sersven Trelvik and Simon Johnsen.
15:17 Four Leopard 2 tanks that Canada is transferring to Ukraine have been delivered to Poland, and 25 Canadian instructors have already begun training Ukrainian tankers, Defense Minister Anita Anand said.
14:39 In Nova Kakhovka, partisans blew up a car with four Russians - two were killed, two were in serious condition, the National Resistance reports. It is known that in the car there were Russian servicemen and representatives of special services.
14:36 Training of 18 Ukrainian prosecutors and police officers to investigate war crimes has begun in Paris, the French Embassy in Ukraine has reported.
14:30 Norway will transfer eight Leopard 2 tanks and up to four special-purpose tanks to Ukraine, as well as allocate funds for ammunition and spare parts, Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram said.
14:19 The Russians launched two missile attacks on Konstantinovka and Kramatorsk, said the head of the Donetsk OVA Pavel Kirilenko. According to preliminary data, one person was wounded in Konstantinovka, the Palace of Culture was damaged, in which a center for issuing humanitarian aid is now operating. In Kramatorsk, the premises of a medical institution were damaged.
13:57 The army of drones has been replenished with two powerful Ukrainian Raybird-3 systems, capable of traveling up to 2500 km, flying behind enemy lines and working despite electronic warfare, Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, said.
13:52 All graduates of the Moscow Institute of International Relations were fired from the Polish Foreign Ministry, said the head of the department, Zbigniew Rau: "The Moscow State Institute of International Relations was an investment in the activities of Russian imperialism. This is part of Soviet soft power. Graduates were supposed to serve the state mind of this empire. We succeeded close a very important process, which is part of decommunization in the broadest sense."
13:31 The first Gauleiter of Mariupol, Konstantin Ivashchenko, who was recently replaced by Oleg Morgun, was liquidated by the FSB, said the adviser to the current mayor of the city, Petr Andryushchenko, citing sources.
13:15 In European countries, the Russian spy network continues to operate actively, Andriy Chernyak, a representative of the military intelligence of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Greek edition of Iefimerida. According to him, one of the main goals of the Russians is to influence certain authoritative people in European countries, as well as public opinion.
Therefore, according to Chernyak, the Russian Federation invests a lot in working with the media: “These are their open propaganda mouthpieces, such as Russia Today, and other more hidden ways of influence. There are cases when foreign media journalists recruited by Russians go to work with a single task - talk to your colleagues to influence their opinion in favor of Russia."
Chernyak noted that recently the Russian spy network has focused on neutralizing the supply routes of Western weapons to Ukraine: “Russia is interested in all of Europe as a zone of influence. If it conquers Ukraine, it will not stop there. It will go further. And we know that Putin has such were the plans before the invasion of Ukraine. Perhaps they have not changed even now."
12:44 German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius does not believe in the imminent end of the war in Ukraine: "I think that the end of the war is not expected in the short term. I also do not see a quick victory." At the same time, he recalled the risks of escalation and stressed the importance of continuing support for Ukraine.
12:31 The head of the human rights organization Rus, sitting Olga Romanova, said that the combat and non-combat losses of PMC Wagner in Ukraine amount to 40,000 people out of 50,000 recruited prisoners. She also confirmed that Prigozhin stopped recruiting new people in the camps: "Wagner stopped recruiting prisoners. I think that now near Bakhmut he is finishing off the remaining prisoners and will turn around and go to Africa."
According to Romanova, in one of the colonies of the Kemerovo region, out of 105 recruited on November 9, only 16 people survived: “It was in November that they were taken away, by January 15% of them remained. they don't exist at all."
12:18 Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said at the Ramstein meeting that Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands will supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine. In addition, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands will supply Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, France and Italy - SAMP/T. Other countries will supply ammunition.
11:53 Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin promised that the United States and allies will help the Ukrainians go on the counteroffensive: "All countries from around the world continue to step up their efforts and consider new solutions. Together, this Contact Group clearly states that we will support Ukraine in its struggle. We We will help Ukraine launch a counteroffensive in the spring."
11:48 Ukraine needs $40-48 billion of funding this year to keep the country's economy functioning, IMF head Kristalina Georgieva said.
11:27 The head of the administration of the city of Baikonur signed a resolution on a one-time payment of 260 thousand rubles to local residents who will go to war in Ukraine on mobilization or voluntarily, the Kazakh news agency KazTAG reports. At the same time, local residents were promised not to be forced to go to war.
11:19 Germany is setting up the production of ammunition for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, which are planned to be delivered to Ukraine, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
10:53 Stoltenberg said that the issue of fighter jets for Ukraine is currently not the most urgent, but it is being discussed. "Consultations are now taking place between NATO countries regarding the types of support to Ukraine, and we will continue these discussions. Our assistance to Ukraine is changing and will change as the conflict develops," the NATO Secretary General stressed.
Stoltenberg also added that NATO does not see any signs that Putin is preparing for peace: "We see that, on the contrary, he is preparing for the continuation of the war, for new offensives and new attacks."
10:49 Electricity consumption in Ukraine remains significant on February 14, but there is no shortage of power so far, Ukrenergo reported. To date, consumption limits have not been brought to the regions, but with an increase in consumption, shutdowns are possible. In Odessa, due to damaged infrastructure, minor network restrictions are still in place.
10:40 The United States warned Ukraine that a turning point was coming in the war, and asked to decide on priorities, writes The Washington Post, citing sources. In particular, it is noted that for many months Ukraine spent significant resources and troops defending Bakhmut. But American military analysts are convinced that simultaneously defending Bakhmut and launching a spring counteroffensive to return the temporarily occupied territories is unrealistic. The US calls land de-occupation more important. And if Ukraine continues to fight wherever Russia sends troops, it will work in Moscow's favor, according to Washington.
Therefore, US officials called on Ukraine to prioritize the timing and conduct of the spring counteroffensive, especially at a time when the US and Europe are training Ukrainian fighters to use the new weapons that appear on the battlefield.
10:17 The United States may transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine or give permission for their re-export, writes the Financial Times, citing sources in Washington. The US admits it will likely provide Kyiv with better aviation as the war drags on, or at least allow F-16 transfers from other countries, the newspaper notes.
10:02 The ninth meeting of Ukraine's allies in the Ramstein format begins in Brussels. Reznikov has already arrived and met with the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin. It is planned that at the meeting they will discuss the protection of the Ukrainian sky, including with the involvement of aviation, the "tank coalition", and the training of the Ukrainian military.
09:38 In the Kherson region over the past day, two people were killed due to Russian shelling, three more were injured, the OVA reported.
09:33 British intelligence reports that over the past three days, Wagner PMC forces have made little progress around the northern outskirts of Bakhmut, including in Krasnaya Gora. At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to defend in this area, and the Russian tactical offensive south of the city has probably made little progress.
In the north, in the Kremennaya-Svatovo region of the Luhansk region, Russian troops are conducting continuous offensive operations, intelligence reports. There is a real possibility that their immediate goal is to move west to the Stallion River, according to intelligence. Analysts estimate that the current operational picture suggests that Russian forces are receiving offensive orders in most directions, but in none of them have they concentrated enough combat power to achieve a decisive effect.
09:26 At recent meetings at the Pentagon, US officials told representatives of Kiev that they do not have enough stocks of ATACMS missiles to transfer them to Ukraine, writes Politico. The transfer of ATACMS to the battlefield in Eastern Europe will reduce US stocks and damage the readiness of the US military, they said.
According to the publication, Kyiv plans to seek Washington's approval for the purchase of ATACMS from an allied country. Such missiles are in service with South Korea, Poland, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Qatar and Bahrain.
09:10 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia can transfer additional mobilized units to the Ugledar front that can defend or conduct offensive operations at attrition, but they are unlikely to become effective mechanized units capable of conducting successful offensive operations in a short period of time . Analysts also do not rule out that the Russian Federation will try to strengthen the attack on Ugledar with a large number of mobilized troops or by redirecting the remaining units of the Northern Fleet to this area.
08:57 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russians as of the morning of February 14th.
- personnel - about 139,080 (+740) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3286 (+3),
- armored combat vehicles - 6500 (+8),
- artillery systems - 2299 (+9),
- MLRS - 466 (+1),
- air defense systems - 234 (+0),
- aircraft - 298 (+2),
- helicopters - 286 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2011 (+4),
- cruise missiles - 857 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5155 (+5),
- special equipment - 218 (+1).
08:31 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Novopavlovsky directions, incurring significant losses. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are taking additional measures to strengthen the defense, the General Staff said in the morning summary .
Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled the attacks of Russian invaders in the areas of the settlements of Gryanikovka, Kharkiv region; Nevsky, Kremennaya, Kuzmino, Shipilovka and Belogorovka - Luhansk and Fedorovka, Paraskoveevka, Bakhmut, Vodianoe, Maryinka and Pobeda of the Donetsk region.
To motivate their soldiers to attack, the Russian military leadership promises them daily allowances for participating in the assaults. Also announced a surcharge for each kilometer of advancement.
In the meantime, agitation work began in Moscow to mobilize scientists. In particular, explanatory work was carried out with the staff of the Polyus Research Institute, the leading Russian scientific center in the field of laser technologies, about social guarantees and benefits for the mobilized.
08:04 Russia has not been able to solve the problems of its army during the year of the war, said John Kirby, White House national security spokesman. According to him, Putin “does not make good decisions” and should not have invaded Ukraine in the first place: “It is clear that neither he nor his military made reasonable decisions regarding their actions on the battlefield. They are still suffering from some of the same issues as a year ago: logistics, support, integration of joint firepower, personnel, unit cohesion. I could go on and on."
06:33 About five thousand people still remain in Bakhmut, including 140 children, said Pavel Kirilenko, head of the Donetsk OVA. According to him, 12,000 children have been evacuated from the city since the beginning of the full-scale war. Over the past week, about a thousand people left the city.
"This direction remains the hottest at the front, and the less civilians there, the easier it is for the Ukrainian Defense Forces to do their job. The military must not break away and continue to prepare defensive lines," the head of the OVA explained and recalled that since February 13, Bakhmut has been closed for entry for journalists and volunteers. Now it is allowed to enter and leave the city for people who have a residence permit in Bakhmut.
06:08 The United States will announce another major military aid package to Ukraine next week, as well as additional sanctions against the Kremlin, writes The Washington Post. According to the publication, in addition to military support, the White House intends to allocate $10 billion to Kyiv as direct budgetary assistance.
The White House believes that the decisive moment is approaching at the front, which is expected in the spring, notes WP. Washington considers Ukraine's return of as much territory as possible in the coming months, before negotiations begin, as the best-case scenario. At the same time, American intelligence is confident that Ukraine will not yet be able to organize an attack on Crimea.
03:35 Biden will arrive in Poland in order to personally thank the head of state Andrzej Duda and the entire Polish people for their role in supporting Ukraine, said John Kirby, coordinator of the White House National Security Council. In addition, according to him, the American president wants to emphasize the importance of "the courage and unity that Poland and many other members of NATO are now demonstrating."
02:14 For the first time in 30 years, Russian warships began to go to sea with tactical nuclear weapons on board, Norwegian intelligence reported. The main part of the nuclear potential is located on submarines and surface ships of the Northern Fleet.
01:47 Lukashenko said that the CSTO countries should decide on their position on Russia's war against Ukraine, since this is their conflict too: "If someone thinks that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is not our conflict, that quietly somewhere we'll sit it out, nothing like that will happen... The time will come, it's not far away, literally tomorrow, it will demand to be determined, to take a certain position."
00:25 During the war in Ukraine, three crime bosses from Russia were liquidated . They led criminal gangs, which, among other things, were engaged in contract killings. The criminals expected to be released after their participation in the war against Ukraine, writes Bellingcat.