[Korrespondent] 23:12 The issue of transferring Western combat aircraft to Ukraine will be decided within the next months, Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk said in an interview with UP. According to him, we are talking not only about military issues and pilot training, but also about purely practical issues, as well as "some delicate domestic political issues, as with longer-range missiles."
23:08 Zelensky said in an evening video message that over the seven months of the grain initiative, 43 countries of the world received more than 22 million tons of food: "But if our initiative worked at full capacity, if Russia did not try to slow it down, we could send it to export more food products. That is, there would be significantly more guarantees of food security in the world."
22:27 Zelensky said that he had a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: "We discussed the implementation of the agreements reached during my visit to London. I appreciate the UK's understanding that the speed of delivery of military assistance today is Ukraine's success on the battlefield."
21:55 The US House of Representatives Oversight Committee has asked the Department of Defense, the State Department and the Agency for International Development to submit reports on the spending of $ 113 billion allocated to assist Ukraine.
21:53 Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin said that the Russian Federation does not intend to use nuclear weapons during the current conflict in Ukraine: "In this conflict, no. We have a doctrine that clearly states when nuclear weapons can be used - in in the event of a nuclear attack on the Russian Federation, or if the conventional attack is so serious that the existence of our state will be in danger." The ambassador added that the current conflict "does not fit into any of the categories."
21:49 Switzerland is preparing a new aid package for about 140 million euros for Ukraine and Moldova, writes Reuters. According to the initiative of Switzerland, most of the funds - 116 million - will be directed to the needs of Ukraine, and more than 26 million are planned to be provided for Moldova. They want to use the funds for shelters for schools, repairs of hospitals and energy infrastructure, and small loans to small agricultural businesses.
21:17 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that London is ready to help other countries that decide to provide combat aircraft to Ukraine, but this task is not easy for Britain itself: "It is not easy, because there is a whole range of things that arise nearby, and it is not just about the plane. It's how you take care of it, how you maintain it, and that needs to be worked on." In addition, the British planes are "very different" from what Ukrainian pilots are used to, Sunak added.
At the same time, he expressed confidence that Ukraine will become a NATO member: "On the way to NATO membership, it is necessary to provide Ukraine with more standard NATO equipment, as well as ensure the interoperability of all the forces of different countries and how they use this equipment, so training Ukrainian NATO tactics pilots are also part of this process."
20:34 Poland would like to transfer Soviet fighters to Ukraine before sending Western ones, but only as part of a coalition, President Andrzej Duda said after the Bucharest Nine summit. According to him, the countries of the alliance must decide whether to support Ukraine with the supply of fighters, and if this is approved, Warsaw will first of all provide its MiGs to Kyiv.
20:29 The Bucharest Nine, including Hungary, following the summit with the participation of the US President, condemned Russia and supported Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO. The statement says, in particular, that all the countries of the nine (Bulgaria, Hungary, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic) are ready to support Ukraine in an effort to restore its internationally recognized borders and on the way to Europe. It also condemns all countries that contribute to Russian aggression, and specifically mentions Belarus.
20:11 Kiev and Washington have the same vision that victory in the war against Russia is the complete restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Yermak said. He stressed that Ukraine will seek security guarantees and NATO membership in order to prevent a recurrence of large-scale aggression in the future. Yermak also admitted that Ukraine could join NATO earlier than the EU.
19:52 Yermak said that the UK could become the first country to unblock the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine. "There are still issues that need to be agreed upon," the head of the OP added.
19:33 Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and direct negotiations between the presidents of the United States and Russia: "This war must end immediately. If there is no immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations do not begin immediately, huge problems can arise." Szijjártó added that "it would be great if the Americans and Russians could finally talk to each other and do everything they could to end this war as quickly as possible."
18:51 In Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on February 24, exhibitions of damaged Russian equipment will be held, Reznikov said. "Tonight, four Russian tanks "invaded" the EU and NATO. But thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, there is a nuance. On February 24, citizens of four countries - Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - will simultaneously see that Russian tanks can enter Europe through Ukraine only as museum exhibits or trophies.
18:44 Ukraine needs an additional $10 billion to cover budget needs in 2023 and start economic recovery, Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko told CNN. He said that the meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, which took place in Kiev on February 21, was very productive: “Now we see that our relations are quite stable, and we are moving towards a full-fledged program with the IMF. We are ready to fulfill all the requirements and conditions to continue the implementation of the program".
According to the minister, Kyiv and the IMF agreed to start discussing the new program within a few weeks.
18:42 In Mariupol, the liquidation of two fuel depots at the bases of the invaders in the Kalmiussky district was also confirmed, said the adviser to the mayor of the city, Petr Andryushchenko. Meanwhile, Russian military correspondents report that they are "shocked" by the strikes on Mariupol, because they thought it was well protected. According to some of them, the Ukrainians fired "something new".
18:35 Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has delivered 255 strikes on 112 energy facilities in Ukraine. Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kharkiv regions suffered the most.
18:32 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Miner directions, increasing the number of personnel, the General Staff said in the evening summary.
An enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group was discovered in the Bologovka region of the Kharkov region. As a result of the fire influence of the units of the Defense Forces, the enemy withdrew to the territory of the Russian Federation. On the Kupyansky and Limansky directions, the Russians carried out several unsuccessful offensive operations. They also attempted to infiltrate the DRG in the Figolovka area.
18:24 A bill has been submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, according to which the Moscow time zone should be established in the parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions controlled by Russia. Russian media report that the project was prepared in October, but then it was postponed.
18:20 The Embassy of Ukraine in Montenegro warned of the possibility of anti-Ukrainian provocations on the anniversary of the Russian invasion and called on Ukrainians to be vigilant and cautious.
17:57 In the occupied part of the Zaporozhye region, the Russians have installed a location station that can listen to mobile communications and control traffic. In addition, in some places they turned on the Ukrainian connection - in this way they hope to identify patriots or at least eavesdrop on what and with whom people communicate, said Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov. He stressed that this is the same provocation as with Russian military vehicles, on which the invaders installed Ukrainian license plates and flags and drove around the villages to identify those who would rejoice at the Ukrainian soldiers.
17:41 The United States believes that Russia failed the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile when Biden was in Ukraine. Russia denies. More details - in the material Russian fiasco.
17:28 The European Union was unable to agree on the tenth package of sanctions against Russia, negotiations will continue tomorrow, Reuters reports citing its sources. The tenth package of sanctions was planned to be introduced by the anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion.
17:22 On Thursday, February 23, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in India, the financial leaders of the G7 countries will meet to discuss, among other things, support for Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia. However, India does not want the G20 to discuss further restrictions on Russia, Reuters reports. One Indian diplomat said that the existing sanctions have already affected the world, while another official believes that sanctions are not a G20 issue, as this is an economic forum designed to discuss the growth of countries' prosperity.
17:10 Ukraine this week will appeal to Turkey and the UN with a request to start negotiations on extending the grain agreement for at least one year and include the ports of Nikolaev in the agreement, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuriy Vaskov told Reuters.
17:08 Biden called Russia's decision to suspend participation in START "a big mistake."
16:55 Belarusian border guards complain that Ukrainians "defiantly" lay mines on their section of the border checkpoint, and also show "threatening and indecent gestures" to the Belarusian border guards.
16:44 The American edition of The New Yorker showed photographs of the destruction that the Russians inflicted with their shelling of the energy infrastructure of Ukraine. The journalists in the article note that the strategy of the Russians has changed: from local damage to energy networks in collision zones, they have moved to the targeted destruction of power plants and the transmission system in order to undermine Ukraine's resolve to fight. But the Russian strategy to plunge Ukraine into darkness and cold has not been successful.
16:31 Warsaw hosts the Bucharest Nine summit dedicated to collective security and support for Ukraine. In his speech, Biden said that "not only Ukraine is at stake now, but freedom, the idea of freedom, is at stake." He stressed that the eastern flank of NATO is the front line of "our collective defense."
Stoltenberg, in turn, noted that NATO cannot allow Russia to undermine European security. "We must give Ukraine what it needs," the Secretary General said.
16:19 Russia is preparing a scenario of internal destabilization in Ukraine as the only salvation from its military defeat. To this end, on international platforms and within Ukraine, the Russian Federation, through its experts, is promoting the ideas of Ukraine's renunciation of the territories of Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea in exchange for an end to the war, NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov wrote in an column for the UP.
"Work on this scenario is being carried out on a large scale and in different directions. The Kremlin in its plans is counting on the fatigue of Ukrainians, the exhaustion of allies and partners, elections in the US and Europe, the economic crisis and the need for Russian resources," Danilov said. According to him, at international meetings, Russian representatives intimidate and convince that the exchange of part of Ukrainian territories for peace is the best way out.
Danilov is convinced that Putin sees such a land-for-peace agreement only as an intermediate stage in achieving the main goal - the destruction of Ukraine and its complete absorption. The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council emphasized that this war does not provide for a draw and there are no halftones: "Ukraine must win, and Russia must lose. Compromise and concessions are the path to defeat and loss of statehood."
16:04 Putin, during his speech at Luzhniki , said that "right now there is a battle on our historical frontiers for our people."
15:59 Back in September 2022, not a single state officially supported the creation of a special tribunal over Russia, while now more and more countries support the idea, Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin said. According to him, the turning point took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, where a large conference was held, during which some foreign ministers decided to support the creation of the tribunal.
In addition, a very important event occurred on February 3 during the visit of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to Kyiv, when at a press conference with Zelensky they announced the creation of the International Center for Investigation of the Crime of Aggression.
15:48 In Moscow, on Sparrow Hills, opposite the Luzhniki Stadium, where Putin performed today as part of a concert-rally, the Pantsir-S1 air defense system was installed. Earlier, the same complexes were seen in Novo-Ogaryovo near Putin's residence, on the roof of the Defense Ministry building and on the roof of an office center near the Kremlin.
15:27 The Russians fired artillery at the village of Novotyaginka, Kherson region - two people were killed, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin. He also noted that from February 23 to February 25, additional security measures are being introduced in the de-occupied territory of the Kherson region: enterprises and institutions of communal ownership are switching to remote work; the issuance of humanitarian aid, cash payments in the branches of Ukrposhta will be limited; Law enforcement officers will be intensively patrolling places of possible congestion of people. At the same time, invincibility points will work around the clock.
15:15 Zelensky said that he had discussed by phone with Estonian President Alar Karis the July NATO summit in Vilnius and expectations in the context of Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration.
He also had a telephone conversation with Pakistani President Arif Alvi: "We noted the importance of the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, respect for the UN Charter. Special attention was paid to the Ukrainian grain initiative. Our state is ready to continue to act as a guarantor of the food security of the world."
14:47 The Federation Council unanimously approved the law on the suspension of Russia's participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
14:43 Medvedchuk's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the Verkhovna Rada for the abolition and recognition of the illegal procedure for depriving him of his mandate, Arakhamia said. According to him, this indicates that "Putin's fans will look for any leads to appeal against the government's decisions. To prevent them from having such a chance, the purge of the parliament will be carried out exclusively by constitutional means." He called on all deputies from banned parties to resign.
14:37 The Chinese Foreign Ministry says that Beijing does not intend to provide "lethal support" to Russia for the war against Ukraine. In particular, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that China is not even considering such a possibility, and the United States and NATO allegedly spread fakes about China's role in the war.
In turn, Wang Yi, head of the office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said during his visit to Moscow that China will "firmly pursue an independent and independent foreign policy."
14:26 Reznikov said that already "in the near future" Ukraine expects the first tanks from partners with trained Ukrainian crews.
14:23 Prigozhin again complains about the lack of ammunition, which the Russian Ministry of Defense allegedly does not give to Wagner PMC mercenaries. The Russian Defense Ministry rejected these accusations the day before, saying that it supplies weapons and ammunition to all formations. However, Prigozhin then reiterated that the losses among his fighters were huge, but could have been five times less if it were not for "shell hunger."
14:16 The governor of the Belogorod region of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that shells hit a shopping center in Shebekino, as a result of which it caught fire. According to preliminary data, there is one victim.
14:12 The upper house of the Polish parliament unanimously adopted a resolution in support of Ukraine on the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation with a call to condemn Russian criminals in an international court. The document also notes that Ukrainians defend not only their country, but also Europe.
13:56 Spain will send six Leopard tanks to Ukraine, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said. She added that the number of tanks could be increased.
13:52 Putin held a meeting in Moscow with Wang Yi, head of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Politburo member Wang Yi. He also called Xi Jinping a "friend" and said he was looking forward to his visit to Moscow.
Wang Yi said that relations between Russia and China "withstood pressure from the international community and are developing steadily."
13:38 Zelensky submitted a draft resolution to the Rada, according to which the National Security and Defense Council introduces sectoral economic sanctions against all banking and non-banking institutions in Russia. In particular, sanctions will be applied for a period of 50 years to all banks registered or located in the Russian Federation, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, non-bank credit institutions, payment system operators, stock market participants, insurance companies, investment funds, etc. . All transactions with these institutions will be prohibited.
13:25 Law enforcement officers have identified 91 Russian soldiers involved in crimes in Bucha, namely, murders, torture and sexual violence, Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin said. According to him, during the occupation, the Russian army committed more than 9,000 war crimes in the Buchansk region, more than 1,700 civilians died, of which about 700 were in Bucha.
13:19 Russia can mobilize up to 1 million military personnel for the war against Ukraine, said the head of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) Bruno Kahl. He recalled that in the fall of 2022, approximately 300,000 people were mobilized. "Russia's further mobilization potential is a reserve of up to a million people, if the Kremlin deems it necessary," the head of the BND said.
13:14 The SBU detained a pro-Kremlin blogger in Kiev, the founder of the so-called "Russian club", who was hiding in the monastery of the UOC-MP. Officially, law enforcement officers do not name the detainee, however, according to sources of the UP, we are talking about Dmitry Skvortsov. He, in particular, was engaged in the preparation of custom publications for Russian news agencies. In August last year, he was informed in absentia of suspicion of treason, after which he fled and hid on the territory of the Holy Annunciation Monastery of the UOC-MP.
12:57 Russia was importing a trial batch of shells from Iran, and now they are trying to import another batch, not a trial one anymore - about 20,000 shells. "This is nothing compared to the numbers that are used," Budanov said in an interview with Forbes. At the same time, there have been no confirmed deliveries from the DPRK. According to him, stocks of artillery shells in Russia have dropped to 30%, the remnants of missiles are almost exhausted, and the maximum Russian production is about 40 cruise missiles per month.
"On the whole, in a month they produce sometimes 20, sometimes 22 Caliber missiles. About 15, sometimes up to 20, - Kh-101 missiles. That is why the number of missiles decreases in each salvo. Mondays, then once every eight days, now once every ten days, two weeks. They reduce the number of missiles and increase the time interval, "said the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.
12:48 Pope Francis, two days before the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, called for a ceasefire and peace talks: "A year has passed since the start of this absurd and brutal war, a sad anniversary ... Let's ask ourselves: was everything possible done for stop the war?
12:39 In Moscow, Luzhniki hosts a "patriotic" rally-concert dedicated to the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the Can Explain channel , the security of the event is ensured by an unprecedented number of OMON officers. There are many paddy wagons on the streets of the capital - more than during opposition rallies. Extras are carefully inspected at the entrance to Luzhniki. Z-symbols are not observed - instead of it, tricolors, St. Andrew's crosses and emblems of the USSR.
In a conversation with journalists, visitors admit that they came thanks to the promise of free food, money and exemption from studies. And some reported that they were forced under the threat of dismissal. Despite this, entire sectors are empty at the stadium. The organizers of the rally warned that after it began, the doors of the stadium would be closed and it would be impossible to leave Luzhniki.
12:25 Due to Russian aggression, more than 8 million Ukrainians were forced to leave the country, according to the UN:
During the year of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, 8.1 million people left Ukraine
12:13 Hungary is blocking the strengthening of sanctions against relatives of Russian businessmen, writes Politico, citing sources in diplomatic circles. In addition, according to the sources, Orban is again threatening to veto the extension of the EU sanctions, which should be renewed every six months, "because he wants to remove four people from the list."
Budapest also opposes a proposal, supported by the rest of the EU, to increase the extension period from six to 12 months, which would give Hungary less opportunity to block EU decisions.
11:54 Another explosion thundered in Mariupol. Mayor's adviser Petr Andryushchenko reported on the impact on berth 18, warehouse 3 in the port.
11:52 Zelensky plans to personally attend the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Petr Beshta told BNS in an interview: "We are planning this. The first thing we need is an invitation, because Ukraine is not a member of NATO. We hope to receive and we hope for a radical change in the situation related to the war in Ukraine." The ambassador added that Kyiv expects "very clear wording at the meeting in Vilnius that as soon as the war ends, Ukraine will become a member of NATO."
11:43 The Russians fired at infrastructure facilities in the Kievsky district of Kharkov, two people were injured, the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov said.
11:27 The activation of the Russian troops began in early February, Vadim Skibitsky, a spokesman for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, said in a comment to the Associated Press. According to him, now the main goals of Russia are Kupyansk, Kharkov region, Liman, Bakhmut, Maryinka, Avdeevka and Vuhledar, Donetsk region. Skibitsky noted that, despite the intense fighting in these sectors of the front, the successes of the Russian Federation are insignificant and testify to the exhaustion of its forces.
11:05 The State Duma adopted a law suspending Russia's participation in the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms.
10:59 Russians are preparing another provocation in the occupied territory of the Zaporozhye region, Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov said. According to local residents, since yesterday, the occupiers have been driving around the villages of the Melitopol region in the area of the Molochny estuary and intimidating people, urging them to evacuate or prepare bomb shelters. Fedorov noted that the Russians are acting according to the "Donetsk scenario": they either scare the inhabitants with the Armed Forces of Ukraine so that people do not wait for the return of Ukraine, or arrange provocations in order to later blame the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
10:53 The SBU announced that it had blocked the channel in Vinnitsa for "recruiting" former prisoners into the ranks of the PMC Wagner. For joining it and participating in hostilities, the attacker offered from 2,000 to 4,000 dollars a month. The agent of the Russians turned out to be a local recidivist who spent 15 years behind bars for robbery and gang rape.
10:31 Decisive battles in Ukraine will go from mid to late spring, Budanov said in an interview with Forbes. According to him, this will be a turning point. If we apply the football analogy to 12 months of the war, now, according to the head of the GUR, "the score is 1:1, and the match is in the 70th minute."
Budanov also said that the “big offensive” of Russia, which they have in mind, is already underway: “But it’s going on in such a way that not everyone even sees it, this offensive is of such quality. They have a strategic task - to reach administrative the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. This is what they dream of, they will not be able to do it."
Commenting on the information that the statistics of fires and explosions in Russia has recently increased significantly, Budanov noted that "much of this is not an accident": different highways constantly for 2-3 hours, sometimes for 5-6 hours, traffic stops on the entire section. It is clear that it is not just on fire. " Answering the question whether Ukrainians help in Russia in this, Budanov said: "Why only Ukrainians? I would say this - money works wonders."
10:09 For two months now, Russian groups that operate in Ukraine have been fighting in the mode of maximum savings on ammunition, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry, said in an interview with Forbes. According to him, more or less active ammunition is now used exclusively in Bakhmut and in the Liman direction.
At the same time, Budanov said that the Russians have enough machine guns "for any number of terrorists," but there are not enough armored vehicles. Many Russian units are now being formed from scratch, the chief intelligence officer added: “They are moving without equipment, in the Urals and KamAZ trucks. They no longer have infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers in their state. All equipment is being removed from long-term storage, they have already removed more than 60%, about 35 %, which can be quickly restored. Production is single, and it does not cover the needs. "
10:05 There is no shortage of power in the energy system of Ukraine on February 22 and is not predicted yet. All types of power plants are operating, electricity is imported in small volumes, Ukrenergo said. At the same time, some settlements are de-energized due to weather conditions. Network restrictions remain in Odessa and the Odessa region, hourly outage schedules apply.
09:54 British intelligence notes that Putin, in his address to the Federal Assembly, maintained the belligerent tone that he had used in his speeches over the past six months, but did not report on any practical measures that could bring Russia out of the current impasse on battlefield. Putin continues to make controversial statements about the existential struggle, while insisting that everything is in order in Russia and everything is going according to plan. This makes both messages ineffective, analysts say.
09:18 Near the Kremennaya Lugansk region, on February 21, the Russians tried to break through the Ukrainian defenses: an infantry company and a tank company went forward. The battle was very difficult - the Defense Forces destroyed several Russian tanks, their offensive bogged down, the situation stabilized, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Gaidai. In the Svatovsky direction yesterday, the invaders evacuated the dead and wounded, since the day before they also suffered significant losses when trying to break through.
09:13 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person died - in Ivanovskoye. Another person in the region was injured, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA, said.
09:11 In the Kherson region over the past day due to Russian shelling, five civilians were killed, another 21 people were injured, the OVA reported.
09:02 In several Russian regions, a message was heard on the radio about the threat of a missile strike. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation stated that it was a hacker attack, the information is fake and does not correspond to reality.
08:45 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 22.
- personnel - about 145,060 (+620) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3334 (+8),
- armored combat vehicles - 6569 (+7),
- artillery systems - 2345 (+7),
- MLRS - 471 (+0),
- air defense systems - 243 (+0),
- aircraft - 299 (+0),
- helicopters - 287 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2026 (+3),
- cruise missiles - 873 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5212 (+2),
- special equipment - 226 (+0).
08:29 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Miner directions, the General Staff said in the morning summary . Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the invaders in the areas of the settlements of Kuzemovka and Dibrova in the Luhansk region and Fedorovka, Yagodnoe, Berkhovka, Bakhmut and Kurdyumivka in the Donetsk region.
In the Kherson region, the Russians continue the forcible passportization of the population. The Russian troops, together with the police, have tightened checks at checkpoints and have been threatening with eviction since the beginning of March to all citizens who do not receive a Russian passport.
07:46 In Mariupol on the evening of February 21, 12 explosions thundered. It is known for sure that two of them are the work of Russian air defense, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city. At the same time, a hit was confirmed in the BC warehouse at the Mariupol airport, followed by the sound of a detonation. It was also recorded that the occupants were hit in the place of basing on the territory of Mill-3000 of the MMK im. Ilyich in the Kalmiussky district.
06:33 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that Putin did not say anything new and important in his address to the Federal Assembly. Most attention was drawn to his statement about the suspension of Russia's participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Analysts believe that Putin made this announcement to reintroduce nuclear rhetoric into the media space, thereby diverting attention from the general vacuity of the rest of his speech.
ISW experts noted that the speech was criticized by many Russian bloggers. In particular, they condemned Putin for not putting forward new goals for the war or outlining new measures to support it or hold Russian officials accountable for numerous military failures.
05:42 Russia conducted an unsuccessful launch of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile on the day of Biden's visit to Ukraine, CNN reports. Russia informed the United States in advance about the launch of the missile, so Washington does not consider such tests as an escalation. The United States believes that the tests of the rocket, which in the West was nicknamed Satan II and which is capable of carrying several nuclear warheads, were unsuccessful.
"Russia has already carried out successful tests of this missile, and if it succeeded, Putin would have emphasized this in his address to the Federal Assembly on Tuesday," the source said.
05:16 Poland will provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks over the next two to three weeks after the completion of the training of Ukrainian troops, said Lukasz Yasin, spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry. At the same time, he stressed that his country also supports the sending of fighters to Ukraine, but first a consensus must be reached between the NATO countries.
03:30 Russia's decision to withdraw from the nuclear arms control treaty "causes concern" in the UN, said Stefan Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary General. According to him, in the absence of control over nuclear weapons, "the world will become more dangerous, more unstable, with potentially catastrophic consequences." "Every effort must be made to avoid such an outcome, including an immediate return to dialogue," Dujarric said.
In turn, the EU Foreign Service issued a statement calling on Russia to fulfill its obligations under the START and give the US access to inspect its nuclear arsenals. Suspension or expiration of the treaty without a proper follow-up agreement "would undermine the European security architecture and fundamentally set back arms control efforts," the statement said.
03:03 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may visit Kiev in the near future, Israel Hayom reports. The newspaper's sources report that the Israeli Prime Minister has already received an official invitation to visit Ukraine, but the final dates for a possible trip have not yet been agreed. However, according to the publication, the government is already discussing the organizational aspects of the visit.
01:14 Latvia is ready to play the role of a lawyer for Ukraine during the special tribunal over Russia, said Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Elena Kondratyuk. According to her, this issue has already been discussed during a meeting with the Minister of Justice of Latvia, Inessa Libina-Egner. The issue of legal support for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets for the restoration of Ukraine was also raised.