[Korrespondent] 23:25 Bloomberg writes, citing sources, that as part of a new military assistance package, the United States is transferring to Ukraine not just JDAM bombs, but a modification with an increased flight range of up to 72 km when dropped from a height of 14 km - JDAM-ER.
23:18 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he again held an expanded meeting of the Headquarters, including reports from the front line from commanders in the hottest areas. According to him, fierce battles continue in the Bakhmut and Liman directions. In Avdiyivske and other directions, the occupiers use "the whole range of weapons", including tear grenades. But the front line has not changed.
23:12 Ukraine and Italy signed a declaration reaffirming their commitment to strengthening joint efforts to ensure further progress towards the implementation of EU and NATO standards and Ukraine's integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, the Office of the President said. In addition, the Italian side expresses support for the global peace summit, "which should be convened when conditions permit," and the Ukrainian "peace formula." Italy also expresses its readiness to organize a joint conference on the post-war restoration of Ukraine on its territory.
23:06 Western partners in 2023 should provide Ukraine with another 33 billion euros of assistance, writes the Financial Times, citing a study by the University of Kiel. The publication notes that last year Kyiv received less than half of the promised money: in particular, as of December, the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance received 31 billion euros out of 64 billion promised.
The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine in its forecast for the next year estimated the budget deficit at 38 billion euros. The EU promised regular monthly financial support for Kyiv in the amount of 1.5 billion euros - for a year the total will be 18 billion euros. The FT emphasizes that in the past, Western countries have provided much more financial assistance in similar conflicts and done it faster. In particular, during the Gulf War, the costs of the United States, Germany, Japan and South Korea were several times higher than the costs of aid to Ukraine.
22:57 Danilov said that Russia is now striving to implement Plan B in relation to Ukraine. The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council drew attention to the fact that Putin is no longer talking about the seizure of the entire country - in his speech he spoke only about the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. "Today, they are reducing all desires for themselves. Now their goal is plan B. It consists in signing any negotiating positions so that we cede part of our lands, having allegedly received peace. These are completely unacceptable things for us," - said Danilov.
22:30 Chinese "peace proposals" on Ukraine will be made public within a few days, said China's Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun.
22:28 The mood in Washington is shifting towards sending Ukraine ATACMS and F-16 fighters, Republican Michael McCall, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives, said in Kiev.
22:25 According to official figures from the UN Human Rights Office, 8,006 Ukrainian civilians were killed as a result of a full-scale Russian invasion and another 13,287 were injured. However, the real figures are much higher, the UN is convinced.
22:00 Biden arrived in Poland after visiting Kiev. His performance in Warsaw has already been dubbed historical. The US President stressed that Ukraine's allies "will not get tired" of supporting it in confronting Russian full-scale aggression, and Kyiv will "never be" defeated by Russia. More details - in the material Russia will never win .
21:13 Zelensky said that he did not know the specific provisions of the Chinese "peace plan", and he was counting on the support of the Ukrainian peace formula: "We are interested that all states - European, of the whole world, of course, India, Africa, China - be involved in so that this war ends, in order to maintain our, it seems to me, fair formula for peace.
21:01 The Czech Republic must prepare for a possible clash between Russia and NATO, said Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army Karel Rzehka. According to him, in the event of such a clash, the Czech Republic will become an active participant in the conflict "from the first minute."
20:49 The new offensive of the Russians has been going on for about ten days, but they have not managed to make it "big", said NSDC Secretary Alexei Danilov: "The phrase "big offensive", as they wanted, has already faded away. they planned, already, according to their plan, lasts the eighth or tenth day. There are no successes. Five directions today where they are trying to attack. But our fighters courageously defend our country."
20:34 Russia's decision to suspend participation in the Treaty with the United States on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms is another provocative step on the part of Moscow, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said: "By undermining one of the most important international treaties in the field of nuclear weapons control, Russia is doing another daring challenge to the world community, confirming the criminal nature and further aggressive intentions to destroy international peace and security."
Kyiv calls on the international community "to give a resolute response to Russia's aggressive behavior, to take urgent joint measures to prevent and counter any form of nuclear blackmail by a terrorist state."
20:29 Fighters are not on the agenda, but Italy is considering sending more air defense systems, Prime Minister George Meloni said during a visit to Kiev. At the same time, she stressed that Italy will provide Ukraine, in addition to SAMP / T, with Skyguard and Spike air defense systems.
19:43 The EU still cannot find the blocked 300 billion euros of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. According to Delfi, citing its own sources, 45 MEPs sent a letter to EU leaders demanding the creation of a unified register of funds blocked in the European Union by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and Russian oligarchs, indicating the amount and location of these funds. They stressed that such a registry does not yet exist, and demand that the European Commission encourage EU member states to share information about the arrested Russian money with it in order to "have a clear picture of the situation."
19:08 Biden said during a speech in Warsaw that NATO will never get tired of supporting Ukraine until its victory, the alliance is more united and resolute than ever. He stressed that dictators will never take away freedom. Biden also addressed the Russians: "The West does not want to attack Russia and threaten its independence. You are not our enemies, war is not necessary, President Putin chose war - this is his choice. If Russia stops its invasion, the war will end. If Ukraine stops defend, that will be the end. Therefore, our main task is for Ukraine to be able to defend itself."
18:58 Xi Jinping intends to deliver a "peace speech" on the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China took a neutral stance and did not condemn the Russian Federation for the invasion, but called for a negotiated settlement. The US reacted nervously to the Chinese "peace plan" as they fear that Beijing might take Russia's position. And in the European Union, this step was cautiously welcomed as the first sign that Beijing recognizes the problem of war not only "as a European matter." Read more in the article Which side will Beijing take?
18:19 Due to the high level of desertion from the ranks of Russian troops, since February 20, mass raids have been carried out in the Chaplinsky district of the Kherson region. Particular attention is paid to abandoned dachas and houses, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the evening building.
Meanwhile, in the Crimea, in particular in Sevastopol, since the beginning of the year, the criminogenic situation has significantly worsened. The reason is the appearance of former prisoners who fought as part of the Wagner PMC and were amnestied after the completion of the contract. If they are detained for the crimes they have committed, they are not sent to correctional facilities, but back to the front line.
18:14 Zelensky said that he had met with a delegation of the US House of Representatives - members of the Republican Party - led by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCall: "I thank the American congressmen for supporting Ukraine and understanding the importance of strengthening aid to achieve victory over the aggressor" .
17:47 Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said that Russia plans to seize the airport in Chisinau and deploy its military there. According to him, this is one of the scenarios for destabilizing the situation in the country. Rechan also said that Russia should withdraw its troops from Transnistria: "We must achieve one fundamental thing - demilitarization. After that, everything else follows, and the economic and social integration of our citizens who are there is very important, but in the first place - demilitarization" .
The prime minister urged the citizens of Moldova not to ignore "real threats of escalation", because Russia is waging a hybrid war in the country.
17:18 The Wall Street Journal writes that Xi Jinping may visit Russia in the coming months - preparations for the visit are at an early stage, and the dates have not yet been determined. According to the publication, the Chinese leader may come to Moscow in April or early May, when Russia will celebrate the victory over Germany in World War II.
16:49 The Eighth Administrative Court of Appeal satisfied the claim of the Ministry of Justice to ban the activities of the Party of Regions and transfer the property of the pro-Russian political force to the state property of Ukraine, the SBU reported. Experts are currently estimating the value of this property.
16:28 Belgium has begun training the Ukrainian military to operate submarine UAVs that Brussels will supply to Ukraine, said Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder. She did not specify how long the training will last and when the drones will be delivered to Ukraine.
16:21 Ukraine, the EU and NATO at a trilateral meeting agreed to develop an effective, transparent and accountable system of arms purchases for Ukraine, Kuleba, Borrell and Stoltenberg said at a joint press conference. The parties also agreed to work intensively to resolve three issues - effective training of the Ukrainian military, efficient production of weapons and shells, and their effective delivery to the battlefield.
16:14 Reporters Without Borders reported that during the year of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, eight journalists were killed, 19 were injured, at least four of them seriously. During this time, the organization registered 50 cases of media workers coming under fire, at least 26 of them were targets of Russian soldiers. In total, about 12,000 Ukrainian and foreign journalists received accreditation to cover events in Ukraine last year.
Reporters Without Borders has filed seven war crimes cases with the International Criminal Court and Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office for a total of 44 acts of violence and attacks against more than 100 media workers and 11 radio and television towers in Ukraine.
15:59 The Kherson OVA specified that as a result of today's shelling of the regional center, five people were killed, 16 were injured.
15:37 Ukrzaliznytsia announced the start of the Zalizna Ukrainizatsiya program. The comprehensive program is designed for 2023-2025, during which it is planned to remove everything that connects Ukraine with Russia - the names of railways, mileage marks, signal marks, Soviet bas-reliefs, station names, etc. In particular, the Southern and South-Western railways will be renamed, because they were geographically so in relation to Moscow, and not Kyiv.
We started the project by changing the mileage marks: in Kyiv, for example, this mark was still "856", because the zero kilometer since Soviet times is calculated from Moscow. Now the countdown of Ukrainian railways will start from the Central Station of the Kyiv-Passenger station, where the zero mark is set.
Also, inscriptions in Russian will be removed from railway tickets, as required by outdated regulations. Russian is planned to be replaced by English.
15:24 Kuleba said that Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, shared with the Ukrainian side the key points of the "peace plan" of the PRC. The Foreign Minister noted that Kyiv intends to study it and draw conclusions.
15:02 Stoltenberg expressed regret over the decision of the Russian Federation to suspend participation in the Treaty on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms and said that Putin is preparing for war: "Putin started this imperialist war and continues to escalate it. A year after the start of the war, there are no signs that that he is preparing for peace. On the contrary, today he has made it clear that he is preparing for a new war."
Blinken, in turn, called Russia's decision on START "disappointing" and said that Washington is still ready to talk with Moscow about arms restrictions at any time.
Borrell said that Russia's decision on START destroys the system of international security.
14:43 The Russians fired at Kherson and Ochakov from multiple launch rocket systems, OK Pivden reported. In Kherson, the enemy hit residential areas, critical infrastructure facilities, a kindergarten, a hospital, as well as a local market and a public transport stop. Currently, six dead and 12 injured are known, the data is being specified. In Ochakovo, the invaders fired at the port infrastructure, one person was wounded.
14:36 FSB director Alexander Bortnikov said that Russia did not provide any security guarantees to Biden before his visit to Ukraine: "The United States did notify Russia of Biden's visit to Kiev - through diplomatic lines. We did not give guarantees of his security."
14:32 The Ministry of Education and Science calls on all schools in Ukraine to switch to distance learning from February 22 to February 24 due to the increased threat of shelling.
14:25 The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynn Tracy and protested to her in connection with "the expansion of US involvement in hostilities on the side of Kiev." She was told that Washington should "take steps that involve the withdrawal of military and equipment, as well as the cessation of hostile anti-Russian activity." Also, the United States is required to explain about the explosions in the Nord Streams.
14:19 The Russians fired at the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region today: as a result of a shell hitting a private residential building, one person was injured. In addition, the enemy is shelling the towns of Dvurechnaya and Volchansk - it hits only the private residential sector, several houses are damaged, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
13:57 Putin addressed the traditional message to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. The last time he performed in a similar format was in April 2021. This year, during a full-scale war against Ukraine, Putin made a number of traditionally cynical statements - in particular, he said that "we are not at war with the people of Ukraine, they have become a hostage of the Kiev regime", and the Russians are only "protecting people and their home" . He also dedicated part of his address to the LGBT community. More details - in the material Gaia and war .
13:42 M1 Abrams tanks can be transferred to Ukraine from cash stocks from US warehouses, and not after their production, as previously expected, Stanley Brown, First Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs, said in an interview with Breaking Defense. "We have Abrams in stock. We have different versions of Abrams, and I don't know which specific versions Ukraine will eventually get," he added.
Brown noted that it is not yet clear when a final decision will be made and when these tanks may arrive in Ukraine. "Potentially it could be a combination of finished and manufactured tanks," he said.
13:26 The goal of Russia is to, having accumulated resources, try to seize the initiative and freeze the war for an indefinite time - by remaining in the occupied territories and drawing Ukraine into information confrontations, Podolyak said. The goal of Ukraine, according to him, is completely different: to destroy the remaining resource of Russian combat capability, inflict several major tactical defeats, break the defenses in the occupied territories and sharply increase the pace of de-occupation.
To do this, Ukraine needs tools, Podolyak stressed: missile defense systems and fighter jets to cover the skies; shells of heavy calibers; long-range missiles - from 150 km and more; unmanned aircraft; armored vehicles; attack aircraft.
12:49 Putin said that Russia is suspending participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Treaty. He called "a theater of the absurd" NATO's recent demand to return to START inspections. The Russian president also said that the West is "directly involved in plans to strike at our strategic targets."
In addition, Putin said that a week ago he signed a decree on putting new ground-based strategic systems on combat duty. According to him, Washington is allegedly "thinking about the natural testing of nuclear weapons." Therefore, the Russian Defense Ministry and Rosatom should ensure that they are ready to test Russian nuclear weapons if the United States does it first, Putin said.
12:20 Italian Prime Minister George Meloni arrived in Kyiv , La Repubblica reports. In the afternoon, she will meet with Zelensky, and before that she will visit Bucha and Irpin.
11:56 During Biden's visit to Poland, Warsaw will raise the issue of transferring combat aircraft to Ukraine, Pavel Yablonsky, deputy head of the Polish Foreign Ministry, said: "We are discussing and will talk about this today with the US president, in particular, during the Bucharest Nine summit. We will talk about what future military support should look like."
11:28 Putin, in his address to the Federal Assembly, once again stated that "it was the West that unleashed the war, and we are using force to stop it." According to him, Russia allegedly "was open to a constructive dialogue with the West" and for many years offered to work on a joint security system, while the West, meanwhile, "was preparing enslaved Ukraine for a big war."
According to Putin, the Russian Federation "defends its home and people's lives," and the "Anti-Russia project" allegedly goes back to the 19th century - "it was also cultivated in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Poland with one goal - to tear off these historical territories, which Today they are called Ukraine, from our country."
Putin said that "it is impossible to defeat Russia on the battlefield," and the more long-range systems Ukraine receives, "the further we will push the threat."
11:17 At the beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the ratio of forces and means of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation with the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine averaged 12:1. Now the difference between these potentials has decreased three times, said Aleksey Neizhpapa, Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He also assured that all strategic approaches to the Odessa region are under the control of the Navy and other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
11:13 From Tuesday, February 21, and over the next few days, the grouping of forces and means of defense of Kiev will conduct training to protect the capital, said the head of the KGVA Sergey Popko. According to the scenario, the enemy is conducting an offensive operation from the northern direction. The task of the Kyiv defense forces and means is to work out the entire range of tasks for the defense of the capital. Popko stressed that this is a planned training, at present the threat of an attack on the capital from the north is minimal.
11:10 There is no shortage of power in the energy system of Ukraine on February 21 and is not predicted yet. All power plants are operating, electricity imports are insignificant and significantly reduced, Ukrenergo reported. In Odessa and the Odessa region, network restrictions remain due to damage to equipment at substations, and hourly outage schedules are applied.
10:59 The legendary Artemsol, which disappeared from stores in the summer after the Russians destroyed the facilities of the enterprise in Soledar, will now help form a flotilla of kamikaze drones for the GUR. On the occasion of the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, UNITED24 and the Artemsol enterprise produced a special batch of salt: they divided 20 tons into 100,000 symbolic packs. Profits from each pack will go to kamikaze drones to equip a new strike force. You can buy salt in Silpo or order it online at Rozetka, Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, said.
The cost of one pack is 500 hryvnia, of which 465 is the fee for the APU.
10:55 Boris Johnson, during a debate in the House of Commons, called on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to send fighter jets to Ukraine, writes The Guardian. He was supported by Liz Truss, who also insisted on the need to use frozen Russian assets to restore Ukraine.
10:34 In the summer of 2021, the Putin administration developed a strategy to absorb Belarus until 2030. The document titled Strategic Goals of the Russian Federation in the Belarusian direction was received by journalists from several publications, including the Kyiv Independent, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Yahoo News and the Dossier Center.
The strategy involves control over the socio-political, commercial, scientific and cultural life of Belarus, as well as bringing the legislation of the Republic of Belarus in line with the Russian one. Thus, by 2022 it was planned to form a pro-Russian stratum of the population and elite, by 2025 - to have stable groups of influence in all sectors and expand the military presence, by 2030 - to complete the absorption, merge the two armies into one, take full control of the information space, complete the transition to a single currency and create a common cultural space with a common approach to history.
According to journalists, the war in Ukraine slowed down the implementation of Russia's plans, but did not stop it. At the same time, Minsk is unlikely to be seriously interested in implementing this strategy, since Lukashenka does not trust Moscow.
| It seems my understanding of the situation was wrong. Ah well, not the first time, nor likely to be the last. |
09:43 Latvia handed over another cargo for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the Verkhovna Rada Elena Kondratyuk said. In particular, Latvia donated an off-road vehicle equipped with a machine-gun platform of its own production, uniforms and footwear for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, rations, sleeping bags, tactical goggles, generators, etc.
09:26 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, three people were killed - two in Bakhmut and one in Ivanopol. Another five people in the area were injured. In the Kherson region, two people died, according to the OVA.
09:21 The most difficult area in the Luhansk region remains the Kremennaya area, where the active phase of hostilities is underway, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, the Ukrainian military is holding the defense there, in some places recapturing positions from the enemy.
09:17 In Russia, they are preparing for the mass mobilization of full-time students. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, so-called warning stations are being created for this purpose, which will help military registration and enlistment offices hand over summonses to students. A number of higher educational institutions have already issued documents obliging the structural subdivisions of higher educational institutions to allocate a certain number of students and employees to work at "alert areas."
The GUR recalls that no additional legal grounds are needed for the next wave of mobilization in the Russian Federation, since the “partial mobilization” announced in September 2022 has not been officially completed. Probably, the mobilization will be carried out before April 1 - the beginning of the spring conscription for military service. If necessary, the start of the draft may be delayed, according to intelligence.
08:54 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Ukraine will be able to return the initiative to the battlefield in 2023 with sufficient and timely support from the West.
Analysts also note that Zelenskiy likely softened his administration's stance on Bakhmut to make a small rhetorical concession to U.S. officials who have raised concerns about the ability of the Defense Forces to both defend Bakhmut and conduct counter-offensives. In particular, the president said that Ukraine would continue to defend Bakhmut, but "not at any cost." At the same time, ISW continues to consider Ukraine's decision to defend Bakhmut to be strategically justified, aimed at pinning down Russian forces on a separate sector of the front.
ISW also drew attention to the fact that the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the official integration of the "militias" of the so-called "DNR" and "LNR" into the Russian armed forces on February 19 in response to growing criticism about the change of command in the puppet units. The decision to reorganize the "militias" against the backdrop of the ongoing offensive probably indicates that the Russian Defense Ministry does not realize the scale of the challenges associated with the integration of irregular formations into a professional army during intense hostilities, analysts say.
According to experts, the restructuring of the puppet armed formations indicates that the Russian military command is trying to implement all the desired reforms, while the Russian Defense Ministry enjoys the favor of Putin.
08:45 The Council of the European Union approved the extension of anti-Russian sanctions until February 24, 2024. The document emphasizes that "the alliance remains unwavering in its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and is committed to the full implementation of the policy of non-recognition regarding illegal Russian annexation."
The decision will enter into force on Wednesday, February 22, and concerns the sanctions that were introduced on February 23, 2022 in response to Russia's recognition of the "DPR" and "LPR". In October, the restrictions were extended in response to the illegal annexation of parts of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine. There are currently 1,386 individuals and 171 organizations under EU sanctions against Russia.
08:36 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 21.
- personnel - about 144,440 (+760) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3326 (+10),
- armored fighting vehicles - 6562 (+9),
- artillery systems - 2338 (+4),
- MLRS - 471 (+0),
- air defense systems - 243 (+0),
- aircraft - 299 (+0),
- helicopters - 287 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2023 (+5),
- cruise missiles - 873 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5210 (+1),
- special equipment - 226 (+1).
08:24 The Russian army is concentrating its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Miner directions in the areas of Nevsky, Bakhmut, Novobakhmutovka, Vodyany and Marinka, the General Staff said in the morning report .
Over the past day, units of the Defense Forces repelled attacks by Russians in the areas of the settlements of Gryanikovka and Masyutovka in the Kharkiv region; Belogorivka - Luhansk and Vasyukovka, Berkhovka, Bakhmut, Vasilievka, Novobakhmutovka, Vodiane, Nevelskoe and Maryinka of Donetsk region.
Russia continues forced passportization of Ukrainian citizens. So, in Gorlovka, Donetsk region, employees of budgetary organizations have been given an order from the "administration" under their personal signature on the need to obtain Russian citizenship before July 1, otherwise they will be fired.
04:43 The German Foreign Ministry called on its citizens to refuse to travel to Russia, especially to the western regions - Rostov, Krasnodar, Kursk, Saratov, Voronezh and Volgograd. Berlin asks to be especially attentive and careful during the period from February 20 to 26, when a number of events are planned in the Russian Federation.
"Citizens with dual citizenship should remember that the Russian authorities consider them only as citizens of Russia. This also applies to a possible conscription into the Russian armed forces. The Embassy cannot provide them with consular protection," the message says.
03:55 Trump said that if he is elected President of the United States, he will immediately call Putin and Zelensky: “Literally on the same night, as it becomes known about my victory, I will call two people - Putin and Zelensky. I will tell them: we need to meet. I guarantee that I can resolve this issue... We will close the deal within 24 hours."
03:19 Putin may soon mobilize hundreds of thousands more Russians, in addition to the 300 thousand already called up, reports The New York Times, citing representatives of American intelligence.
02:50 The Netherlands plans to send another 230 troops to Germany to train Ukrainian fighters, according to NOS. The country's authorities said they would join the training of a total of 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
02:23 The first batch of German ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft systems will be delivered to Ukraine before July, Armin Papperger, director of Rheinmetall manufacturing company, said. In response to a call by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to boost munitions production, Papperger said his company "has doubled its capacity and even tripled it in some sectors."
"Weapons stock is full, we're operating at full capacity and we can still increase capacity in one shift," Papperger added. He also added that 20 Marder combat vehicles will be ready for shipment to Ukraine by the end of March.
01:24 Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced plans to form a "people's militia", which, in his opinion, could join 100-150 thousand people. At the same time, he did not rule out that those who did not undergo military training, including women, could become “volunteers”.