Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent22:18 Ukraine has agreed on bilateral security agreements with several more countries, in addition to those already signed with Britain, France and Germany, Zelensky said. At the same time, he added that “there are no security guarantees with the United States yet - teams are already working, there have already been two stages of negotiations. I see this as positive in the near future.”
19:41 Social networks report the execution of six more captured defenders of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at one of the positions in Avdiivka. The defenders were seriously wounded, could not move independently and were awaiting evacuation. The prosecutor's office began an investigation. The prosecutor's office also clarified that two prisoners, whose murder was previously reported, were shot near the village. Vesele, Bakhmut district.
16:57 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba that the PRC is not transferring lethal weapons to Russia, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported. "China does not exploit opportunities or sell lethal weapons to conflict areas or parties to conflict. We will continue to play a constructive role in ending the war and restoring peace as soon as possible. Even if there is only a glimmer of hope for peace, China will not give up its efforts," they assured in the department.
15:30 This morning, in the zone of responsibility of the Khortytsya group of troops, the Russians shot two Ukrainian prisoners of war, the Ground Forces command reported.
15:24 France is developing new kamikaze drones, and in the coming weeks Ukraine will be one of the first to receive them, Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. According to him, the project is now in an experimental phase.
14:33 Ukrainian analogues of Russian Lancet drones have passed the first tests, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. According to him, drones from four companies have been tested in recent days - two have successfully tested. Fedorov noted that in the next few months it will be possible to organize the production of about 100 such drones per month.
13:51 After the capture of Avdeevka, the Russians are trying to advance on Lastochkino, said Dmitry Likhovy, spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces. The enemy is also trying to attack in the Maryinsky direction, but has no results.
13:10 Attempts to return Russia to the borders of 1991 will lead to a war with the West “using the entire strategic arsenal against Kiev, Berlin, London and Washington,” said Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev.
12:42 Since the morning, the Russians have been shelling the Nikopol district of the Dnepropetrovsk region, one person was wounded in the Mirovskaya community, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak.
12:29 The commander of the Tavria group of troops, Alexander Tarnavsky, said that during the four months of the active phase of the Avdiivka defense operation (from October 10 to February 17), Russia in this direction lost 47,186 personnel, 364 tanks, 248 artillery systems, 748 armored combat vehicles and five planes.
12:01 F-16 fighters may arrive in Ukraine in June, Foreign Policy writes, citing European officials. In particular, this deadline was announced by Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, citing a schedule that was confirmed by another European official. Ukrainian authorities expect 12 pilots to complete fighter training by the end of September.
11:38 In Slavyansk, Donetsk region, after yesterday's Russian strike, rescuers found the body of a deceased person - probably a guard of a destroyed school, the prosecutor's office reported. This school had an indestructibility point and a social cafeteria in the city center. In Kramatorsk, the death toll increased to three - the remains of another body were found during search and rescue operations. Two people were also injured.
10:06 The Atesh partisan movement stated that it carried out sabotage in the Volgograd region. An agent set fire to a relay cabinet at the Maxim Gorky station in Volgograd, the transfer of military equipment was stopped for some time. This station is an important junction through which military trains go to Crimea and Rostov.
The partisans also spoke about a case of friendly fire in the Avdeevka area: during the next flight, Russian aviation mistakenly struck positions where artillery units of the 239th Tank Regiment of the Russian Federation were located.
10:00 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that Russia captured Avdiivka due to local air superiority. Hundreds of KABs dropped on the city ensured the advancement of the Russian infantry. Analysts warn that further delays in the supply of Western weapons will lead to a significant weakening of Ukrainian air defenses, while air superiority will allow Russian troops to advance more aggressively.
09:49 As a result of yesterday's Russian strike on Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, two people were killed and two were injured, two houses were destroyed and 23 more were damaged. In Slavyansk, a school was damaged, said the head of the OVA, Vadim Filashkin.
08:57 In the evening, Russian troops shelled the village. Senkovo, Kupyansky district, two people were injured, said the head of the Kharkov Regional Police Department Oleg Sinegubov.
08:40 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 18:
- personnel - about 402,430 (+1080) people,
- tanks - 6487 (+11),
- armored combat vehicles - 12,198 (+53),
- artillery systems - 9709 (+40),
- MLRS - 984 (+0),
- air defense systems - 674 (+3),
- aircraft - 335 (+3),
- helicopters - 325 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 7449 (+36),
- cruise missiles - 1898 (+2),
- ships/boats - 25 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 12,736 (+2),
- special equipment - 1540 (+7).
08:26 This morning, in the Eastern direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed another Russian Su-34 , the Air Force command reported. Also, 12 Shahed attack drones and an X-59 aircraft missile were destroyed within the Chernigov, Sumy, Poltava, Kirovograd, and Dnepropetrovsk regions. In total, the Russians used 14 Shahed attack UAVs, six S-300 missiles, three Kh-22 cruise missiles and one Kh-59 missile during the night.
08:18 Over the past 24 hours, 82 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Maryinsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 23 enemy attacks in the Georgievka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region, and in Avdeevsky - 14 attacks near Lastochkino, Donetsk region.
The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Liman direction, Ukrainian forces repelled 12 enemy attacks in the areas of Ternov, Yampolevka, Torskoye, Donetsk region, and Belogorivka, Lugansk region; on Bakhmutsky - 14 attacks near Ivanovsky, Kleshcheevka, Andreevka, Donetsk region; on Novopavlovsky - two attacks south of Prechistovka and west of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region; on Zaporozhye - 13 attacks west of Verbovoy and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces hold their positions and repelled two assaults by Russian troops.
07:39 At night, the Russians attacked the Poltava region with drones, said the head of the OVA, Philip Pronin. A strike was recorded on an infrastructure facility in the Poltava region. The impact caused a fire, which has already been extinguished. No people were hurt.
02:47 Biden blamed Congress for Ukraine's loss of Avdiivka: "Ukraine was forced to withdraw from Avdiivka after its military was forced to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, leading to Russia's first notable successes in months."