Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22.52 President Volodymyr Zelensky heard a report on arms supplies during a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters on February 7. He reported this in a video address.
22.21 President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine is preparing an initiative to recruit military personnel aged 18 to 24 into the army. A special contract will be in effect for this category. He said this in an interview with Reuters.
21.20 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia has again brought North Korean soldiers into the Kursk region. He reported this in an evening video address .
19.25 Ukrainian military destroyed the enemy TOS Solntsepek multiple launch rocket system . The video was published on the TG channel 412 OPBPS NEMESIS. This system fires incendiary or thermobaric ammunition and can lead to terrible consequences for personnel and our positions. A very rare and important target. This installation will no longer fight - it is going to the scrap yard.
19.00 The Unmanned Systems Forces have carried out more than 220 deep strike operations on Russian territory in the six months since their creation. In total, more than 3,500 long-range strike UAVs were launched, which struck critical military facilities in the Russian Federation.
18:23 Ukrainian Defense Forces are holding back superior Russian forces in Toretsk, where fierce fighting continues in the urban area. The enemy is suffering significant losses, said Nazar Voloshin, spokesman for the Khortytsia Joint Forces Group, in a commentary to Interfax-Ukraine on Friday, February 7.
The speaker denied the information disseminated by the Russian Ministry of Defense about the alleged occupation of the city.
17.31 Russian troops in the Dniprovsky district dropped explosives from a drone on a 37-year-old gas service worker who went to repair damaged networks. This was reported on February 7 by the head of the Kherson OVA Oleksandr Prokudin. The man received injuries incompatible with life.
17:09 The Security Service and the National Police have eliminated new schemes for evading mobilization. As a result of complex measures, 17 organizers of the deals have been detained in different regions of Ukraine. This was reported by the SBU press service on Friday, February 7.
17.05 Lithuania has transferred spare parts for armored personnel carriers and trucks to Ukraine. This was reported on February 7 by the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, LRT reports. The cargo, intended for the Ukrainian military, arrived in Ukraine in the middle of the week.
16.39 The Army+ military application now supports reporting on enemy targets. Damage or destruction is confirmed in the DELTA combat system. The first 100 units have begun reporting. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense on Friday, February 7.
16.19 Investigators of the National Police of Ukraine have announced suspicion to another Russian major general involved in the robbery of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant during its occupation by Russian troops. This was reported by the press service of the National Police on Friday, February 7.
15.29. During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 1,300 new types of weapons and military equipment have been manufactured and coded, the largest part of which are UAVs and ammunition for them. This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Ivan Gavrilyuk.
14:34 In the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russians have banned the sale of insulin and other vital drugs to Ukrainians without a Russian passport. From February 2025, medical care will be available only to persons who have agreed to acquire the citizenship of the aggressor. This was reported by the press service of the Main Intelligence Directorate on Friday, February 7.
12:49 Ukrainian military managed to shoot down a Russian guided aerial bomb (UAB) during an attack on Zaporizhia. This was reported by the Porogi i Pagorbi Telegram channel , citing sources. The enemy target was hit, but the debris fell on a truck in the vicinity of Zaporizhia, causing damage to it.
12:12 Law enforcement officers are investigating the circumstances of the death of a man in Chernivtsi during a military medical commission. This was reported by the National Police Department in Chernivtsi Oblast.
11:23 The Russian army command has begun withdrawing individual anti-aircraft missile units from occupied Crimea to Russia. This was reported by the Atesh partisan movement.
It is noted that some of the systems, including the installations of the 31st Air Defense Division, are already being redeployed from the peninsula to new positions. As a result, airfields, military warehouses and the Kerch Bridge remain vulnerable.
"Attacks by Ukrainian long-range drones demonstrate that the Putin regime is incapable of protecting military facilities in the Belgorod, Kursk, Voronezh regions and other regions of Russia," Atesh noted.
10:30 During a new series of assaults in the Kursk region of Russia, the Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced up to five kilometers southeast of Sudzha. This is stated in a report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Geolocation footage shows that Ukrainian troops advanced southwest of Makhnovka and northeast of Cherkasskaya Konopelka Sudzha-Oboyan and captured Kolmakov and Fanaseyevka.
9:30 At night, Russia used 112 Shahed-type attack UAVs and various types of drone imitators against Ukraine. Air defense forces shot down 81 drones. 31 enemy drone imitators were lost (without negative consequences).
As a result of the enemy attack, there is damage in the Sumy, Kyiv and Khmelnytsky regions.
8:22 Over the past 24 hours, 101 combat clashes have been recorded at the front. In particular, in the Pokrovsky direction, the defenders stopped 36 assault actions by the Russian invaders.
The missile forces and artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit 14 areas of concentration of enemy personnel and equipment and weapons.
7:25 As of February 7, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 846,650 people (+1,340 per day).
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[LB] After spending a year and three months, the enemy reached the outskirts of Pokrovsk and Myrnograd, controls more than 80% of Toretsk, is close to capturing Chasovy Yar, but has not managed to achieve a turning point in the war.
The front, contrary to the statements of both useful and harmful idiots, has not fallen in any area, the Defense Forces retain the ability to organize resistance.
by Viktor Kevlyuk
For almost three years of the great war, the aggressor has already forgotten about its strategic goals and feeds exclusively on tactical achievements, although from time to time it comes close to creating operational crises. For this, the Russians are paying a huge price, their army is deprived of the opportunity to accumulate reserves, and the command and staff are unable to bring their strategic offensive operation out of the deadlock. In other words: the group has concentrated all resources to achieve instant results that do not give either a decisive advantage or a decisive victory. Kursk direction
On January 5, the Seversk Special Operations Group suddenly struck in the direction of Velikiy Soldatsky, from where the enemy was preparing to launch an attack on Sudzha along the P200 highway. The enemy military command had to prematurely (a day earlier) launch attacks along the entire line of contact, and the offensive from Velikiy Soldatsky failed, as the Russians lost the positions from which they were supposed to advance.
During January, the enemy managed to push back "Siversk" on the western flank to the Malaya Lochnia River, but did not break through further. Nothing burned out near Dar'ynoye and Novy Klin. On the eastern flank, the enemy advanced in the area of Makhnivka and Rus'ke Porechie, but in mid-January lost its positions. Makhnivka is ours, Rus'ke Porechie is a gray zone. OTUV "Siversk" is defending itself along water obstacles, imposing its will on the Russians - attack us across the rivers.
Near Dar'yinoye, Kurylivka, and Rus'ke Porechye, the enemy is forced to storm a defensive line built by itself. Built qualitatively, but abandoned in August 2024. The role of this direction is to tie up most of the aggressor's highly mobile forces: in January, regiments of three airborne divisions, two brigades, and a naval infantry regiment of the Black Sea, Pacific, and Caspian flotillas conducted combat operations here. This group suffered significant losses, which already at the end of January began to affect its combat capability, and at the beginning of February, they turned a large offensive into attacks in separate directions.
Example: the village of Kurylivka, which is being stormed by the 177th Naval Infantry Regiment of the Caspian Flotilla, which was transferred here from the Zaporizhia direction. It has to attack across the Psel River. For the most part, the Russians cannot cross the river, and those who manage to do so cannot reach the Ukrainian positions.
The regiment was considered one of the most combat-ready in the Kursk region, so its command cheerfully reported the capture of Kurylivka - and they believed it. But Kurylivka was not captured. The rest of the week the regiment went on attacks several times a day without any support and with minimal BC. The result was a full house in the regiment's medical post, piles of wounded on the battlefield, who were left without evacuation and medical care, a large number of dead, approximately 15 prisoners. The regiment lost almost a quarter of its personnel and is close to complete loss of combat capability.
If a miracle happens, the capture of Kurylivka will not lead to a breakthrough of the Ukrainian defense, because there are no reserves to develop the success. It is also worth mentioning the Koreans: the contingent of 3,500 people who participated in the fighting lost 65% in killed and wounded. On January 10, it was withdrawn from the fighting area. Cases of desertion of Koreans have been recorded, including the use of weapons against Russian soldiers. Conclusion from the assessment of the situation: the enemy will regroup by February 7–15 and only then will it continue the offensive.
The aggressor significantly expanded its bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskil River, captured the villages of Zapadne and Dvorichne, and reoccupied Novomlynsk. In December, units of two motorized rifle regiments were involved in the bridgehead, today up to half of the 6th combined arms army and the entire 69th division are here. Our Khortytsia Special Operations Command was defended here by two incomplete brigades of the Trotsky Brigade. This is the main reason why the enemy expanded the bridgehead, transferring additional forces and launching an offensive both to the west and to the south, towards Kupyansk.
Now the 6th Army headquarters has two options:
1) to force the Oskil, create a bridgehead on the west bank south of Kupyansk (in the Senkovo area) for a further offensive on Kupyansk simultaneously from the south and north and try to cut off part of the troops of the Khortitsa Special Operations Command, which are defending on the east bank of the Oskil;
2) to develop an offensive from the Dvorichnaya side in the direction of Velikiy Burluk (this is the task of the Sever Special Operations Command as of May 2024, which it successfully failed).
Now everything indicates that the enemy has chosen the first option: the 45th Engineer and Camouflage Brigade is being transferred to the Senkovo area. At the same time, the Russian infantry is trying to expand the advance to Oskol near Kolisnykovka. The Khortytsia Special Forces Division has a well-prepared defense area in Senkovo, there are enough troops, so it will not be an easy walk for the enemy. But he will try.
If we recall how the Russians crossed the river near Liman six times in 2022, then by the end of February they will have one less engineering brigade. The situation is quite threatening for the Defense Forces. But it is not excluded that the Khortytsia Special Operations Command will wait for the enemy forces to concentrate (the 69th Division in full force, with reinforcements as possible), and then carry out a counterattack. General Drapaty was not appointed to command Khortytsia for no reason.
Let's take a separate look at the southern part of the Kupyansk direction - the village of Borova and the surrounding area. In these areas, the Defense Forces conducted several successful counterattacks and improved their positions near the village of Zagryzove.
The enemy is persistently attacking from the direction of Lozova in order to break through the Ukrainian defenses near Kopanky and Novoyehorivka. Events here are developing in a traditional Russian vein: the command of the 20th Army has loudly reported the capture of Novoyehorivka. The headquarters of the group on the theater of operations was delighted and gave the commander of the 20th Army the task of capturing Kopanky from the east and southeast. The general was saddened, because his army had been stuck in Kopanky since December, unsuccessfully advancing from Pershotravneve from the north, and since then the bypass of the Ukrainian defenses has been stalling at least from one side.
Now the occupiers are groping in the direction southeast of Novoyehorivka, which they do not really control. After the commander of the 3rd Army, the commanders of the 7th, 85th and 123rd motorized rifle brigades of the 3rd Army were removed from their posts for similar reports (about the capture of Bilogorivka and three other villages), the commander of the 20th is storming that Novoyehorivka at any cost, laying out the corpses of his soldiers without number on the agricultural lands of the village. The conclusion from the assessment of the situation: the enemy will break through to Borovaya and try to capture the village by the end of March.
KRAMATORSK AND TORETSK DIRECTIONS
It is advisable to look at these two directions together, because the enemy's goal is to occupy the entire Donetsk region, and here the road to Kostyantynivka and Kramatorsk opens. The loss of positions at the refractory plant in Chasovye Yar meant the irreversible: the Defense Forces will leave the city, but when is an open question.
It should be recognized that the fighting for Chasiv Yar is in its final stages: the Russians are advancing slowly in the south and southwest, having suffered heavy losses in the battles for the plant. If our troops leave the city by the end of February, it will be a good tactical achievement. If not sooner.
The enemy grouping in the Kramatorsk direction is the 98th Airborne Division without the 217th Regiment (in Kursk), the 200th Brigade from the Murmansk Region, and a bunch of volunteer reconnaissance and assault brigades. The most famous is the 88th “Espanyola”, recruited from CSKA football fans. But all of them will not be enough, not only to advance quickly, but also to develop success when “Khortytsia” retreats from Chasovoye Yar.
Note that the situation may change dramatically if the Kramatorsk direction becomes a priority for the enemy command in the theater of operations. Even the actions in the Pokrovsky direction will be stopped, because there are much larger tasks here: we need to break through to Kostyantynivka, through it to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, the belt of fortresses, the main hub of Ukrainian defense in the east of the country, and then storm it as well.
The withdrawal of the "Khortytsia" units from Klishchiivka and Andriivka to the western bank of the Seversky Donets - Donbas canal, the occupation of almost all of Toretsk allow the Russian command to seriously consider plans for an offensive on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk through Kostyantynivka from two directions at once - from Chasovy Yar and Toretsk.
Battles at Chasiv Yar and Toretsk. The enemy's next target is Kostyantynivka
The advance of the enemy's Central Front east of Myrnograd and Pokrovsk added a third direction to these two: by expanding the salient near Vozdvizhenka, the Central Front will be able to cut off the Ukrainian defenses in the Alexandropol area and attack Kramatorsk through Kostyantynivka from the Pokrovsk-Myrnograd direction. The enemy's plans are hindered by harsh front-line reality.
The Russians in the Torets and Kramatorsk directions simply lack the strength for such an operation. They also lack reserves. The only way to increase the group is to transfer troops from other directions. And there are not many there either. The commander of the Central Front, General Mordvichev, is currently preparing the Central Front and the East Front to begin the assault on Pokrovsk, but if the assault does not yield results in the first two weeks, the Pokrovsk direction will temporarily become secondary, and the Kramatorsk direction will be the main one, and the city will be assaulted from three directions. There will be no certainty on this issue until February 15–20. So far, the Tolstoyevsky forces are focused on expanding their advance eastward near Vozdvizhenka. Attacks on Alexandropol from the south, west, and east should be expected.
POKROVSKY DIRECTION
The Center military unit is on the southern outskirts of Pokrovsk and Myrnograd. It bypasses the agglomeration from the east and west, from Vozdvizhenka and Kotlyne. It is more successful from the west, from the east - like the dead are breathing, but oh well. Russian propaganda and Ukrainian useful idiots present the Pokrovsk operation as the future encirclement of the Defense Forces, although the enemy's real goal is more primitive - to consolidate and expand the zone of control to the west and east of Pokrovsk - Myrnograd in order to create a wide bridgehead for the further assault on the agglomeration. The assault will be head-on, because there is no time to maneuver forces and means for two-sided coverage, as well as other tactical innovations.
The defense forces have equipped a solid defense line here, saturated with troops. Those who have seen it say that it is quite good. There are no gaps for their favorite Russian tactics of infiltration by assault microgroups, so there will be long bloody battles for each position. The enemy is already making efforts to soften our defenses: bombing the outskirts of the city from the air, attacking quite massively with drones. For the assault, they are concentrating troops from three armies at once — the 41st, 2nd, and 51st, which previously attacked in the Pokrovsky, Novopavlovsk, and Hulyaipol directions. Since the fighting in the last two is ongoing, it will not be possible to form a strike group quickly. If the enemy command changes the priorities that we mentioned in the paragraph above, then the front here will hibernate for several months.
NOVOPAVLIVSKYI DIRECTION
The Khortytsia Special Forces Division is only defensively between the Vovcha and Sukhyi Yaly rivers, holding the village of Dachne on its eastern flank. The invaders have forced Sukhyi Yaly, but a quick offensive on the northern bank of the river is not possible. From the north, from the Vovcha side, the enemy has advanced to the village of Andriivka, the capture of which will open the door for an offensive on Konstantinopol. This will give the Russians a chance to cut off the Ukrainian units in the salient from Ulakli to Dachne.
The gloomy military genius (although, perhaps, not gloomy, but simply drunk) of the Russians transfers his units from there to Pokrovsk. The part that remains here is only relatively combat-ready due to losses and constant participation in battles for a month or more. The conclusion from the assessment of the situation: it is clear that the Ukrainian advance between Vovcha and Sukhye Yala will be eliminated sooner or later, somewhere between mid-February and mid-March. There is no point in expecting the enemy to advance further west here, because there will be no one to advance stupidly, everyone - to Pokrovsk or generally Kramatorsk. At the end of March, we should expect the Russians to reach the Mokry Yala River, after which there will be an operational pause somewhere until the beginning of summer.
HULYAIPIL DIRECTION
The enemy occupied Velika Novosilka and immediately slowed down the pace of advance to the west and northwest of the village. Russian propaganda tried to pass this village off as Stalingrad, but then limited itself to the definition of "an important logistics center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
While the “black Cossacks” held Vugledar, Velyka Novosilka supplied them. But after the loss of the Vugledar bridgehead for the Defense Forces, it is only the last large settlement in the south of the Donetsk region. Due to its loss, “Khortytsia” will move 9–15 km to the north-northwest, to the defense line of Komyshuvakha - Shevchenko (lower) - Dniproenergia, which is already happening.
The enemy will not be able to pursue the Ukrainian units, there are not enough ATVs for everyone, those of the personnel who survived are exhausted, and the rotation to the Pokrovsky direction has not been canceled. The conclusion from the assessment of the situation: no breakthroughs into Zaporizhia or Dnipropetrovsk regions, because there is nothing to do. The health of the enemy groups also does not allow the front of the Tavria Special Operations Command to be reduced and reach Zaporizhia.
Anyone who follows the course of the fighting should see that the troops of as many as three groups are operating in the direction: "Center", "East", and "South". The units are very mixed, their controllability and interaction were not the best before, and now they have only worsened.
So we can conclude that the capture of Velyka Novoselka is not part of some wise plan or subtle strategic design: the capture of this village means only the capture of another village.
Can the situation here worsen for the Defense Forces? Yes, it can. But the enemy must improve controllability, restore the combat capability of its troops and at least double their number, then the threat of the Tavria front in the Zaporizhia region will appear. But Putin has not yet agreed to mobilization, and without it there is nowhere to get the required amount of meat.
So, in February, we should expect the renewal of the enemy's offensive in the Kursk region, the expansion of the bridgehead near Dvorichnaya and fierce battles at Borova in the Kharkiv region, the withdrawal of the Defense Forces from Chasovy Yar and the beginning of battles on the approaches to Kramatorsk, the completion of the strike group near Pokrovskoe-Mirnograd and the assault on this agglomeration, the elimination of the Defense Forces' bridgehead between Vovcha and Sukhye Yala, the stabilization of the front line in the Novopavlivske direction, and positional battles on the Komyshuvakha-Shevchenko (lower)-Dneproenergiya line.
Far from the worst schedule for the Defense Forces, especially considering the Commander-in-Chief's promises to resume the practice of rotations and accumulation of reserves for the Defense Forces.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] From 1 to 7 February 2025, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out eight group strikes by high-precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, which hit gas and power infrastructure facilities that support the work of the Ukrainian defence industry.
In addition, Russian troops hit the infrastructure of military airfields, assembly, storage, and preparation facilities of strike unmanned aerial vehicles, training facilities of drone operators and electronic warfare specialists, ammunition and POL depots of the AFU as well as temporary deployment areas of AFU formations.
Yesterday, units of the Sever Group of Forces thwarted an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to carry out counteroffensive actions in direction of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok (Kursk region). In total, eight waves of attacks were repelled.
Over the past week, AFU units have been eliminated in Kursk region. Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery hit manpower and hardware of one heavy mechanised brigade, six mechanised brigades, three air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, and four territorial defence brigades.
In Kharkov direction, Russian troops inflicted fire damage on AFU units of one motorised infantry brigade, one air assault brigade, one National Guard brigade, and two territorial defence brigades.
During the week, in the area of responsibility of the Sever Group of Forces, the enemy losses were over 2,020 troops, 21 tanks, and 161 armoured fighting vehicles. In addition, 132 motor vehicles, 35 field artillery guns, and five field ammunition depots were neutralised.
As a result of active offensive actions, the Zapad Group of Forces' units liberated Novomlynsk (Kharkov region).
Russian troops launched an attack on AFU military personnel and hardware of five mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, one airborne brigade, one mountain assault brigade, one assault brigade, one territorial defence brigade, and one National Guard brigade.
The AFU losses were more than 1,835 troops, two tanks, and 19 armoured fighting vehicles, including eight U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers. In addition, 71 motor vehicles, 32 field artillery guns, 12 of which were manufactured by NATO countries, 11 electronic warfare stations, and 20 ammunition depots were neutralised.
The Yug Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation. Russian troops hit four mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one assault brigade, and one airmobile brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades.
Over the past week, the Armed Forces of Ukraine losses were up to 1,510 troops, one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, 26 motor vehicles, and 14 field artillery guns, including seven Western-made ones. In addition, 16 field ammunition depots and four electronic warfare stations were eliminated.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units continued advancing into the depths of enemy defence and liberated Krymskoye, Baranovka, and Druzhba (Donetsk People's Republic).
Russian troops delivered strikes at two heavy mechanised brigades, seven mechanised brigades, two jaeger brigades, one airmobile brigade, one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, two National Guard brigades, and the Lyut Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine.
The AFU losses were more than 3,720 troops, four tanks, including one German-made Leopard tank, 29 armoured fighting vehicles, including two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and one U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carrier as well as one Swedish-made Viking armoured personnel carrier.
In addition, 44 motor vehicles and 34 field artillery guns were eliminated, including three Western-made guns.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on one tank brigade, five mechanised brigades, one air assault brigade, three naval infantry brigades, and three territorial defence brigades.
The AFU losses were more than 955 troops, three tanks, including one German-made Leopard tank, 19 armoured fighting vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, and 31 field artillery guns, seven of which were manufactured by NATO countries. Two electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces engaged manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, one infantry brigade, three coastal defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and one National Guard brigade.
The AFU losses were more than 395 troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, 37 motor vehicles, and eight field artillery guns. Six electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were destroyed.
Fighter Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down one Su-27 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force in the air battle.
Over the past week, air defence facilities shot down one Neptune guided long-range missile, six French-made Hammer guided bombs, 41 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 630 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
Over the past week, 19 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered on the line of contact.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 653 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 42,617 unmanned aerial vehicles, 592 anti-aircraft missile systems, 21,242 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,514 MLRS combat vehicles, 21,326 field artillery guns and mortars, and 31,384 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
Units of the Sever Group of Forces thwarted an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to carry out counter-offensive actions in direction of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok (Kursk region). All enemy attacks were repelled.
In the course of offensive actions, Russian troops inflicted fire damage on formations of one tank brigade, one heavy mechanised brigade, four mechanised brigades, two air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, and three territorial defence brigades of the AFU near Gogolevka, Goncharovka, Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Mirny, Nikolayevka, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, and Sverdlikovo. Two counter-attacks launched by enemy units were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU close to Viktorovka, Guyevo, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Pervy Knyazhy, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Novaya Sorochina, Sverdlikovo, Sudzha, Cherkasskaya Konopelka, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, and Basovka, Belovody, Vodolagi, Veselovka, Mirlogi, Zhuravka, and Yunakovka in Sumy region.
During the day, the AFU losses were more than 370 troops, 11 tanks, seven infantry fighting vehicles, three armoured personnel carriers, 38 armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, three artillery guns, three mortars, one MLRS launcher, one Tunguska anti-aircraft missile system, three counterobstacle vehicles, one bridge launcher as well as three UAV command posts and one ammunition depot.
In addition, during the repelling of AFU counter-offensive actions in direction of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok, the enemy lost more than 200 troops. What is more, the enemy lost eight tanks, five infantry fighting vehicles, one armoured personnel carrier, and 30 armoured fighting vehicles as well as three counterobstacle vehicles, one bridge launcher, and other vehicles.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 58,230 troops, 348 tanks, 251 infantry fighting vehicles, 197 armoured personnel carriers, 1,797 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,853 motor vehicles, 412 artillery guns, 46 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 18 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 106 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, five air defence radars, 37 units of engineering and other materiel, including 17 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, nine armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:09 Drone operators have made a series of precise drops –Ministry of Defense
UAV operators of the assault unit of the "Southern" group of troops hit the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kurakhovsky direction.
20:54 Destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces machine gun and detonation of boxes with ammunition
In the Khar'kov direction, the FPV operator of the 44th Air Defense Forces "Sever" was inflicted strike on the machine gun crew of the Ukrainian fascists. After the precise hit and destruction of the gun, a powerful detonation of the ammunition occurred.
20:49 Our troops are in the Krasnolimansk direction came into the village of Yampolovka from the north.
20:19 Enemy offensive in Kursk region: how the 11th Airborne Brigade met the occupiers' armored vehicle columns attacking Ulanok.
The 11th Airborne Brigade of the "North" group of troops took the brunt of the enemy's attack in the Sudzhansky direction in the Kursk region in the area of the settlements of Ulanok, Fanaseyevka and Makhnovka.
Using attack drones and artillery fire, airborne troops destroyed up to 30 armored vehicles and assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
19:42 Russian "Timurovtsy" UAV units destroys a Ukrainian octocopter .
In the Khar'kov direction, the 98th Baba Yaga drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was shot down by the Timurovtsy strike UAV detachment of the North Guard Forces.
19:32 On the territory of Russia, enemy saboteurs committed attempt mass terrorist act.
19:12 In the city of Konstantinovka (DPR) occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, an FPV drone struck the substation putting it out of order.
Substation "Mayskaya" 330/110/35/10 kV is a nodal point for electricity distribution.
During the strike by FPV drones of the Russian Armed Forces with a cumulative charge, one of the ATDTsTN-200000 autotransformers was disabled, which led to the depressurization of the oil tank and a leak of transformer oil with a volume of more than 10 tons.
The switchgear (330 kV switchgear) is damaged.
18:39 UAV operators of the Bars-31 detachment as part of the Volunteer Corps, destroyed Ukrainian T-72 in the area of the settlement of Tikhonovka, RIA Novosti was told by the press service of the corps operating as part of the "South" group.
18:14 Russian Armed Forces drone operators beaten off tank attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhzhya direction
During the repulse of the attack, three Ukrainian tanks were destroyed.
18:07 The Armed Forces of Ukraine in five months of fighting for Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk)lost 26,000 military personnel.
Russian troops destroyed more than 240 tanks and other armored vehicles there, as well as over 340 field artillery pieces and mortars.
Control over the settlement opens the way for the Russian Armed Forces to liberate Konstantinovka and reach the flank of the Kramatorsk group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
18:01 As a result of active offensive actions by units and military units of the Center group of forces in the Aleksandro-Kalinovsky directionreleased city of Dzerzhinsk, Donetsk People's Republic.
During the liberation of the city of Dzerzhinsk, servicemen of the 1st, 9th and 132nd Guards Motorized Rifle Brigades of the 51st Army and the volunteer formation "Veterans" particularly distinguished themselves by displaying courage and heroism. Dzerzhinsk is the largest settlement of the Toretsk agglomeration (urban community). At the beginning of 2022, the total number of residents of the Toretsk agglomeration was more than 73,500 residents, directly in Dzerzhinsk - about 35,000 residents.
Like many other major cities in Donbass, the Kiev regime turned it into a powerful fortified area with a developed network of underground communications. Almost every building was a well-equipped engineering and protected long-term firing point. The waste heaps and mines located in the northern and western parts of the city were also used for defense.
Establishing control over this important defense node opens the way for the liberation of Konstantinovka and an exit to the flank of the enemy's Kramatorsk group.
Our troops inflicted significant losses on the enemy during five months of fighting for Dzerzhinsk. The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 70% of their group's personnel - more than 26,000 servicemen. At the same time, the daily losses of Ukrainian troops averaged about 200 servicemen killed and wounded. They destroyed over 240 tanks and other armored vehicles, as well as over 340 field artillery pieces and mortars.
The area of the liberated dense urban development of Dzerzhinsk was more than 50 square kilometers. In addition, during the operation to liberate the city of Dzerzhinsk, 11 settlements of the Toretsk agglomeration (urban community) and 139 square kilometers of territory were liberated. The total advance of Russian troops into the depth of the enemy's defense was more than 13 kilometers.
Currently, units of the Center group of forces continue to liberate the remaining settlements that are part of the Toretsk agglomeration.
17:44 UAV operators of the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade destroyed German PzH 2000 in Chasovy Yar, RIA Novosti was told by the Volunteer Corps, which is part of the South group of troops.
17:38 Accurate fire from naval infantry incinerates enemy equipment
Artillerymen of the 40th Naval Infantry Brigade of the North Forces Group destroyed armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces assault groups in the border area of the Kursk Region.
17:18 Calculations of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" of the Ivanovo paratroopers inflicted fire damage on enemy strongholds in the area of the settlement of Chasov Yar, DPR.
17:08 In Moscow captured a neo-Nazi traitor from Azov who persuaded Russian soldiers to defect to the Ukrainian Armed Forces
After the start of the SVO, the man, on instructions from his curators, met Russian military personnel on social networks and persuaded them to go over to the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He also collected data on the deployment of Russian troops in the combat zone, their weapons, the number of personnel, and losses.
16:38 The most powerful fire happened in the city of Chuguev (Khar'kov region).
According to local residents, the Sebek plant (Chuguev mineral water plant) is on fire.
Previously, Ukrainian military personnel were stationed on the plant’s territory, and equipment was hidden among the buildings.
16:24 Dzerzhinsk liberated by Russian army –MAP
16:13 In Cherkasskaya Konopelka, LBS was invaded. A group of Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters managed to break into houses on the westernmost street of Novosyolka. At the moment, there are counterfights, it was decided to transfer this area to the gray zone –MAP
16:03 As a result of active offensive actions by units of the 1st, 9th and 132nd Guards Separate Motorized Rifle brigades of the 51st Army and the volunteer formation "Veterans" of the "Center" group of forces released city of Dzerzhinsk, Donetsk People's Republic.
15:35 Drone drivers are on fire
Crews of strike UAVs of the motorized rifle unit of the "Center" group of forces destroyed Leopard tank of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction. Drone crews also hit armored vehicles, fortified positions and enemy manpower.
14:41 Result of counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the sky
Numerous units of burning enemy equipment and artillery strikes by the Northern Front against groups of militants.
14:34 "VDV Ixovody" reset another howitzer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which interfered with the assault operations.
14:21 RF Armed Forcesare moving forward on the western bank of the Oskol River
All key heights in the area of the village of Dvurechnaya came under the control of Russian attack aircraft.
14:06 In the Krasnolimansk direction of the Russian Armed Forces occupied the northern part of the settlement of Yampolovka and repelled a counterattack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
13:37 Russian Army missiles struck targets in Khar'kov region
Preliminary, targets in Lozovaya were hit.
13:36 Units of the "Center" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense and liberated the Druzhba settlements of the Donetsk People's Republic.
13:30 Tankers are smashing enemy fortifications
Crews of T-72B3M tanks of the Vostok group discovered and destroyed a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction.
The servicemen of the "Vostok" group are advancing deep into the enemy's defenses, getting ever closer to the border with the Dnepropetrovsk region.
13:22 Kursk direction
District Cherkasskaya Konopelka - Ulanok.
All the enemy's combat equipment that took part in yesterday's "counteroffensive" was burned and destroyed. Some of the personnel were destroyed, some scattered around the forests and plantings. They are now being searched for and destroyed.
– Fanaseyevka and Ulanok are completely under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.
– Cherkasskaya Konopelka is also mostly under our control.
The sodomites have taken hold in the west of the village in a separate part near the forest. Several detachments have dug in there, and our troops are destroying them.
13:12 Pokrovskoe (Krasnoarmeyskoe) direction. Left flank –MAP
The situation here has not changed significantly. Fierce fighting is underway in Udachny. Our units are fighting for the station and residential areas in the eastern part.
Northwest of Kotlino, units of the Russian Armed Forces are trying to break through in the railway area.
In Zverevo and northeast of Peschanoye, our units are attempting to advance towards the waste heap and are repelling counterattacks.
Artillery and drones are working intensively in the area from both sides.
13:10 Dnepropetrovsk direction –MAP
Fierce fighting continues. The enemy is launching counterattacks using armored vehicles, trying to prevent our units from breaking through to the Dnepropetrovsk region.
– In Uspenovka (DPR), however, our assault units advanced and occupied the center.
- In Nadezhdinka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on vehicles was repelled. The enemy was destroyed. To the south and southwest, fighting is underway in the plantings.
– In Serebryanoye, our assault forces are clearing the northern part and fighting in the eastern part of Zaporozhye (DPR).
- In the area of the T-0515 road, south of Yasenevoye, the enemy has also brought in reserves and is trying to stop any of our attempts to advance beyond the road. The enemy's artillery and drones are actively working.
12:32 Punches are applied on enemy targets in occupied Zaporozhye.
12:06 Mortar of the Armed Forces of Ukraine took off into the air together with the BK
In the Kursk region, Ukrainian fascists set up a closed firing position for a 120mm mortar. The operator of the UAV GV "Sever" sent two VOGs right on target. VOG is a 40mm grenade typically launched by an under-the-barrel launcher.
As a result of the fire damage, the gun was destroyed and the ammunition detonated.
11:52 Rubicon is working
Details of repelling the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces by drone operators of the Rubicon Center in the Kursk region –Ministry of Defense
UAV operator at the Rubicon Center struck a pickup truck of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk direction. As a result of a precise hit, the vehicle and the Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel inside were destroyed.
10:44 Destruction of a BMP M-80A of the Armed Forces of Ukraine using an attack FPV drone in the area of the settlement of Yampolovka, Donetsk region.
10:14 Guided bomb strikes are applied by Russian Aerospace Forces in Sumy Oblast.
10:25 The reconnaissance group "North" has opened the enemy's defense system and firing points in the area of one of the settlements on the Kursk border.
With the support of artillery and aviation, units of the motorized rifle regiment drove the militants out of their fortified positions.
09:54 Destruction of columns of NATO armored vehicles The day before, fighters from the 30th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "North" actively used kamikaze drones against heavy armored vehicles of the Ukrainian fascists in the Sudzhan border area, repelling the enemy's offensive in the direction of the village of Ulanok.
09:33 During an attempt to land troops, the crew of the UAV 106th Airborne Division inflicted fire strikes from the sky.
08:59 RF Armed Forcesare struck targets in the Chernigov region.
08:42 FPV operator 1427th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment from the "North" sent a kamikaze drone directly into a company of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in a forest plantation in the Kursk border region.
07:46 Work is in full swing in the field workshops of the 20th Guards Army.
Servicemen of the repair unit of the West group of forces continuously are being restored, repair and upgrade military equipment in the rear area of the special operation zone.
05:11 Artillerymen destroyed the enemy's stronghold.
The 52mm Giatsint-B crew of the Center group of forces destroyed a fortified enemy stronghold in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A detachment of Pacific Fleet ships, consisting of the corvettes Rezkiy and Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, conducted exercises in the East China Sea. This was reported on February 7 by the Russian Defense Ministry.
“In the East China Sea, the crews conducted an air defense exercise, during which combat crews detected simulated air targets and destroyed them with anti-aircraft artillery fire at a safe distance from the detachment,” the defense department said in a statement.
The Russian corvettes were accompanied by ships and aircraft of foreign countries during their passage through the East China Sea. Upon arrival in the South China Sea, the ships' crews replenished their food and fuel supplies.
It is noted that the exercises are being conducted within the framework of the approved plan for a long-range voyage in the Asia-Pacific region. According to the plan, the corvettes will conduct exercises to search for and destroy submarines of a simulated enemy, the Defense Ministry specified.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on February 6, the Pacific Fleet press service reported that the diesel-electric submarine Magadan completed a deep-sea dive (DSD) to a depth of 240 m in Avacha Bay off the coast of Kamchatka.
The submarine crew, having successfully completed the underwater part of the exercise, surfaced and continued to operate within the framework of the fleet's combat training plan. The corvette Gremyashchy and the rescue ship Georgy Kozmin also provided support for the tasks.
On December 3, Regnum reported that the Russian Navy and Aerospace Forces conducted joint launches of high-precision sea- and air-based missiles in the Eastern Mediterranean during exercises. The frigates Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Golovko fired hypersonic Zircon missiles.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Bastrykin has ordered a criminal case to be opened due to threats received by Regnum News Agency Editor-in-Chief Marina Akhmedova.
"The Chairman of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed the head of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the city of Moscow, Andrei Strizhov, to initiate a criminal case on this fact and report on the established circumstances," Marina Akhmedova reported on her Telegram channel.
Earlier, the editor-in-chief of the Regnum news agency began to receive threats of physical violence with demands to retract a number of publications. Marina Akhmedova herself suggested in her Telegram that Ukrainian structures could have joined the intimidation.
The progress of the investigation has been placed under control at the central office of the Investigative Committee. In the meantime, don't go near windows above the first floor
[BBC] More than three decades after leaving the Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have begun to unplug from Russia's electricity grid and join the EU's network.
The two-day process began on Saturday morning, with residents told to charge their devices, stock up on food and water, and prepare as if severe weather is forecast.
Many have been told not to use lifts - while in some areas traffic lights will be turned off.
A giant, specially-made clock, will count down the final seconds before the transition at a landmark ceremony in Lithuania's capital on Sunday, attended by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
The three nations will then officially transition away from the grid that has connected them to Russia since the years after World War Two.
'ON HIGH ALERT'
The so-called Brell power grid - which stands for Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - is controlled almost entirely by Moscow and has long been seen as a vulnerability for the former Soviet republics, which are now Nato members.
Though none of them have purchased electricity from Russia since 2022, their connection to the Brell grid left them dependent on Moscow for energy flow.
After disconnecting on Saturday morning, the three countries will carry out frequency tests before integrating into the European grid via Poland on Sunday.
"We are now removing Russia's ability to use the electricity system as a tool of geopolitical blackmail," Lithuania's Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas told AFP news agency.
"It's the culmination of efforts over more than 10 years or 20 years, to reduce that energy dependence," Prof David Smith of the Baltic Research Unit at the University of Glasgow told the BBC.
"When the Baltic States joined the EU and Nato, everybody talked about them being an energy island that was still dependent on that joint electricity network with Belarus and Russia," said Smith. "That's been completely broken now."
Tensions between the Baltic States and Russia, which share a combined 543 mile-long (874km) border, have soared since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Since then, a spate of suspected sabotage incidents involving electricity cables and pipelines in the Baltic Sea have prompted fears that Moscow could retaliate against the shift towards EU energy.
In the past 18 months, at least 11 cables running under the Baltic Sea have been damaged. In a recent case, a ship from Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers was accused of damaging Estonia's main power link in the Gulf of Finland. The Kremlin declined to comment.
Nato has not accused Russia, but has responded by launching a new patrol mission of the region named Baltic Sentry.
"We cannot rule out some kind of provocation. That is why Latvian and foreign security authorities are on high alert," Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said on Wednesday.
"Clearly there are risks, we understand that very well," Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina echoed. "But the risks are identified and there is a contingency plan."
'CYBER-ATTACKS'
A spokesperson from the Nato Energy Security Centre of Excellence told the BBC that in recent months, frequent emergency operation tests have been carried out to help prepare for potential targeted attacks on the energy system.
The head of Estonia's Cybersecurity Centre, Gert Auvaart, told the BBC in a statement that Russia "may attempt to exploit this period to create uncertainty", but said that due to international co-operation, Estonia was "well-prepared even for worst-case scenarios".
He added that cyber-attacks against the country had surged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and ranged from "hacktivist-driven DDoS attacks [Distributed Denial-Of-Service] to more sophisticated, targeted operations against government agencies and businesses".
The Baltic states will also be on watch for disinformation campaigns related to the transition.
Shortly after they notified Russia of their decision to withdraw from Brell in August 2024, campaigns emerged on social media falsely warning of supply failures and soaring prices if the countries were to leave the joint power grid.
"We are now removing Russia's ability to use the electricity system as a tool of geopolitical blackmail," Lithuania's Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas told AFP news agency.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Ivan Lizan
[REGNUM] Effective February 7, all U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) employees, except those responsible for critical programs, have been placed on administrative leave.
The agency itself has already been subordinated to the State Department, turning it into a structural division, and the new functionality of the main American instrument of soft power remains unclear.
The suspension of USAID's activities could not help but cause jubilation in Russia: it is pleasant to observe the turmoil in the enemy camp and the suffering of compatriots who have signed up as foreign agents.
But there are a few hefty flies in the ointment.
DON'T CONFUSE REASON AND CAUSE
The media coverage surrounding the suspension of USAID activities fits into several narratives promoted by Republican LOMs.
First, USAID is an organization that spent American taxpayer money on things that Trump and his allies believe did not make America great.
Examples include:
support for the LGBT movement in different countries of the world (transgender opera in Colombia, transgender comics in Peru, LGBT activism in Guatemala);
purchasing contraceptives for residents of the Gaza Strip and food rations for Al-Qaeda (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation);
buying the loyalty of the American media ($8 million to Politico for positive articles about Democrats);
unreasonable spending ($6 million on tourism in Egypt, $2.5 million on electric cars for Vietnam).
From the Republicans' point of view, these expenses are indeed harmful, since they do not strengthen the Republicans' positions. Democrats would argue with them. In their view, LGBT* are a privileged minority until recently, supporting Democrats, contraceptives curb the already rapid birth rate in Gaza, reducing the number of Israel's enemies, and buying media loyalty is a normal story for all countries in the world.
Secondly, USAID is positioned as an ineffective structure with low efficiency. In this case, Trump's opponents would also have something to say in their defense. The key question is what is considered efficiency. If we take as a criterion the growth of approval of non-traditional sexual values in a separate Latin American country or the increase in the rejection of the construction of large industrial enterprises due to the threat to the environment, then there will indeed be questions about efficiency. But in this case, it is important not to confuse declared and actual activities.
USAID clerks don't care whether Guatemala has become more gay-friendly*. The gay community is purely a tool for achieving certain goals, just like peaceful environmentalists who, on command, turn into militants and screamers to disrupt an unwanted construction project.
Useless at first glance, NGOs are an incubator for selecting and growing LOMs, some of whom will later become politicians. And the so-called "Committee of Voters of Ukraine" receives funding in vain during the inter-election period, but during the election period, parallel vote counting becomes a powerful instrument of delegitimization and control of power.
Thirdly, the agency was an obvious "feeding trough" for the Democrats. It was the Democrats who most actively financed USAID: Trump allocated a little more than $25 billion to the agency during his first term, while Obama and Biden each allocated about $50 billion. Therefore, the fight against USAID, as well as against the federal Department of Education, fits into the logic of dismantling the legacy of predecessors who, as expected, were incompetent and thieving.
And such a struggle also allows one to actively promote oneself and raise ratings among one’s own voters.
Therefore, if we abstract from the ideological coloring of USAID’s activities and consider it as a government structure, then the agency was disbanded because the Republicans do not need it in its current form and it is run by people who are disloyal to Trump – representatives of that very “deep state.”
Financial efficiency is secondary: over 10 years, the US spent $335 billion on USAID, which is comparable to its annual trade deficit with China.
Simply put, in the USAID topic it is important not to confuse the reason for the closure with the real reason.
CONSEQUENCES FOR RUSSIA
Of course, it is nice when the newly elected US president suspends the main instrument of soft power, whose activities have caused serious damage to Russia in the post-Soviet space. But these are emotions. It is important not to indulge in complacency.
The fact that Trump and Musk have dispersed USAID speaks volumes. Republicans operate in the logic of taking extraordinary actions and are ready to destroy entire institutions of power to achieve their goals. Consequently, they are even more dangerous than Democrats and Biden-Harris, who used these very institutions.
An unpredictable enemy is more dangerous than a predictable one.
Trumpists are not afraid to bring painful questions about the effectiveness of state institutions to the public arena; this does not require a real state of emergency. Therefore, the USAID case is an alarm bell for Russia: the enemy is ready to change and is trying to become more effective.
A separate issue is the actual efficiency of the work of the “soft power” institutions in the USA and Russia. You can reproach USAID for senseless funding of LGBT* productions or rejoice at how much money the clerks in Washington saw off. The end result is important.
In the case of Ukraine, it is obvious: the very need to conduct SVO testifies to the effectiveness of American "soft power". As it became known, USAID financed 90% of Ukrainian media of various calibers, from regional online publications to projects of national significance. Many of them specialized in anti-corruption investigations and worked exclusively as an element of foreign influence on local elites.
Thanks to this, publications like Hromadske and Espresso appeared in Ukraine on the eve of Euromaidan, and then the anti-corruption projects Skhemi and Groshi (Schemes and Money). The employees of the latter allowed themselves to criticize the activities of local elites and publish investigations into the ways they earn money. Thanks to these investigations, Russia had a better understanding of who and what they were in Ukraine.
Now these projects are on hold. Some of their employees, who did not manage to annoy the authorities, will be taken on by the Zelensky regime, but they will not engage in any anti-corruption activities with his money. Consequently, a large layer of information will disappear from the public sphere, and our understanding of Ukrainian politics risks being reduced to the understanding that it resembles a swamp with devils, but without details and bright colors.
USAID WILL RETURN
The main thing to understand about the suspension of USAID activities is that it is temporary.
No one will close such a structure forever: it employs a fair number of technocrats who will serve Trump well, provided that the staff is renewed, the leadership and ideological orientation are changed. Therefore, USAID will most likely be reformed: the agency will lose its autonomy for better management and will change its ideological framework from liberal globalism to right-wing conservatism.
And, what is most dangerous for Russia, USAID may be digitalized, increasing the efficiency of budget spending. It is possible that the activities of the updated agency will be limited to the regions that are of the highest priority for the United States, sacrificing, for example, the Gaza Strip.
In general, there is a high probability that USAID will return.
It's one thing when American taxpayers' money is used to finance agenda-driven performances and LGBT* festivals, and an openly gay/transgender* person talks about American values. It's a completely different matter when the State Department's money is used to make conservative films with stern rednecks and beautiful blondes with third-size breasts, who will once again become the embodiment of the American dream. By the way, there are people who can make such films: it's enough to study the serial legacy of Taylor Sheridan, which is breaking records for views on streaming services. Such America is much more dangerous for Russia.
And it is not a fact that even if the Democrats return to power in the US in two years in the midterm elections, Trump’s USAID reform will be cancelled: if it turns out to be effective, such an agency could harm us for decades.
Therefore, the USAID case should be a lesson for us: it is important to improve the efficiency of public administration and master the technologies of non-military influence, then no enemy reforms will be scary.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
