Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 21:40 Today's meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in the Rammstein format was successful and confirmed the partners' readiness to continue supporting Ukraine. This was reported by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov.
"Security assistance will continue. Air defense, interceptors, artillery, ammunition, armored vehicles were a priority, they received very strong assistance packages. We heard from everyone present that they will continue this assistance - this year and in the coming years," he said.
19.55 Ten Patriot missiles worth $30 million were used to shoot down six Russian ballistic missiles at night, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.
"We used six ballistic missiles each, 10 Patriots worth 30 million dollars," said the head of the Ukrainian state.
18.52 In 2024, Ukraine mobilized 30,000 people into the army every month, and this was the largest mobilization. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with The Economist .
18.13 Western allies have exceeded the decision of the NATO summit in Washington to provide Ukraine with military aid worth 40 billion euros in 2024. This was stated by the Secretary General of the Alliance Mark Rutte at a press conference in Brussels.
17:40 The Federal Supreme Court of Germany has for the first time approved the extradition of a Ukrainian citizen who tried to avoid it because of his unwillingness to serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces due to his personal convictions.
The man said he did not want to kill people and refused conscription on grounds of conscience. The judges noted that conscientious objection does not prevent extradition in the event of an attack on a state in violation of international law.
17:18 The UK has announced the provision of another package of defence aid to Ukraine, which will include tanks, artillery, missiles and other types of weapons, as well as contracts for the maintenance of previously transferred equipment. This was reported by British Defence Secretary John Gilli in his opening remarks at the 26th meeting of the Contact Group.
16.03 Ukrainian teenagers have become targets for Russian propaganda, which is actively trying to "suck" them into a hostile culture through media products such as TV series and songs. This was stated by the head of the Center for Countering Propaganda under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Andriy Kovalenko, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
15.39 A volunteer from Switzerland has died in the war in Ukraine for the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Swiss Info reports , citing the country's Foreign Ministry.
"At the beginning of the year, the Swiss embassy in Kyiv received information from the Ukrainian army that a Swiss citizen had apparently died during the fighting," the department said.
Details of the Swiss man's death have not been disclosed. It is not known in which unit the soldier served and where he fought.
15:33 The Security Service of Ukraine has exposed a traitor in its ranks who worked for the FSB and has stopped the activities of the Russian special services' agent network. It turned out to be one of the officials of the SBU Anti-Terrorist Center - the head of the ATC Headquarters. This was reported by the SBU press service on Tuesday, February 12.
14.37 As a result of a Russian missile strike on the morning of February 12, the offices of the Ukrainian foreign broadcasting channels FreeDom and Dom were damaged in Kiev. This was reported by Detector Media with reference to the press service of the Multimedia Platform for Foreign Broadcasting. Dozens of windows were knocked out by the shock wave in the FreeDom office, and the company's production facilities and cars were damaged. The offices of the international editorial office of foreign broadcasting - UATV English, The Gaze, UATV Español, UATVArabic and the digital editorial office were also damaged.
14.14 Russia will not exchange territories with Ukraine. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on yesterday's statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about his readiness to discuss the exchange of Ukrainian Armed Forces-controlled territory in the Kursk region for occupied Ukrainian territories.
13:57 In Zhitomir, law enforcement officers detained an 18-year-old student who set fire to a serviceman's car for a fee. This was reported by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Zhitomir Oblast.
13:54 In Kharkiv, a man attacked a TCC employee, wounding him with a knife. This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional TCC and SP. Additional police crews and ambulances arrived at the scene. The attacker was detained.
12:58 Cyber specialists of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense attacked the infrastructure of the main contractor of the Russian Gazprom, the Gazstroyprom company, which is involved in supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to a source. The work of all systems and services has been stopped . The damage caused to companies fueling the genocidal war against Ukraine could amount to tens to hundreds of millions of dollars.
12:29 The SBU has exposed a spy who was adjusting the strikes of Russian troops on the defenders of Pokrovsk. The agent turned out to be a repeat offender recruited in a penal colony. This was reported by the SBU press service on Wednesday, February 12.
12:19 In the updated version of the Reserve+ application, you can apply for a voluntary annual contract Contract 18-24. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The update is already available for iOS and Android. You can apply for Contract 18-24 in one click. Also in the updated application, you can find vacancies, read the terms of service and the list of brigades to choose for signing Contract 18-24.
11:41 The Verkhovna Rada supported in principle and in general draft law No. 12457 on extending the period for passing the military medical commission for citizens with limited fitness for service by four months - until June 5 of this year.
11:23 In the Russian Federation, the absolute majority of residents support the war against Ukraine and believe in victory. At the same time, more than half want peace talks with the participation of mediators. Such data follow from the results of a survey by the independent Levada Center. It is noted that in January 2025, 78% of Russian residents approve of the invasion. 15% of respondents do not support the war. Also in January 2025, the maximum share of respondents was recorded who believe that peace talks should be started now - 61%, while 31% of respondents spoke of the need to continue military action (the lowest figures for the entire observation period).
9:50 Russian troops launched a missile attack on Krivoy Rog late in the evening of February 11. The attack damaged buildings, gas stations and cars. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak.
9:22 Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down six Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 71 drones. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force. 40 enemy drone imitators were lost (without negative consequences). The attack affected Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk (Krivoy Rog), Sumy, Poltava and Chernihiv regions.
8:47 Over the past 24 hours, aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces hit 10 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, six artillery systems, two air defense systems, one radar station and three UAV control points of the Russian invaders. This was reported on February 12 by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8:34 On the night of February 12, air defense forces destroyed two Shahed 131/136 UAVs in the Mykolaiv region. A fire broke out at one of the infrastructure facilities as a result of falling debris from downed Russian drones. This was reported by the regional state administration. It is noted that the blast wave damaged warehouses. There were no casualties. The fire was extinguished.
8:06 In the Obolonsky district of Kyiv, as a result of a Russian missile strike on the morning of February 12, one person was killed and four were injured, including a child. This was reported by the State Emergency Service. Rescuers have extinguished a fire in a partially destroyed office building.
7:40 Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian troops have destroyed 1,150 Russian occupiers and more than 370 units of Russian weapons and military equipment. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on February 12 .
05:59 At least one person was killed in a Russian missile strike on Kiev on the night of February 12. In addition, two more were injured, including a child. This was reported by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko
4:34 A series of explosions were heard in Kiev on the night of Wednesday, February 12. The military simultaneously announced the threat of using ballistic weapons. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on its Telegram channel.
03:58 The Russian ruling regime is trying to limit information about the situation in the Kursk region in order to avoid an exchange of territories during potential peace talks. This was stated by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.
00:31 Representatives of the ruling regime of the Russian Federation responded to the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about a possible exchange of Russian territories for Ukrainian ones during the negotiations. In particular, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova made a statement on her Telegram channel.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in heavy fighting in the east and south of Ukraine.
Most of the fighting took place in the Pokrovsky direction. There the enemy organized attacks in the areas of 10 settlements.
Since the beginning of the day, Russian aggressors have attacked the positions of the Ukrainian army 74 times. The enemy is most active in the Pokrovsk, Novopavlovskoye and Kursk directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational summary as of 16:00 on Wednesday, February 12.
Thus, in the Kupyansk direction, the enemy carried out five assaults near the settlements of Kondrashovka, Petrovpavlovka, Novosyolka, Peschanoye and Zagryzovo. Three combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Liman direction, enemy units attacked in the areas of Kopanka, Novomikhaylovka, Novolyubovka, Yampolovka and Kolodezi. Our soldiers have already repelled four enemy attacks. Another clash is currently ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, two armed clashes were recorded in the Belogorovka area. One battle is still ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, three armed clashes continue in the areas of Chasovy Yar and Vasyukovka.
There were eight enemy attacks in the Toretsk direction . The enemy was active in the areas of Toretsk and Shcherbinovka. Three combat clashes are ongoing.
The hottest part is in the Pokrovsky direction : 22 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Vodyanoye Vtoroye, Elizavetovka, Promin, Zverevo, Nadievka, Uspenovka, Andreyevka, Aleksandrovka, Dachnoye and Shevchenko. The defense forces repelled 17 assaults. Five clashes are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the invaders launched an offensive 11 times near the settlements of Konstantinopol, Burlatskoe and Rivnepol. Four clashes are still ongoing.
In the Gulyai-Polye direction, one enemy attack was repelled in the Kamenskoye area.
In Kursk region our defenders repelled six attacks, and five more clashes are still ongoing.
Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on February 11, Russia lost more than 1,100 soldiers at the front . The total losses of the aggressor country are approaching 860 thousand people.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, the Sever Group of Forces hit the personnel and hardware of an infantry brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and three territorial defence brigades close to Veterinarnoye, Zolochev (Kharkov region), and Yamnoye (Sumy region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 35 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, two artillery guns, and an signal intelligence station.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian troops hit manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, a tank brigade, a jaeger brigade, an airborne brigade, a mountain assault brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades near Zeleny Gai, Dvurechnaya, Lozovaya, Kamenka, Petropavlovka, Kutkovka (Kharkov region), Sverdlovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye and Yampol (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 210 troops, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and five pickup trucks.
Five field artillery guns were eliminated including three foreign-made artillery guns, three ammunition depots, two Kvertus electronic warfare stations, and an Zakhist-AF radio electronic warfare station.
The Yug Group of Forces units improved the situation along the forward edge, defeated formations of five AFU mechanised brigades and an assault brigade near Ivanopolye, Aleksandro-Shultino, Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka, Chasov Yar, and Predtechino (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 215 troops, a U.S.-made MaxxPro armoured vehicle, three motor vehicles, and five artillery guns. Two ammunition and materiel depots were neutralised.
The Tsentr Group of Forces continued advancing into the depths of the enemy's defence, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of seven mechanised brigades, an infantry brigade, an airmobile brigade, a jaeger brigade, an assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a national guard brigade near Grishino, Kotlino, Krasnoarmeysk, Shcherbinovka, Andreyevka, Baranovka, Uspenovka, Ulyanovka, Zverevo, Udachnoye, Novoandreyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 510 troops, four Kazak armoured fighting vehicles, five motor vehicles, and five artillery guns.
The Vostok Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, a tank brigade, an air assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and three territorial defence brigades close to Konstantinopol, Komar, Burlatskoye, Vremevka, Novopol, Novoocheretovatoye, and Gulyaypole (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 150 troops, seven motor vehicles, and four field artillery guns. An Israeli-made RADA RPS-42 multi-role radar station was neutralised.
The Dnepr Group of Forces engaged the units of three mechanised brigades, an infantry brigade, a mountain assault brigade, three coastal defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and a territorial defence brigade near Malaya Tokmachka, Orekhov, Kamenskoye, Pyatikhatki, Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region), and Pridnepropevskoye (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 60 troops, a tank, five motor vehicles, and an artillery gun. Five ammunition depots and an electronic warfare station were neutralised.
This morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a group missile strike against the workshops of the Ukrainian defence enterprises manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles and FPV drones. The goal of the strike has been achieved, all the planned targets have been engaged.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have also hit the infrastructure of military airfields, fuel and POL storage facilities, a temporary deployment area of foreign mercenaries as well as clusters of AFU manpower and hardware in 139 areas.
Air defence units shot down 12 U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, two French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, and 66 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 653 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 43,045 unmanned aerial vehicles, 592 anti-aircraft missile systems, 21,299 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,514 MLRS combat vehicles, 21,567 field artillery guns and mortars, and 31,492 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.
In the course of offensive actions, the Sever Group of Forces inflicted fire damage on formations of two tank brigades, a heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, three air assault brigades, a naval infantry brigade, an assault brigade, a territorial defence brigade, and three assault regiments of the AFU near Gogolevka, Guyevo, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Makhnovka, Nikolsky, Oleshnya, Rubanshchina, Sverdlikovo, and Sudzha. Three enemy counter-attacks were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, artillery inflicted fire damage on AFU manpower and hardware close to Viktorovka, Goncharovka, Pervy Knyazhy, Kolmakov, Krugleknoye, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Mirny, Melovoy, Nikolskiy, Nikolayevka, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye as well as Basovka, Belovody, Vodolagi, Zhuravka, Miropolye, and Yunakovka in Sumy region.
Within the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 390 troops, two tanks including a German-made Leopard tank, two infantry fighting vehicles including a U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three armoured personnel carriers, ten armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, a U.S.-made M-109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, five artillery guns, four mortars, a Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system, an electronic warfare station, a German-made Biber bridge launcher, an engineering reconnaissance vehicle, an armoured repair and evacuation vehicle as well as two UAV command posts, and an ammunition depot. One AFU serviceman surrendered.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 59,940 troops, 361 tanks, 262 infantry fighting vehicles, 211 armoured personnel carriers, 1,854 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,944 motor vehicles, 430 artillery guns, 48 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 19 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 107 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, six air defence radars, 41 units of engineering and other materiel, including 18 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, two bridge launchers as well as ten 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] 21:36 Calculation of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" struckarea of concentration of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kherson region.
The fire was adjusted using a Merlin-VR reconnaissance drone.
20:54 Published full video of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attack on the IAEA convoy during rotation from the Zaporizhzhya NPP
Today, four inspectors were supposed to arrive at the Zaporizhzhya NPP for the next rotation. As the column moved to the meeting place, the Ukrainians violated the ceasefire by firing mortars at the column, but the commission continued moving, after which it was again subjected to mortar and artillery fire.
While moving towards checkpoint #2, the column was attacked by FPV drones. During the rotation, there were two mortar, five artillery and four FPV attacks, after which the observers decided to cancel the rotation.
20:26 Russian army liberated Vodyanoye Vtoroye –MAP
20:07 Servicemen of the assault units of the 44th Army Corps of the North group of forces before carrying out combat missions at forward positions finished combat training and coordination exercises at a training ground in the rear area in the Khar'kov direction.
18:35 Over Melitopol destroyed Ukrainian aircraft-type UAV.
The city's civil infrastructure was not damaged.
18:26 Captured destruction 120mm mortar of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using an FPV drone in the area of the settlement of Razliv in the South Donetsk direction.
17:54 RF Armed Forces destroyed one of the largest productions of FPV drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kyiv
According to Mash, early in the morning of February 12, a massive missile strike destroyed a secret production facility of the Stream Techno company, responsible for the mass assembly and delivery of light drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
17:15 Russian air defense forces shot down missile of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the sky over Melitopol, Zaporizhia region.
17:10 From 14:00 to 15:25 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles:
two UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region and
one over the territory of the Kursk region.
16:46 Crew of the Su-34 fighter-bomber of the Aerospace Forces inflicted an airstrike on personnel and a stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region. Having received confirmation from intelligence about the destruction of the targets, the crew safely returned to the airfield of departure.
16:06 Intelligence of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the "West" group revealed groups of infantry of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After determining and confirming the exact coordinates of the enemy, a decision was made to engage the enemy's manpower with fire.
16:03 Working on fiber optics: our drone operatorsare strikingthe manpower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Reconnaissance of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the "West" group identified groups of infantry of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants. After determining and confirming the exact coordinates of the enemy, a decision was made to fire on the enemy's manpower.
The detected targets were quickly destroyed by FPV drone crews.
15:23 Andreevka on the Kurakhovsky direction liberated
It is reported that cleanup and consolidation is already underway.
14:59 From 12:40 to 13:15 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
14:47 Our units control most of Sverdlikovo (Kursk region) –MAP
14:29 In the Kursk border area, an FPV operator of the "Alabai" detachment of the "Sever" group discovered moving armored vehicles with Ukrainian fascists. The target was quickly hit by a kamikaze drone.
As a result of the detonation of ammunition in the armored car, all the occupiers were burned alive.
14:28 The Ukrainian Armed Forces drone carried outhitby car in the village of Mokraya Orlovka in the Belgorod region, - Governor Gladkov.
A woman died as a result of the impact.
14:08 Crews of 152mm 2S19self-propelled howitzers "Msta-S" of the combined arms army of the "West" group of forces destroyed M-777 howitzer, radar station, armored vehicles and Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the special military operation zone.
14:06 Russian Armed Forces drone operators continue to hit enemy positions and manpower in the Zaporizhzhya direction
13:31 Around 12:10 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region.
12:58 Most of Sverdlikovo in the Kursk region is under our control.
12:47 In Chernigov region after the strike of the Russian Armed Forces a critical infrastructure facility is on fire.
12:04 This morning the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted group missile strike on workshops of Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises producing unmanned aerial vehicles and FPV drones. The strike targets were achieved, all planned objects were hit.
12:03 Rocket hit in the area of concentration of manpower of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of the settlement of Nikolsky in the Kursk direction.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces units are located on the territory of the Miratorg pig farm.
11:36 Around 10:10 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
11:32 Pokrovskoe (Krasnoarmeyskoe) direction. Left flank
Units of the Group of Forces "Center" endured attempts by the enemy to break through in the direction of the southern outskirts of Kotlino, in Zverevo and Peschanoye.
Attempts to break through in Peschanoye have been thwarted, equipment has been destroyed.
In the area of the south-eastern outskirts of Kotlino, our units are attacking, restoring the situation.
In Udachny, the eastern part is behind us, the fighting is going on in the area of ??the center and the station. Attacks are being made on the enemy reserves at Mine No. 1 and Molodetsky.
The offensive continues in the eastern part of Novosergeevka.
11:36 At about 10:10 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
11:09 The Russian Armed Forces continue to actively attack to the west of Velikaya Novoselka
In Andreyevka, in the Kurakhovsky direction, Russian troops occupied the street leading to the western outskirts. They also advanced in neighboring Shevchenko and Dachnoye.
Near Pokrovsk, the Russian army advanced to Kotlino.
11:07 FPV drone calculations at Rubicon Center destroyed Ukrainian Armed Forces communication station in the Pokrovsk direction.
10:34 In the Obukhov district near Kyiv, a large-scale fire after arrival
According to local authorities, “non-residential premises” are on fire.
10:06 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crew of the Center group of forces hit at the Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold.
"Our birds saw a cluster of personnel there. We had to work on them within two minutes before they boarded the equipment and made a rotation. We worked quickly and hit the target," said combat vehicle commander Pavel Panov.
09:56 Russian Armed Forces doubled increased intensity of strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces stationed near Lisichansk in the LPR
On average, Russian military personnel carry out about 300 fire missions in this section of the front.
09:54 In the Khar'kov direction, FPV operators of the Antagonist group of the North Group destroyed two M-113 armored personnel carriers of Ukrainian fascists.
09:26 Fire at one of the infrastructure facilities happened after explosions in the Nikolaev region
Also, the coordinator of the pro-Russian underground, Sergei Lebedev, reported that in the suburbs of Nikolaev, a Ukrainian Armed Forces warehouse with ammunition and an air defense installation along with a crew were liquidated.
09:04 Massive missile strike inflicted around Kyiv
– Head of Zelensky’s Office Yermak announced a ballistic missile strike.
– According to the emergency services, a fire started in an office building in the Obolonsky district.
– In the Goloseevsky district, there was a large-scale fire in a two-story warehouse with an area of 600 square meters.
– In some areas of the city, electricity was lost after the strike.
– There are also reports of drone and missile strikes on the Kyiv region.
08:54 Ukrainian Armed Forces warehouse ammunition and air defense installation with crew destroyed at night in the suburbs of Nikolaev, RIA Novosti was told by the coordinator of the pro-Russian underground Sergei Lebedev
08:42 Published personnel of the assault units of the Northerners
completed training and coordination exercises at one of the training grounds in the rear area of the special military operation zone before carrying out combat missions at the forward positions.
08:37 Situation iIn the Kursk region by the morning of February 12: From early morning, units of the naval infantry and Airborne Forces have been driving the enemy out of areas near the villages of Viktorovka and Malaya Loknya.
There is progress of our army.
08:31 Ussuri paratroopers evacuated civilians of liberated Nikolayevo-Daryino
Soldiers of the 83rd Separate Guards Airborne Assault Brigade liberated the settlement of Nikolayevo-Daryino in the Sudzhansky district of the Kursk region at the end of January. There were still citizens left there who had not managed to evacuate when the district was captured by units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in August of last year.
All this time, more than six months, they were held hostage by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who used them as a human shield, but did not provide them with any help, only mocked and killed them, which they confirmed in a conversation with the paratroopers. Only one man remained in the village, who miraculously escaped, the rest were killed by the Ukrainian military.
The paratroopers evacuated peaceful Russian citizens to the rear, where they were given medical assistance and sent to social rehabilitation centers.
08:02 Interacting with unmanned aircraft systems, artillerymen perform fire missions from closed firing positions, destroy strong points, duty fire weapons, command posts, ammunition depots and fuel and lubricants of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
This time, the crews of the 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer from the Vostok group struck the positions of Ukrainian soldiers who, under pressure from our forces, fled from Velyka Novosilka.
07:22 During the past night, air defense systems on duty destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
06:15 Job of ground drone operators. The drones themselves are quite small, their size apparently allowing them to enter dugouts and trenches.
06:10 Crews of T-90M Proryv tanks of the combined arms army of the West group of forces destroyed platoon strongholds, ammunition depots and Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower in the area of the special military operation.
05:02 Four of us captured the Ukrainian Armed Forces' stronghold and held back all enemy attacks.
Kurakhovsky direction.
Attack aircraft of the 242nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division of the "Southern" group, with the support of UAV crews, captured an important stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and defended the occupied positions from Ukrainian attacks for seven days
. 03:36 The army men used a LMUR against an enemy pillbox –MAP.
03:33 Arrival of three glide bombs at the enemy position in Guevo –MAP.
[BBC] A senior figure in Ukraine's intelligence service (SBU) has been arrested on suspicion of working as a Russian agent.
The service did not name the man, who it said was chief of staff of its anti-terrorism centre, but Ukrainian media quoting sources in the SBU say he is Col Dmytro Kozyura.
Local media showed him handcuffed while being arrested by SBU head Vasyl Malyuk.
A statement said there were at least 14 instances in which the suspect, who it described as a "rat", had collected and transmitted information to Russia. The SBU said the investigation involved audio and video monitoring, as well as gaining access to mobile phones and computers.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has announced numerous operations to expose Russian agents on its soil.
Malyuk had been personally involved in the investigation into the suspect and headed the operation to arrest him, the SBU statement said, adding that he reported directly on its progress to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It said Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) recruited him in Vienna in 2018. He was "mothballed" for several years and his handlers only resumed contact with him last December.
"Thanks to encrypted programme bookmarks, we got into the traitor's gadgets - mobile terminals, computers," Malyuk said in a video statement posted on the SBU website.
"We basically lived with him, conducted audio and video monitoring. In the process of all this, we managed to efficiently document the collection and transmission of relevant information by the traitor to the enemy."
Malyuk added the SBU had been feeding Moscow disinformation during the course of the investigation.
"The self-cleansing of the SBU continues. No matter how the enemy tries to penetrate our ranks... he will not be able to do it successfully. Because we detect them in a timely manner, document them and detain them."
Reuters was able to review the full database of posts and confirm the thrust of the campaign of posts, mainly originating on X, containing videos which were then shared on a wider range of social media platforms.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] Governments of several European countries have announced the start of a program to re-equip their armed forces with modern technology. After decades of gradual demilitarization, European states are once again investing in the development of the military industry and allocating budgets for the purchase of weapons in third countries.
Poland was the first to take the course of rearmament. In 2023, Warsaw launched a large-scale program of purchases for the army, designed for ten years. By the end of 2024, Poland's defense spending amounted to $40 billion, and the cost of the entire rearmament program grew to $110 billion.
The increase in military spending in the country is predictably explained by the “threat from the East” and the growing tension in the region due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
At the same time, the “rearmama race” is affecting more and more European countries, which, it would seem, have no reason to worry about their own security.
Thus, the Italian government followed in Poland's footsteps by launching a program to re-equip its ground forces. The Italian armed forces will receive 380 German KF51 Panther tanks, more than 1,050 KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and AW249 attack helicopters.
The “strongest land army of the EU” is also keeping up with the trends: the French government has announced the launch of a program to equip the army with highly mobile military equipment. As part of the SCORPION program, the French army will receive 100 Leclerc tanks, upgraded to the Leclerc XLR level, and 530 Serval armored vehicles. The contract is valued at more than a billion euros. The delivery of the vehicles is planned for 2025–2030.
THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THE USA
The reasons why Europe began to spend more on the "military" are easy to explain. The EU countries were unable to support the conflict in Ukraine without the participation of the United States, even straining all available capacities.
Therefore, investments in the military-industrial complex and the modernization of the armed forces are intended primarily to increase the defense capability of the countries of the continent, military expert Konstantin Romanenko noted in a conversation with the Regnum news agency.
“In recent decades, European countries have been cutting their military budgets, and Cold War-era divisions are being cut down to the size of brigades or even regiments, and even then, at an incomplete strength.
The armies of a number of countries have completely abandoned armored vehicles and heavy artillery, and the entire European military-industrial complex has proven incapable of producing 100,000 artillery shells per year. Therefore, Europe is now revising its priorities," the expert says.
Previously, European countries were confident that they did not need to strengthen their own armed forces, since there was the United States, which would come to the rescue if necessary. Now, however, it seems that the EU has lost faith in its overseas partner and can only rely on its own forces.
BETWEEN TWO FIRES
The return to power of the Donald Trump administration in the United States has stirred up Europe. Before he had even had time to settle into the Oval Office, the new-old president made claims against Denmark, demanding that the territory of Greenland be “given to the United States.”
At the same time, Trump did not rule out a military solution to the situation. In turn, Denmark discussed the possibility of sending a contingent of the French Armed Forces to Greenland.
And while it is unlikely that the US will actually decide on a direct military confrontation with its European partners, it is clear that relations between Washington and the EU will continue to change in the coming years.
In particular, the new American administration demands that Europeans increase their spending on NATO financing to 5% of GDP. Trump threatens to impose penalties on countries that fail to reach this figure: in the event of a military conflict, Article 5 of the collective defense treaty will not apply to them.
At the same time, according to Reuters, NATO countries will not support Trump's proposal to increase military spending. Instead, EU countries plan to increase spending on maintaining their own security. In particular, France - from 2 to 5% of GDP by 2030, said President Emmanuel Macron.
Europe is now effectively caught between two fires: the growing military power of Russia and the desire of the United States to dictate terms to partners from a position of strength. In the current circumstances, the countries of the continent increasingly need a developed military-industrial complex and strong armed forces.
"Of course, there is no talk of dismantling NATO. But in recent years, differences between Washington and Brussels on key issues have become increasingly apparent. As an example, the recent meeting in the Rammstein format, where Great Britain took over the presidency instead of the United States. Europe does not plan to fight with the United States, but is preparing for confrontation," expert Romanenko is sure.
It can be said that Europe is returning to the situation of the "pre-war era" (before World War II), when the US army was not yet the dominant force on the continent. The new "Entente" is uniting under the slogan of fighting the conventional "East" in the person of Russia, but at the same time it is looking warily at the West, from which anything can be expected.
"UNITED FRONT IN A POTENTIAL WAR"
Military expert Alexander Artamonov holds a different opinion. According to him, despite the concerns of Europeans, it seems unlikely that the US would completely abandon its obligations to its NATO partners, since this could lead to negative consequences for Washington.
If the US refuses to honour its obligations under the collective defence treaty, the EU will ask itself: why tolerate an American military presence at all? In many ways, it is the presence of military bases in Europe that makes America a world-class power. There are a total of about a hundred American bases on EU territory, playing a key role in the American concept of global security.
Therefore, the Trump administration’s threats against Europe should be viewed more as an attempt to put pressure on “respected partners” and force them to follow Washington’s policies, Artamonov believes.
"It is important for Trump to turn the Europeans from some kind of amphora structure into a military instrument of the United States. This is not connected with the US leaving - on the contrary. In 2025, the Pentagon budget will be about a trillion dollars: they are increasing defense spending and demanding the same from the Europeans. So the rearmament of Europe is a sign that the Western world is preparing for war," says the interlocutor of IA Regnum.
In a potential war, the EU countries will have to act as a united front, which is why the European military-industrial complex is being integrated into a single whole, the expert adds.
He also cites examples of joint military activity on the continent. This includes the development of the Franco-German Tiger attack helicopter, the rearmament of the French Armed Forces with small arms from the German concern Heckler & Koch HK416, and a number of other programs.
At the same time, the US is not leaving the European defense industry. In particular, the American concern Ratheon is participating in the development of the Norwegian NASAMS air defense systems supplied to Ukraine.
The Baltics and Poland are preparing most actively. In the fall of 2024, a US Army missile defense base opened in Redzikowo, Poland. Launchers for Tomahawk cruise missiles, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 2,500 kilometers, were deployed on the site. They are aimed to the east.
"Former White House Security Advisor Sullivan once said that if we lose Kiev, we will lose Europe. "We" will lose, we, that is, the Americans. The Americans never wanted to lose Europe. It is unthinkable that they would leave. So, rather, threats to our security are being created," warns Artamonov.
Russia's response can be discussed if European countries move from ideas to practical implementation. It is far from certain that this will happen: NATO leadership in Europe has been struggling year after year to increase the so-called "rapid reaction forces" called upon to occupy the borders on the eastern flank of the alliance. The increase was planned from 40 to 300 thousand people. Year after year, the plan fails, since EU countries have not agreed to inflate their defense budgets.
Now, it seems, money has begun to be allocated, but specifically for national defense. In order to truly rearm, Europe will first have to untangle a whole tangle of contradictions.
If Ukraine falls I expect the governments of Hungary and Slovakia to invite a contingent of Russian troops into their territory for 'stabilization' as a next step of escalation.
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Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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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.
