Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22.18 The Ukrainian Air Force hit a Russian stronghold near the village of Yelizavetovka in the Kursk region, from which drones were launched to attack Ukrainian defenders in the Sumy region. The General Staff reported this on February 14, publishing a corresponding video .
20.13 The total losses of Russian troops in the Kursk region exceeded 48 thousand, of which about 20 thousand were killed. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky on Friday, February 14.
19.00 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has begun a meeting with US Vice President Jay D. Vance in Munich. This was reported by the press secretary of the head of the Ukrainian state, Serhiy Nikiforov.
18.46 Saudi Arabia supported the idea of holding a meeting between the leaders of the United States and Russia to advance negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine. This was reported by the Kingdom's Foreign Ministry.
18.37 Russian troops are advancing on the right bank of the Oskol River and continue to consolidate their positions in the area of Dvurechnaya and Novomlinsk. This is reported by DeepState.
17.52 Operators of the 413th Raid SSS Battalion detected and carried out a precise strike on the Strela-10 SAM system (9K35/SA-13 Gopher). This was reported by the Unmanned Systems Forces, which published a video . The Strela-10 SAM system is a Russian short-range anti-aircraft missile system designed to cover units and parts of ground forces from helicopters and UAVs.
17.44 The Security Service and the National Police detained new arsonists who were operating in the Odessa region on orders from Russian special services. The suspects were six students aged 13 to 15. This was reported by the SBU press service on Friday, February 14.
13:29 Russian troops have struck the Zaporizhia region. As a result of the enemy attack, two people are known to have died. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA on Friday, February 14.
13:16 The Security Service has detained six Russian henchmen who, posing as activists, called for the overthrow of the constitutional order in Ukraine. They created fake organizations, spread Kremlin narratives, and promised conscripts a "reservation" from mobilization. This was reported by the SBU press service on Friday, February 14.
13:15 Fighters from the Voron unmanned systems battalion from the 100th separate mechanized brigade destroyed a Russian 2S4 Tyulpan mortar.
"This time, the battalion's fighters targeted a "fat target" - a 2S4 Tyulpan self-propelled mortar," the OSGV Khortytsia statement says.
Thanks to the precise drop, the enemy mortar was destroyed.
12:59 Over the three years of war, Western donors have provided Ukraine with €267 billion in aid, almost half of which is military. Despite the steady flow of funding, the overall level of support remains low compared to the donors' economic capabilities. This is stated in the new Ukraine Support Tracker report prepared by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
11:22 As a result of the strike on Friday night by a Russian drone on the Shelter facility above power unit No. 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the resulting fire, the integrity of the outer shell was damaged. This was reported by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate (SNRIU).
11:14 At night, Russian troops dropped two guided aerial bombs on civilian infrastructure in the Khotyn community of the Sumy region, and later attacked a recreation center in Sumy with a drone.
As a result of the attack by the Russians, three men, aged 45, 55 and 56, and a 47-year-old woman were injured. The hospital premises, private homes and outbuildings were damaged.
10:35 Soldiers of the 25th separate airborne Sicheslav brigade of the Airborne assault troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Pokrovsky direction captured nine Russian soldiers with the help of a drone.
10:20 Counterintelligence of the Security Service detained an FSB agent in Mykolaiv - a 35-year-old repeat offender who was adjusting Russian airstrikes on the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the city.
Before the start of the full-scale war, the man was serving a sentence for serious crimes in a correctional facility in Kherson. After the city was captured, the occupiers transferred the prisoner to one of the colonies in Russia, where he was recruited by a career FSB officer.
On instructions from the Russians, the agent arrived in Nikolaev via third countries and later began carrying out the enemy’s tasks.
9:45 The International Atomic Energy Agency has shown a photo of the aftermath of the strike on the shelter at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. They noted that the incident occurred at about 1:50 on February 14.
"At around 01:50, the IAEA team at the Chernobyl site heard an explosion from the New Safe Confinement, which protects the remains of reactor No. 4 of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant, causing a fire. They were told that a UAV had crashed into the roof of the NSC," the statement said.
The aftermath of the Russian strike on the Chernobyl shelter. Photo: IAEA
9:40 A Russian attack drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the shelter of the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The shelter was damaged by this drone, the fire has already been extinguished. "Currently, the radiation background has not increased, and this is constantly monitored. According to initial estimates, the damage to the shelter is significant," the president said.
8:55 At night, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 133 Shahed-type attack drones and various types of drone imitators. 73 drones were destroyed, another 58 were lost (without negative consequences).
The attack affected Kyiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odessa and Kharkiv regions.
7:25 As of February 14, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 855,480 people (+1200 per day).
5:23 In 2024, Russia produced and repaired more than 1,500 tanks and 2,800 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. This allowed it to compensate for last year's losses of armored vehicles. However, the Russian Federation may face a shortage of spare parts and technical difficulties in the future. This is evidenced by an analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.
3:54 In its daily report, published on its Telegram channel on the night of February 14, the DeepState analytical project reported on the advance of Russian invaders in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Defense Forces are holding back the Russian occupiers' offensive. Terrorists continue to destroy Ukrainian cities and villages with air and artillery strikes.
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Defense Forces are taking measures to prevent the enemy from advancing deep into Ukrainian territory. To date, 72 combat clashes have occurred.
Today, the communities of the settlements of Klyusy, Zarichchea in Chernihiv region; Oleksandrivka, Velyka Berizka, Sydorivka, Korenyok, Porozok, Popivka, Zarichne, Luhivka, Studenok, Novovasylivka, Rudak in Sumy region; and Vidrozhdenivske in Kharkiv region were affected by enemy artillery and mortar fire. An air strike was carried out on the settlement of Myropylske in Sumy region.
In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy launched air strikes with unguided missiles on Vovchanske Khutor.
In the Kupyansk direction, Russian occupiers once attacked the positions of the Defense Forces in the Zagryzove area.
In the Lyman direction, the invading army carried out five attacks on Ukrainian positions near the settlements of Novoserhiivka, Zelenyy Hai, Bohuslavka, Hrekivka, and Kolodyazi during the day. Two clashes are still ongoing.
The occupying forces continue to look for weak spots in our defenses near Bilogorivka, Verkhnokamyanske and Hryhorivka in the Siversky direction . The defense forces successfully repelled one enemy attack, two clashes are still ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled one assault by Russian invaders, two attacks are continuing, the enemy is trying to break through in the Chasovy Yar area.
In the Toretsk direction, five clashes were successfully repelled by the Defense Forces, and three more enemy assault actions in the areas of the settlements of Toretsk, Krymske, and Shcherbynivka are still ongoing.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russian invaders made 23 attempts to push our defenders from the occupied positions in the areas of the settlements of Zelene Pole, Elizavetivka, Promin, Lysivka, Novopavlivka, Uspenivka, Novotroitske, Bogdanivka, Andriivka, Dachne and Shevchenko. The defense forces are holding back the onslaught and have repelled twenty enemy attacks, three clashes are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlivske direction, the enemy tried 12 times to break through the defenses of our defenders in the areas of the settlements of Konstantinopol and Burlatske. Fighting continues.
In the Hulyaipol direction, the enemy launched an air strike with five guided bombs on Hulyaipol.
The enemy did not conduct any active actions in the Orikhiv and Prydniprov directions today.
In the Kursk direction, 11 clashes have occurred since the beginning of the day, four of which are still ongoing.
In addition, the enemy carried out 19 air strikes, dropping 25 guided bombs. In the remaining directions, there were no significant changes.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The practice of sending defendants and accused persons to the SVO zone creates a sense of impunity and increases the risks for women who are subjected to domestic violence, human rights activists are sure. In their opinion, the family of Kristina Kokova, who was killed in Chechnya, may face resistance if they demand punishment.
As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, a resident of Bachi-Yurt, Ruslan Umayev, accused of murdering Kristina Kokova's daughter-in-law, went to the military operation zone. He confessed to the murder and stated that he did it because of the girl's immoral behavior, human rights activists reported.
Saida Sirazhudinova, President of the Center for the Study of Global Issues of Modernity and Regional Problems "Caucasus. World. Development", Aida Mirmaksumova, Head of the "Fathers and Daughters" Project, and Amina Lorsanova, a lawyer at the "Vaifond" Center, assessed the practice of defendants in domestic violence and "honor killings" leaving for a military operation.
The understanding that one can kill and remain unpunished increases the risks for women in the region, says Saida Sirazhudinova.
"Any evidence that one can remain unpunished exacerbates the risks for women and reinforces the understanding that one can kill a woman and not be held accountable. Of course, this will not reduce the number of 'honor killings'. This is such a closed and private topic. As a rule, criminals are covered up. Now they will cover up the strong, but not all. Some people need to be sent to fight. Criminals are a target group for recruitment," she told the "Caucasian Knot."
Women only seek help in extreme cases. They protect the family's reputation
According to her, women in Chechnya generally do not seek help.
"Women only seek help as a last resort. They protect the family's reputation. Reporting violence means putting yourself at risk. The worst thing that happens is that they play on feelings. On the daughter's feelings. Sometimes girls seek help, and then they get a call saying that someone close to them cannot survive if she leaves. And she pushes her interests aside, sacrificing everything. Even worse is that they play on the mother's feelings. This is a problem of terrifying scale and depth, traumatizing forever. As in this case, women have their children taken away, they are manipulated, pressured. And there is no help from anyone. Yes, there is the "Caucasus without a Mother" project, it is a group, they help. But not everyone has the courage to ask for help and defend themselves," she noted.
According to the human rights activist, only public outcry can help Christina’s mother achieve justice.
"This is a gross violation of the rights of relatives to justice. When a crime is committed, the victim wants nothing more than to punish the criminal as severely as possible. Although all existing terms are too soft a price for life. And relatives are deprived of this too. This is a terrible trauma. Relatives can turn to the press. Unfortunately, now the only thing that can be done is publicity," she advised.
In a situation where local authorities ignore appeals from relatives of victims of violence, and federal institutions do nothing, it is difficult to achieve significant results, she notes.
"There are very few alternative ways to protect women in Chechnya. Women are accused of "immoral behavior" and the perpetrators are acquitted. As for helping women, everything depends on the situation and the family. There are families that can support and protect. There are those who are ready to kill, and not necessarily even for the sake of reputation. There can be many reasons, and immorality is easy to attribute. Running away is difficult, but sometimes it is important to save life. It is better when they consult and contact human rights activists beforehand. Because when I worked with "honor killings", it was clearly evident that many were simply without help and protection, and made fatal mistakes. We have already seen how the human rights group "Marem", despite pressure, saved girls. There are many activists and organizations. We will never refuse at least advice and warn against mistakes," she emphasized.
The practice of sending defendants to the SVO zone will lead to new cases of "honor killings", believes Aida Mirmaksumova.
"I heard this story, I did not go into details, but, in fact, no details are needed, considering that murderers, rapists, drug addicts and other criminals may not even sit out their sentences, but immediately declare their desire to take part in the SVO. People are afraid of losing their freedom, and here they will supposedly have freedom. At the same time, of course, everyone thinks that they will not be killed. The practice of sending the accused to the SVO zone has become a way to avoid responsibility. Does this practice encourage further "honor killings"? In fact, this practice encourages not only "honor killings", but all crimes. They already understand that yes, I did it, I committed a crime, but I will not go to prison, I will go and supposedly remain in imaginary freedom," she told the "Caucasian Knot".
Mistrust is the most common reason that prevents women in Chechnya from seeking help, she believes.
"The very first thing is mistrust. Mistrust of the government, mistrust of law enforcement agencies. In addition, law enforcement agencies in such traditional regions as Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, and the Caucasus as a whole are not considered to be entirely traditional. And people would rather turn to a mullah for help than to a government agency. There is no trust in the government and law enforcement agencies as part of this government. There are also cultural barriers, when, for example, it is better not to air dirty linen in public. Yes, we have all been taught this since childhood, that you cannot air dirty linen in public. That is why if they beat you, endure it, keep quiet, you can complain to your mother, but you cannot complain to the police, because you are disgracing the family. Naturally, a woman who asked for help not only from her family, but also contacted the police, she aired dirty linen in public, and therefore, disgraced the family," she said.
In her opinion, in order for the accused to serve their prison sentences, it is necessary to repeal the law that allows them to be sent to the SVO.
"It seems to me that this is the only option, because now there are no other options for the guilty to sit in prison and not be sent to the SVO," she said.
According to her, human rights defenders have become an alternative for protecting victims of violence, since local authorities ignore their requests and federal institutions do nothing.
"Only a human rights defender is the last chance that remains for women. These are human rights defenders who act according to the letter of the law, but listen to women. They certainly take into account local traditions, but do not rely on them when protecting women. And, naturally, we do not rely on any traditions. We take into account the specifics of the region, but we never pay attention to traditions. If a woman asks for help, if the family cannot protect, if the local authorities cannot protect, federal institutions do nothing, while the alternative, as the only way to salvation, remains, of course, the institution of human rights defenders, which still operates in the country, although it is not always safe," she said.
Escape from the country is the most extreme option. From the country - when neither the family helps, nor the federal authorities help, nor the regional ones, no one
According to her, sometimes women have no choice but to leave the region or country to protect themselves.
"When there is a threat to life, you have to flee. If there is a real threat to life after a person has not been isolated, I mean some higher authorities, like law enforcement agencies, and he continues to threaten the life of a woman, her children, her peace and well-being, then, naturally, you need to get up and leave. Or try to somehow fence him off from yourself. If that doesn't work, then fleeing the region is, of course, also an option. Fleeing the country is the most extreme option. From the country - this is when neither the family helps, nor the federal authorities help, nor the regional ones, no one. And so you are left alone with this . And you need to save yourself, sometimes with children. Then, of course, it is already an escape from the country, yes. Now, under the sanctions, it is not always easy to get a visa, but it is possible. At least while you are waiting for a visa, human rights activists have the opportunity to hide you somewhere," she advised.
The practice of sending defendants to the SVO zone reduces the possibility of prosecution for crimes against women in Chechnya, believes Amina Lorsanova.
"This is a very common practice. We have cases, we even know prisoners who were serving time for various crimes. And they were sent to . By the way, one of those whom I personally knew is no longer alive. He hoped that they would remove his term, but he died there. It's not even just about crimes against women. In general, crimes against women are not a terrible crime for Kadyrov's security forces. Killing a woman, robbing or something like that is not as scary for them as if a person was serving a sentence for some kind of disagreement on a fabricated case for political and religious reasons. That's what's scary for them. Killing a woman is not such a tragedy for them," she told the "Caucasian Knot."
According to her, if a woman or her family does not have any connections, then it is almost impossible to achieve justice.
"If violence against a woman is committed by people who are somehow connected to structures, then usually it happens with impunity. In other ordinary situations, a person can get some kind of term, if these are people outside of politics, so to speak, ordinary residents of Chechnya. But, as we see, these people are now being used to send them to Ukraine. That is, they are offered either to sit in prison or to go there," she noted.
Various methods are used to pressure victims of violence in Chechnya.
"In the Caucasus, the problem is that a woman does not dare to leave her family, even when there is violence, so as not to be separated from her children, for example. Because there is such a culture of honor, when a woman leaves, her children are usually taken away. As for Chechnya specifically, there they usually involve someone from the authorities, they contact them. And it happens that a woman simply finds herself in a situation where she cannot leave this family, she has to endure everything. There is both psychological and physical violence. But domestic violence is not only a problem in Chechnya, it happens in any city in Russia. For example, an abuser, a narcissist manipulates a woman in various ways. It's just that in Chechnya they usually also use their connections, and the woman, knowing that if she leaves, she simply will not have the opportunity to fight in any way, endures. Although in the present time, more and more women decide . And I would even say that domestic violence has decreased compared to what it was before. Today, women are getting divorced, as if It wasn't difficult. And the children aren't always taken away. But there is still a fairly large percentage of domestic violence," she said.
She notes that every year there are fewer cultural and legal barriers preventing women in Chechnya from seeking help for domestic violence.
"It's not that bad, actually. If these are ordinary people, not connected with the authorities, an ordinary domestic conflict or violence, a woman wants to leave or go to court, then such cases exist. And in fact, it should be noted that judges and the Sharia Committee on Family Law, they sided with the woman. And there are many such cases. But it is precisely the cultural barriers - this is when, for example, the girl's family does not want to conflict with her husband's family or does not want her to return home. But in our time, these cultural barriers are decreasing, because today women are given more freedom, the opportunity to choose. And there are a lot of divorces in Chechnya and the Caucasus in general. That is, these cultural barriers are becoming weaker and weaker," she said.
We do not see any opportunities for this family to achieve the truth when it comes to Kadyrov’s structures.
In this story, Christina's relatives, unfortunately, will not be able to achieve justice, because the authorities have already intervened in this process.
"In the worst case, this family will be pressured to stop this investigation and their attempts to achieve justice. We do not see any opportunities for this family to achieve justice when it comes to Kadyrov's structures. Maybe it would work out in another place, but here, unfortunately, there is absolutely no law. And especially in the North Caucasus, especially in the Chechen Republic. Therefore, I do not see any chance for this family to achieve a result," she said.
#1
When all of the "important" people become fervent about human rights, all of them--including free speech, assembly, the right of non-incrimanation, the right to remain silent, etc, I will THEN start to give a damn what happens elsewhere.
Until then, this is just another example of people stupidly charging into areas where *nothing* can be guaranteed and where things happen.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] From 8 to 14 February, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 14 group strikes with high-precision weapons and strike unmanned aerial vehicles to hit gas and power infrastructure that support the work of the Ukrainian defence industry, as well as the facilities of the Ukrainian defence industry.
In addition, strikes were delivered at AFU ammunition and POL depots, infrastructure of military airfields, assembly workshops, UAV storage facilities and training sites for drone pilots, as well as temporary deployment areas of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
During the week, the Sever Group of Forces continued to rout AFU units in Kursk region.
Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery fire hit manpower and hardware of one heavy mechanised brigade, four mechanised brigades, one tank brigade, one air assault brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and three territorial defence brigades.
In Kharkov direction, Russian troops inflicted fire damage on AFU units of one motorised infantry brigade, one air assault brigade of the AFU, one National Guard brigade, and two territorial defence brigades.
During the week, more than 2,590 troops, 18 tanks, and 110 armoured fighting vehicles of the enemy have been neutralised in the area of responsibility of the Sever Group of Forces. In total, 147 motor vehicles, 39 field artillery guns, and four ammunition depots were neutralised.
The Zapad Group's units improved the situation along the front line and inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one airborne brigade, one mountain assault brigade, and one assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and two territorial defence brigades.
The enemy sustained losses of more than 1,480 troops, seven tanks, 25 armoured fighting vehicles, including 11 foreign-made ones. Moreover, 23 motor vehicles, 35 field artillery guns, 10 electronic warfare stations, and 21 ammunition depots were neutralised.
The Yug Group's units improved the tactical situation and liberated Orekhovo-Vasilevka and Dachnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The Group's units inflicted fire damage on five mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one assault brigade, and one airmobile brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one naval infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades.
In this direction, the AFU has lost up to 1,325 troops, 10 armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, and 17 field artillery guns, including five Western-made guns. Three field ammunition depots were destroyed.
The Tsentr Group's units continued their advance to the depths of the enemy's defence and liberated the settlements of Dzerzhinsk, Yasenovoye, Vodyanoye Vtoroye and Zelenoye Pole (Donetsk People's Republic).
Strikes were delivered at units of six mechanised brigades, two jaeger brigades, one airmobile brigade, one naval infantry brigade, two National Guard brigades, and the Lyut Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 3,730 troops, three tanks, including a German-made Leopard tank, and 26 armoured fighting vehicles. Thirty-six motor vehicles and 26 field artillery guns were neutralised, including seven Western-made guns.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. They inflicted fire damage on one tank brigade, five mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, one naval infantry brigade, and two territorial defence brigades.
The enemy has lost more than 1,005 troops, three tanks, including one German-made Leopard tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, 26 motor vehicles, and 33 field artillery guns, including 12 NATO-made guns. Two electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
The Dnepr Group's units inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, one infantry brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 440 troops, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, 40 motor vehicles, and 10 field artillery guns. Eight electronic warfare stations and 13 ammunition depots were neutralised.
Over the past week, air defence systems have shot down one JDAM and 28 HIMARS MLRS projectiles, 11 French-made Hammer aerial bombs, one Uragan MLRS projectile, as well as 725 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
Over the past week, 24 Ukrainian servicemen have surrendered on the line of contact.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 653 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 43,342 unmanned aerial vehicles, 594 anti-aircraft missile systems, 21,450 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,517 MLRS combat vehicles, 21,721 field artillery guns and mortars, and 31,674 units of support military vehicles of the enemy 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's units inflicted fire damage on formations of two tank brigades, one heavy mechanised brigade, five mechanised brigades, one assault, three air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, one assault brigade, one territorial defence brigade, and three assault regiments of the AFU near Gogolevka, Goncharovka, Guyevo, Zaoleshenka, Kolmakov, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Nikolsky, Oleshnya, Sverdlikovo, and Sudzha. Two counter-attacks launched by enemy units were repelled.
Operational-tactical, army aviation and artillery fire hit enemy manpower and hardware close to Viktorovka, Zazulevka, Kazachya Loknya, Kubatkin, Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Nikolayevka, Nikolsky, Oleshnya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Yuzhny, as well as Basovka, Belodody, Veselovka, Zhuravka, and Obody in Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 290 troops, one infantry fighting vehicle, two armoured personnel carriers, five armoured fighting vehicles, 14 motor vehicles, four artillery guns, four mortars, one anti-aircraft missile system and one bridge launcher, as well as three UAV command posts and one ammunition depot.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 60,500 troops, 363 tanks, 264 infantry fighting vehicles, 215 armoured personnel carriers, 1,872 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,974 motor vehicles, 439 artillery guns, 48 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 21 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 108 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, six air defence radars, 42 units of engineering and other materiel, including 18 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, three 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] 23:57 Official summary of the Office for Documentation of War Crimes of Ukraine from 00:00 02/14/2025 to 00:00 02/15/2025.
A total of 31 facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
There were reports of one civilian being killed and four injured.
DAMAGED:
Residential building,
Car,
city bus routes No. 101 and No. 2.
A total of 31 armed attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 88 units of various ammunition were fired.
19:20 Engineers of the "Center" group demining road sections and adjacent territories of the settlement of Gorlovka, DPR.
18:20 Attack and reconnaissance drone "Molniya-2" has increased flight range and load capacity, compared to quadcopters, and even beginners quickly master the simple controls, so the Molniya-2 is the Kalashnikov assault rifle among drones - simple, mass-produced and effective.
18:00 From 16:00 to 17:30 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
17:05 Calculation of 122mm D-30 howitzers of the Dnepr group of forces destroyed camouflaged command posts with Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower on the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region – video.
16:40 The Ukrainian brigade, which has been artillery attack Donetsk and Gorlovka with MLRS for the past few weeks, "ticketed" not far from Kramatorsk.
16:05 Zaporizhzhya direction. Rabotino area. Struck UAV control center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
15:25 Servicemen of the “South” group of forces are destroying military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk direction using FPV strike drones, –video.
14:00 From 10.50 to 13.30 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles:
three UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region,
two over the territory of the Kursk region and
one over the territory of the Voronezh region.
13:32 Units of the "Center" group of forces released the settlements of Zelenoe Pole and Dachnoe of the Donetsk People's Republic.
12:30 Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted a strike on the Polohovsky municipal district in the Zaporizhia region.
As a result of the Banderite attack, a man born in 1961 was injured. He received a shrapnel wound to the thigh and received medical assistance.
11:35 Calculation of FPV drones of the Rubicon center struck a vehicle with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the Ugledar direction.
10:45 Calculations of the 122mm BM-21 MLRS "Grad" of the Airborne Forces artillery brigade destroyed accumulation of Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower in the border areas of the Kursk region.
10:05 Combat work of units of the 40th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet in the Kursk border area, –video
9:38 VFU inflicted 15 artillery strikes on Zaporizhzhya TPP
Ukrainian militants launched 15 artillery strikes on the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant. There were no casualties, but power supply was disrupted in part of Energodar, said Acting Mayor of Energodar Maksym Pukhov.
8:35 Servicemen of the 810th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Brigade destroyed military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region.
8:20 Frontline report for the morning of 14.02.2025, –CARDS.
Zaporizhzhya Front. Positional battles continue in the direction. Long-range weapons are actively working. There are no serious changes in the LBS.
Donetsk Front. Here, Russian troops continue to develop their offensive on Constantinople, having advanced in Andreyevka. The occupied lines are being cleared. Also, the Russian Armed Forces are pushing the enemy back in the Dachnoye area towards the settlement of Ulakly.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are holding the line, making it as difficult as possible for our troops to advance. In the Pokrovsky sector, advances are reported in the settlement of Zaporozhye, as well as the liberation of Zelenoye Pole, which, together with the recent liberation of Vodyanoye Vtoroye, provides access to Tarasovka.
Chasovoyarsk direction. Heavy urban fighting continues here. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to actively use kamikaze drones, which complicates the logistics of our troops. Long-range weapons of the Russian Armed Forces are actively targeting Ukrainian positions.
Kursk Region. Here, the Russian Armed Forces continue to put pressure on the enemy's defense in several areas, but no serious advances have been recorded in the last 24 hours.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces periodically try to counterattack, but to no avail. However, the Ukrainians continue to bring in fresh forces to the area, which may indicate that they are preparing another attempt to break through deep into our territory.
7:15 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and 50 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed:
41 UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region,
5 UAVs over the territory of the Voronezh region and
four UAVs over the territory of the Rostov region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Victor Lavrinenko
[REGNUM] The number one crime news of February was the brutal murder in Samara, where the former mayor of the city, Viktor Tarkhov, and his wife were dismembered by their own granddaughter, Ekaterina. But this tragedy had a long backstory: Ekaterina's father and mother were also hardened criminals.
A 30-year-long family gangster saga ends in a bloody finale. If this material fell into the hands of a talented screenwriter and director, the final product would be something between "The Brigade" and "The Silence of the Lambs."
"RED DIRECTOR"
Viktor Aleksandrovich Tarkhov, whose life was tragically cut short some time ago (not yet established by the investigation), was well known to the residents of Samara. Here, in the then Soviet Kuibyshev, he was born. Here, as they say, he had a long career. Here, from 2006 to 2010, he held the post of mayor. And here he met his terrible death.
After studying at the local polytechnic to become an engineer, Tarkhov went into industry, getting a job at the Sintezspirt plant in 1971. Ten years later, he headed the enterprise, and then moved up the ranks, becoming the general director of the Kuibyshevorgsintez production association.
At the end of the Soviet era, Tarkhov first entered politics.
In 1990–1991, he already headed the Kuibyshev Regional Executive Committee, thus becoming the last Soviet head of what is now the Samara Region. But since Tarkhov did not express unequivocal support for Boris Yeltsin in August 1991, he was removed from his post after the victory over the State Emergency Committee.
The ups and downs have given Tarkhov a unique outlook on life.
"I've been through this more than once and I've already taken a philosophical approach. Today I'm a director - for the team I'm a king, God and military commander, and in two hours I'm not a director, and everyone is already talking about me in the past tense," Viktor Aleksandrovich shared.
Having lost power in the region, he, like many other former "red directors" who found themselves in the new post-Soviet world, did not disappear. In 1992, he became the director of the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery, and since 1994, Tarkhov has been the first and senior vice president of OAO NK YUKOS, a company founded by a well-known current foreign agent. Subsequently, Viktor Aleksandrovich managed to work as the chairman of the board of directors of Omskshina, a member of the board of directors of Samaraagrobank, and vice president of OAO Group Alliance.
At the same time, Tarkhov did not abandon his political ambitions: in 2000, he took second place in the elections for governor of the Samara region, and in 2001, he was elected as a deputy of the regional Duma. During those years, Tarkhov changed political parties one after another: "Opora Rossii", "Rodina", "Russian Party of Life", "A Just Russia". And in 2006, he took the post of mayor of Samara, defeating the previous mayor, Georgy Limansky.
The election campaign was marked by a scandal that occurred during the televised debates. The host was Vladimir Solovyov, who was invited from Moscow and did not skimp on harsh expressions addressed to Tarkhov. After the broadcast, the latter filed a lawsuit against Solovyov for 10 million rubles for insults. A year and a half later, the court of first instance ruled to collect 70 thousand rubles from the defendant.
Residents of Samara remember the time of Tarkhov's "reign" with mixed feelings. Publicist and State Duma deputy Mikhail Matveyev says of that period: " The oligarchs divided the city. All key positions in the administration were occupied by people from one or another business structure."
In turn, journalist Vitaly Papilkin, who during Viktor Aleksandrovich's mayoralty fervently criticized him, now speaks of him as a "decent man", admitting nevertheless that "in politics and business processes in Tarkhov's circle, everything was really not smooth". According to Papilkin, Tarkhov was " such a simple, kind, harmless, even a little eccentric guy ".
The history of Tarkhov's mayoralty is quite typical. He had some success in the sphere of housing and communal services, landscaping and development of communication networks, but numerous scandals dispelled his popularity. Viktor Aleksandrovich lost the 2010 elections.
After leaving politics, Tarkhov returned to business. Together with partners, he created a network of gas stations, which he then successfully sold. At various times, Viktor Aleksandrovich had shares in a number of companies, mainly associated with the oil industry and small aviation. In 2021, he was seriously ill with COVID.
On January 3, 2025, Viktor Tarkhov turned 77 years old. It is not yet known whether the former mayor of Samara managed to celebrate his birthday or was killed earlier. The news of the death of the ex-mayor and his wife spread on the evening of February 5. The investigation has not yet determined how exactly he and his wife lost their lives. Only irrefutable evidence has been collected that this was the work of a person close to them.
THE CUTTER
Among the scandals that accompanied Tarkhov's term, his family connections occupy a special place. In 2009, at one of the mayor's press conferences, an episode occurred: Vitaly Papilkin asked why he ignored his open letter with accusations of connections to local organized crime groups. The journalist especially emphasized the contacts of the mayor's daughter, Lyudmila Tarkhova. The journalist was not allowed to finish, citing the fact that the time of the press conference was strictly limited. Then Papilkin threw a shoe at Tarkhov, but missed and was quickly escorted out of the audience.
The question was indeed provocative. It is difficult to judge how fair the accusations made by Papilkin were, whether Tarkova's partners were involved in an organized crime group or whether all this was part of a local political struggle. But one family connection of the Tarkhovs with crime cannot be denied, because the father of the Samara dismemberer Ekaterina Tarkhova is a certain Sergey Loginov - a person no less remarkable than her grandfather, the mayor.
However, according to some sources, Loginov is in fact only Ekaterina's stepfather, and the real father of this woman is Konstantin Shcherbakov, who was a member of one of the Samara organized crime groups and was killed in 2001. But even if this is so, everywhere and always Ekaterina was perceived as the daughter of Loginov, known to Samara residents by the nickname Lord.
In 1986, Sergei Loginov took part in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, for which he was even awarded a state award. His fate could have been completely different: in other times, determined young people who proved themselves in the service of the Fatherland made careers as soldiers, rescuers, or crime fighters. But the hard times that came with the collapse of the USSR led Loginov and tens of thousands of others like him down a crooked path.
In the small satellite town of Samara, Novokuibyshevsk, Sergei Loginov became friends with Konstantin Berkut, who later became known in Samara as the head of a large organized crime group. Many further details were collected in the book "Bandit Samara" by Samara blogger Oleg Ivanets, published in 2015.
Berkut and Loginov started with petty racketeering, and spent their free time together. One day at a disco, Loginov met a young beauty named Lyuda. It is difficult to say now whether the romantic feeling that arose was sincere, or whether it was because Lyudmila turned out to be the daughter of the director of the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery, Viktor Tarkhov.
In 1994, Loginov received his first term. He was found guilty of receiving stolen goods and using a false document. After his release in 1997, he married Lyudmila Tarkhova.
Rumor has it that it was the fact that his father-in-law headed a major oil refinery that prompted Loginov to start "cutting in" - that is, stealing oil from pipelines. Subsequently, there was no shortage of evil tongues claiming that Tarkhov was helping his son-in-law in the criminal business - but these rumors remained just rumors.
Samara Oblast has long been a leader in this type of crime due to the presence of a large number of enterprises specializing in oil refining. In recent years, the police have significantly reduced the number of such thefts, but have not completely stopped this trade.
Oleg Ivanets notes that since the beginning of the 21st century, it has become impossible for criminals to "protect" illegal businesses because they have disappeared. So they have started doing it themselves: oil taps, counterfeit alcohol and medicines, theft of spare parts...
TO A REAL INDIAN....
In 2003, Berkut was shot dead. And Loginov, nicknamed Lord in the criminal world, took a prominent place in the organized crime group, which was a branch of a larger structure known to residents of the region as "Indeitsy".
According to one version, the group got its name because of the "brothers" who were members of it, who loved Jeep Grand Cherokee cars. This "tribe" specialized in "oil taps".
"All the cutters began to be classified as "Indeitsy". But they were members of different organized crime groups, yes, sometimes friendly ones," says Ivanets.
For a long time, Loginov-Lord was one of the largest oil cutters in Samara. Observers noted that although Lord had ceased to have a direct connection with the Tarkhov family, he quietly engaged in criminal oil business for most of Viktor Aleksandrovich's mayoral period. True - and again a coincidence - before her father took the mayor's seat, Lyudmila Tarkhova divorced Lord.
The tappers were spreading out. Illegal pipelines were laid deep underground, underground oil storage facilities were disguised as farms or existing oil depots with convenient logistics were purchased for these purposes. Moreover, Loginov even managed to obtain classified information that allowed him to avoid being seen by special technical means designed to detect illegal taps.
In the fall of 2006, law enforcement officers managed to identify two points from which Lord carried out his activities. However, the criminal case was suspended.
In December 2008, Lord organized an illegal oil diversion near Turgenevka on a section of the Nizhnevartovsk-Kurgan-Kuibyshev main pipeline, which belonged to OAO Privolzhsknefteprovod.
But this business lasted only a month and a half - Loginov's people, who secretly drained the oil, were arrested. During these month and a half, they drained 5.6 thousand tons of raw materials, causing damage of 21.2 million rubles. The cashed profit from the thefts amounted to about 10 million.
Loginov learned that the crime was being investigated personally by the deputy head of the economic security service of the FSB Directorate for the Samara Region. It got to the point that Lord personally demanded that this FSB officer drop the case - and, having received a refusal, decided to get rid of the principled officer.
The bandits approached the matter creatively. They hired a contractor who agreed to put a capsule of poison under the mat of the FSB officer's car for a million rubles. It was assumed that the car owner would step on the capsule, crush it and be poisoned by the toxic fumes.
However, the plan was not implemented in time.
In February 2010, Loginov was detained on suspicion of illegally storing RGD-5 and F-1 grenades, as well as a revolver - all of which were found in Lyudmila Tarkhova's car. After that, the man confessed to preparing the murder. In the summer of 2010, Lord was sentenced to two years in prison for illegally storing weapons and explosives. Then a trial was held on the case of illegal oil taps - for this, Loginov was sentenced to six years in prison. And in April 2011, he was given 10 years in prison for attempting to poison a law enforcement officer.
Now, according to some reports, he is free again.
HUSBAND AND WIFE ARE ONE SATAN
Lord's ex-wife Lyudmila Tarkhova was no stranger to all sorts of scams, which, however, she managed with varying success. A family friend said about one of these cases : "She screwed everyone. That's the picture in their family."
But in 2020, the picture in the family became even brighter.
According to the investigation, Lyudmila got her hands on some information concerning the private life of the deputy of the Samara Regional Duma, Alexander Mileev - in the city, he is known not only as a politician, but also as a businessman. Allegedly, on the hard drive that Lyudmila Tarkhova got her hands on, there were several audio and video recordings, photographs and documents. Among them were some "unpleasant recordings of sex between two men". However, according to witnesses, these were fakes: they were unable to identify the heroes of the video.
The woman reportedly valued the information contained on these media at 200 million rubles. She gave the deputy a choice: buy them or see the incriminating evidence on the media. Mileev personally met with Tarkhova several times, and by July 2021, he had agreed with her on the terms of the transfer of funds.
And immediately after Lyudmila Viktorovna received the money, she was detained by FSB officers.
Tarkhova did not admit guilt. She insisted that she was simply repaying a debt that, according to her, Aleksandr Mileev owed to Viktor Tarkhov, her father. Lyudmila assured the investigator that her father himself had entrusted her with receiving the debt from Mileev and even issued her a corresponding receipt. And she allegedly used information about the deputy's private life only as an incentive for him to finally decide to part with the money.
The court spent several months sorting out the details of this complicated case: Mileev himself, former State Duma deputy Yevgeny Serper, and top officials of the Samara region were invited to testify. The defendant's mother also spoke at the hearings, but Viktor Tarkhov was unable to come to court. Moreover, during the preliminary investigation, he refused to be confronted with the victim.
In mid-December 2022, the hearings entered their final stage. During the debate, the prosecution requested 11 years of imprisonment for Lyudmila Tarkhova. The court ultimately reduced the sentence to seven years in a general regime penal colony.
It is noteworthy that Lyudmila Viktorovna came to the announcement of the verdict on December 19 with her daughter Ekaterina. And at the beginning of 2025, the court recognized Lyudmila Tarkhova, for the first time in her life, not as a fraudster, but as a victim. This time, her daughter was the accused. History is silent about the feelings this woman experienced when she learned how her parents died.
"THE MOST VILE GIRL"
According to people familiar with the Tarkhov family, as a child, Ekaterina received almost everything a child could wish for - and at the same time, she had an extremely capricious character.
The second often follows the first. Some childhood deprivation, allowing the child to work for the things she wants, is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give.
Now that her name has thundered throughout Russia, many have doubts that Ekaterina, no matter what she was, was capable of the cold-blooded murder of her own grandparents. After all, her grandmother Natalya Ivanovna, Viktor Tarkhov's wife, was a gentle, kind person who loved both her daughter and granddaughter very much.
However, Samara resident Natalya Pristenkova, who is familiar with this family, assures: of course she could!
"She's a disgusting girl. I crossed paths with her when she was still in high school, she was about 16 then. Even then she drank, partied, smoked, looked at everyone like they were sh*t. The only value for her was money, expensive clothes and jewelry. The teachers were horrified by her, her classmates once organized a flash mob and wrote in their essays: "I dream that Katya Tarkhova would die," - said Pristenkova.
If we are to believe her, it was already clear then that Ekaterina “would grow up to be a monster, as will happen with any child who is not cared for, and whose upbringing is replaced by an immeasurable amount of money.”
Apparently, it was precisely because little Katya was never denied anything that her main interest in life became elite consumption: branded jewelry, luxurious fur coats and expensive apartments.
But, apparently, while the girl was growing up, the family's wealth was declining. The grandfather gradually retired from business (although shares in businesses continued to bring in income), the father went to prison for a long time, and the mother followed him in search of money.
It cannot be said that Tarkhova Jr. herself did not try to earn money. According to her friends, Ekaterina was not averse to prostitution and sold drugs, but she herself became addicted to them and even underwent treatment for drug addiction for a time.
Having cured her addiction, Ekaterina married an Israeli citizen named Belsky. In 2018, the couple had a son, but family life did not work out. Perhaps because it became difficult for the husband to withstand his wife's character and demands. The couple divorced, and Ekaterina and her son returned to Russia.
She did not find a job and lived on the support of her grandparents. She became hooked on drugs again. Viktor and Natalya Tarkhov, already fully understanding what their granddaughter was like, tried to have her declared partially incapacitated. They did not give her the alimony money she received from her ex-husband. The grandmother controlled all of her granddaughter's funds, and she raised her great-grandson.
Apparently, Ekaterina increasingly clashed with her grandparents and eventually decided to physically eliminate them. The method of murder itself remains a mystery: most of the remains of the murdered have not yet been found, and Belskaya herself flatly refused to talk to the investigation.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SOKOLOV IS RESTING
In the fall of 2019, Russia was shocked by a terrible crime. Oleg Sokolov, an associate professor at St. Petersburg State University, killed student Anastasia Yeshchenko, his common-law wife. Trying to get rid of the body, Sokolov began sawing the corpse with a hacksaw. To overcome his disgust and fear, he drank large doses of alcohol in the process.
When the criminal tried to throw the backpack with the dead woman's severed hands into the water, he himself fell into the river, after which he was detained on the spot. Sokolov was let down by the fact that his psyche could not withstand the horror of what was happening.
Ekaterina Belskaya, however, controlled herself 100%. She prepared for the crime in advance: she bought a construction saw, canisters with chemicals and plastic containers - the purchases are confirmed by data from her bank account. During the inspection of the victims' apartment, it was established that the premises had been treated with a chemical alkali solution. The decisive evidence was the body parts of Viktor and Natalia Tarkhov found in the apartment.
The couple was last seen in early January: CCTV cameras installed in their building on Vilonovskaya Street recorded them entering the entrance. Soon, Ekaterina showed up at her grandfather's apartment with large black bags. After a while, she took them out already filled and approached a taxi waiting for her. The moment she took out the bags was captured on video. There is also a recording of her pulling a barrel out of the apartment. A version has emerged that preserved bodies were stored in the barrels for a whole month.
The accused's phone made it possible to track where and when she called a taxi, where the cars stopped. It became clear that the granddaughter scattered the packaged body parts into garbage containers in different parts of the city. From there they ended up in the city dump. More than a hectare of the Preobrazhenka landfill was examined in search of evidence; the search continues.
During the crime, Ekaterina demonstrated inhuman calm. After the murder, she spent several weeks writing messages to relatives and friends on behalf of her grandfather and grandmother. In this way, Ekaterina imitated the life of her already dead family members, and spent the time she gained on selling the property of Viktor and Natalia Tarkhov. Greed let her down. Having crudely forged documents, she tried to seize her grandfather's share in one of the oil refineries, but the employees sensed something was wrong and raised the alarm.
On February 3, Belskaya was detained. Ekaterina told the police officers who came to her that her grandparents were in Moscow and called a lawyer friend. But this did not help her: the woman was taken to a pretrial detention center.
At the time of the mother's arrest, her son, a six-year-old boy, was in the apartment. The Tarkhovs' phones and documents were also found there. The woman was charged with double murder. She still refuses to testify.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Denis Davydov
[REGNUM] On the night of February 14, on the eve of the Munich Security Conference, a strike drone with a high-explosive warhead hit the Shelter facility above the destroyed fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The first to report this was, of course, Volodymyr Zelensky, who very clearly formulated the meaning of what happened:
"Ukraine built this shelter together with other countries of Europe and the world, together with America - with all who want real security for people. The only state in the world that can attack such objects, occupy the territory of nuclear power plants and conduct military operations without taking into account the consequences at all is today's Russia. And this is a terrorist threat to the entire world," he said.
That is why all day Friday Ukrainian experts excitedly discuss “why does Russia need this now”, rejoicing at how excited all the participants of the meeting in Munich are. And the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sybiga even held an urgent meeting with the Director General of the IAEA, at the same time reminding about the Ukrainian claims to the Zaporizhzhya NPP. Thus, there is no doubt that psychological pressure is being exerted on the high contracting parties.
What actually happened at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, what are the possible consequences and who benefits from the drone attack - explains IA Regnum.
CONFINEMENT
The fourth block of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, where an explosion occurred in 1986 with subsequent radiation contamination of vast territories, was isolated that same year using the Shelter object. From May to November, 400 thousand cubic meters of concrete mixture were poured and 7 thousand tons of metal structures were installed.
Between 1996 and 2007, the sarcophagus was further reinforced, but remained leaky, and immediately after the work was completed, construction of the New Safe Confinement began. Funds were allocated for it by 28 donor countries, including the United States, France, Canada, and Germany, and the work was carried out by the French contractor NOVARKA. The giant 100-meter-high arch was pushed onto the old shelter in 2016, and was put into operation three years later.
The thickness of the structure is 10 meters, it consists of 19 substructures, the main one being a protective structure with a special double casing. The project also provides for special foundations, western and eastern end walls, non-standard bridge cranes, a multifunctional ventilation system, a technological complex with sections for decontamination, fragmentation and packaging of radioactive materials, etc.
In addition, the station's territory contains a centralized storage facility for spent nuclear fuel (CSSF), built by the American company Holtec International. And from the point of view of the effectiveness of strikes of any kind, it is the CSSF that poses a greater danger than the arch.
RADIATION THREAT
The confinement structure can withstand temperatures ranging from minus 43 to plus 45 degrees, a tornado with a wind speed of 254–332 km/h, and a magnitude 6 earthquake. The outer shell of the arch is designed to withstand impact loads; it is water- and air-tight.
The explosion of a landmine is certainly not included in the list of these threats, but it did not cause any significant damage. A hole appeared in the structure's casing, a small fire broke out, which was quickly extinguished, and there was no critical damage, as can be seen in the publicly available photos from the scene.
"Right now, the radiation background both on the territory of the facility and in the exclusion zone is within the norm," the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reports, but it could not be otherwise. Since, as already stated, the arch is the third layer of protection, and the destroyed reactor itself and the nuclear fuel located in it are filled with tons of concrete.
The interior of the dome was not damaged, which has already been confirmed by the IAEA, especially since it was installed on a cast concrete base of the technological rooms. But even in an undamaged form, the confinement is not a 100% guarantee of safety. Only the construction of a hermetic shell that completely isolates the station destroyed by the explosion from the environment can ensure it.
Overall, in 2016, when the new protective structure was erected on top of the old sarcophagus, radiation levels around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant dropped by 3-4 times and now amount to 1.2 microsieverts per hour. In the neighboring city of Pripyat, radiation levels in some places can reach 0.9 μSv/hour, but usually do not exceed the natural background radiation level of 0.3 μSv/hour.
In most of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the radiation background corresponds to the natural one, with the exception of a few “spots” whose locations are known.
WHO BENEFITS?
The main message of the Kiev regime, judging by Zelensky's statement, is that "Putin does not want peace." The Chernobyl nuclear power plant here serves as a symbol of the unification of international efforts, which are opposed by the evil Kremlin. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called on partners to impose sanctions against Russia in the nuclear industry.
During a daily briefing, the Russian president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov denied the possible involvement of the Russian military in the incident. "There can be no talk of any strikes being carried out on nuclear infrastructure facilities. Therefore, any claims that this was the case are not true. Most likely, this is another provocation and manipulation," he said.
Thus, when Ukrainian and foreign media use the phrase "Russian drone", this can be understood as "Russian-made equipment". But who carried out the strike and for what purpose is a second question, and the answer to it is completely obvious, since the event fits organically into a repeatedly tested scheme. Starting with the events on the Maidan in 2014, as soon as there is movement towards a peaceful settlement, some terrible tragedy immediately occurs.
During street protests in Kyiv, these were "brutal beatings" and kidnappings of activists, and then the famous shooting of protesters by unknown snipers. In 2014, the downing of the Malaysian Boeing, in 2015, the death of people near Volnovakha, in 2022, the staging of a "mass murder in Bucha", and a year later, the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam with the flooding of huge territories and a missile strike on the market in Kostiantynivka, in 2024, a strike on the building of the Okhmatdet children's hospital, etc.
Now, at the very beginning of the process of negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, the trump card of the nuclear threat has been thrown down.
And this is indeed a terrorist act, which in fact “once again demonstrates cruelty and indifference to human lives.” Because for the Kyiv regime, any means to continue the war and maintain its power are acceptable and permissible – regardless of any consequences.
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.
