Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 22:50 Washington does not believe that Russia has gained an advantage in the war in Ukraine, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “No, we don’t think so at all. If you study the dynamics of this conflict over the course of not only two years, but in the recent "In the past, you will find that, yes, Russia is making progress on the battlefield. We saw it make progress over the weekend because Ukraine did not have the ability to supply weapons to its troops." Miller explained the shortage of ammunition among the Ukrainian military with the delay of the US Congress in approving additional funding for the needs of Ukraine.
22:34 On the threshold of the third year of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Western analysts made forecasts for the further course of hostilities. For more details, see the material Forecasts of the course of the war between Ukraine and the Russian Federation from Foreign Policy.
22:19 Canada can allocate up to $30 million for the purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine according to the proposal of Czech President Petr Pavel, CBC News reports.
20:22 The air force shot down seven Russian combat aircraft in a week, Zelensky said in an evening video message. According to him, one of the main tasks this year is to protect the sky and front-line positions from Russian air and missile attacks. The president also announced the conclusion of new security agreements with partners in the coming weeks. “This includes new defense support for our soldiers, specific financial guarantees for our state, and political interaction,” he added.
19:37 On February 24, the second anniversary of the Russian invasion, many visits of foreign leaders to Kiev are scheduled. And on February 25, a joint press conference will be held between Zelensky and other government officials, said presidential press secretary Sergei Nikiforov. “This will be a conversation about our path further, our path in 2024. There will be all the top speakers from the government, the military-political leadership, the prime minister, the head of the Verkhovna Rada, the SBU, the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Ministry of Strategic Industry, the OP and the president himself,” Nikiforov announced.
18:52 The Russians want to seize the Luhansk region before the presidential elections in the Russian Federation, said Vadim Skibitsky, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate. According to him, the task of the Russians for the next six months is to reach the administrative borders of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, as well as retain the occupied territories.
18:49 In 2023, the Drone Army purchased 300 thousand drones, of which 100 thousand are FPV, and 90% of them were produced in Ukraine, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. According to him, in 2024 the pace of procurement will increase, since there is a budget and a large request from the Defense Forces.
18:41 The Russians fired at the village. Ivanovka, Petropavlovsk territorial community, Kharkov region, one person was injured. Also, as a result of the shelling, one person died in the village of Dvurechnaya, the prosecutor’s office said.
18:28 The Russians began to transfer their units from Avdeevka to other sectors of the front, said deputy commander of the 3rd Brigade Maxim Zhorin. According to him, a difficult situation is expected in other directions - in particular, in Kharkov and in the South.
17:43 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the framework for negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU will not be ready for the European elections, which will be held in early June.
17:40 The Russian army hit the village of Rakovka with a drone, Berislavsky district, Kherson region, two people were wounded, OVA reported. Also in the morning, the Russians fired at a residential building in Dudchany - one person was injured.
17:34 On the night of February 21, Russian troops carried out Shahed drone strikes on two places of compact residence of internally displaced persons in Dobropolye, Donetsk region, said Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets. As a result of the hit, two civilians were injured. IDPs lived there, including children evacuated from areas of active hostilities. Some of them have been there since 2014.
17:27 Rallies of Polish farmers continue to gain momentum and are increasingly becoming anti-Ukrainian in nature. As it turned out, among the protest participants were fake farmers from the Confederation Party and an FSB agent. Read more about who is inciting the protesters in Poland in the article Putin's Farmers.
17:01 Iran transferred about 400 surface-to-surface ballistic missiles to Russia, Reuters reports, citing sources. In particular, short-range missiles from the Fateh-110 family, such as Zolfaghar, were transferred, capable of hitting targets at a distance of 300 to 700 km. Deliveries began in January after the deal was finalized at meetings late last year in Tehran and Moscow, the sources said. An Iranian military official said anonymously that there had already been at least four deliveries, with more to come in the coming weeks. They are delivered across the Caspian Sea and by plane.
16:53 Russian troops deployed 48 launchers of the Iskander missile system along the border with Ukraine, said GUR representative Vadim Skibitsky: “There were 46, now 48. They added two launchers, they made an additional tactical group, which is used for launching ballistic missiles from the territory Russia".
16:32 The New York Times writes, citing its own sources, that during the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka, about 1,000 military personnel were allegedly captured. The speaker of the Tavria operational-strategic group of troops, Dmitry Likhovy, denied this information, calling it a “propaganda narrative.” He emphasized that the sources cited by the publication are “completely untenable, because there are no such people and this is not a fact.”
At the same time, Likhovoy admitted that a certain number of Ukrainian military personnel who participated in the defense of Avdiivka are indeed listed as missing. “These statements by Russian propaganda regarding hundreds and thousands of prisoners are complete disinformation, unsubstantiated by anything. We say: yes, there are prisoners, but their number is by no means in the hundreds,” the speaker added.
15:45 Zaporozhye NPP has lost contact with the last backup external power transmission line, the IAEA reported. Now the occupied station receives electricity from a single 750 kV line, “which once again emphasizes the fragile situation with nuclear safety at the facility,” the agency noted.
Ukrenergo stated that the Zaporizhia NPP line was damaged after another Russian shelling. Ukrainian specialists have already established the nature of the damage. Energoatom clarified that currently the only external overhead line PL-750kV Dneprovskaya remains in operation, which connects the Zaporizhzhya NPP with the unified energy system of Ukraine and provides power to the station’s own needs. If this line fails, the nuclear power plant will experience another complete blackout, which is a serious violation of the conditions for safe operation of the plant and threatens an accident.
15:11 In the Orekhovsky direction, the Russians are trying to move personnel not only in small infantry groups, but also on high-speed ATVs. Attempts at enemy attacks are unsuccessful, “the enemy is hit by fire, the enemy is destroyed,” said Commander Tarnavsky.
15:02 Speaker of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Yuriy Ignat said that “now no one knows for sure” when Ukraine will have F-16s. But, according to him, “the process is underway,” Ukraine is switching to fighter jets as an emergency. He also added that Ukraine, which should not receive the latest modifications of the F-16, “will not be given 40, 70 or 120 aircraft at once.”
14:17 According to the UN, now almost 6.5 million refugees from Ukraine are seeking asylum around the world, and about 3.7 million people are internally displaced within the country. At the same time, the majority of respondents want to return home. Among refugees abroad this figure is 65%, among internally displaced persons - 72%. A year ago, the share of such people was 77% and 84%, respectively. In 2024, 11% of refugees and 15% of internally displaced persons do not intend to return home.
13:29 Zelensky said that he held a conference call where they discussed not only daily topics, but also the blockade on the Polish border. “We analyzed the situation in detail and determined our next steps. They will be very quickly,” the president noted. The participants also discussed the situation at the front, issues of supplies of ammunition, weapons, electronic warfare systems, and drones. I heard a detailed report from Syrsky on the situation in each area.
12:48 Trump called Russia a “war machine” that defeated Hitler and Napoleon: “You are really up against the war machine in Russia. Russia, what did they do? They defeated Hitler, they defeated Napoleon. Yes, they are a war machine.” He also reiterated that the invasion would not have happened under his presidency, and added that he would urge European leaders to provide more assistance to Ukraine.
12:07 EU ambassadors approved the 13th package of sanctions against Russia, said the editor of Radio Liberty in Europe, Rikard Jozwiak. According to Reuters, the new package adds almost 200 legal entities and individuals to the list, while at the same time the document does not provide for any new sectoral measures. The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the new package limits Russia’s access to drones. The package is planned to be announced on the second anniversary of the Russian invasion on February 24.
12:03 The General Staff showed how the engineering troops build fortifications. "From deep trenches to minefields, we dig earth and pour concrete to provide our warriors with the best protection," the statement said.
11:50 Russian military man and propagandist Andrei Morozov with the call sign Murz shot himself after he was hounded for publishing data on the losses of the Russian army in Avdeevka. The propagandist was the author of a telegram channel, in which on January 18 he wrote that Russia lost 16 thousand military personnel and 300 armored vehicles in the battles for Avdievka. He also admitted that the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are several times lower. Other Russian "military correspondents" reported Morozov's death.
11:37 A Russian army training ground near the village of Trudovskoye near Volnovakha in the self-proclaimed “DPR” came under rocket fire, propagandists complain. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have not yet officially commented on the situation, but according to preliminary data from the occupiers themselves, more than 60 soldiers were killed as a result of the strike. Propagandists even named who was responsible for the shelling. About who “leaked” the Russians, see the article Waiting for the General.
10:52 In Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, seven people have already been wounded as a result of yesterday’s missile strikes, another person may be under the rubble, the search operation continues, said the head of the city military administration, Alexander Goncharenko.
10:45 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Russia managed to capture Avdiivka thanks to cooperation with Iran and North Korea, as well as increasing production and mobilizing additional forces. “We do not believe that the fact that Ukrainian troops retreated from Avdiivka will in itself significantly change the strategic situation. At the same time, it reminds us that Russia is ready to sacrifice many soldiers for minor territorial gains,” the secretary general said.
09:57 The number of those wounded as a result of yesterday's Russian missile attacks on Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, has increased to six, said the head of the OBA Vadim Filashkin. In addition, one person died in Konstantinovka. At night, the Russians fired three suicide bombers at Dobropolye - two people were wounded.
The State Emergency Service clarified that as a result of the strikes in the Pokrovsky district, four rescuers were injured - one of the drones hit the building where they lived. In addition, as a result of the missile attack on Druzhkovka, the fire and rescue department building was damaged, but no people were injured.
09:08 Budanov told The Wall Street Journal that the Russian Federation “does not have the strength” to seize the Donetsk and Lugansk regions this year. At the same time, he admitted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are now in a difficult situation due to a lack of weapons and personnel, “but Russia also has problems.” The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate claims that Russian troops are poorly trained, they spend more shells and tanks than they produce, and they also have a “clear shortage of missiles.” According to Budanov, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be able to launch a new counter-offensive in 2025.
08:39 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 21:
- personnel - about 406,080 (+1130) people,
- tanks - 6516 (+13),
- armored combat vehicles - 12,338 (+70),
- artillery systems - 9826 (+53),
- MLRS - 992 (+4),
- air defense systems - 678 (+3),
- aircraft - 338 (+0),
- helicopters - 325 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 7560 (+39),
- cruise missiles - 1903 (+1),
- ships/boats - 25 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 12,861 (+56),
- special equipment - 1558 (+7).
08:13 The defense forces destroyed the Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber, the crew was killed, said the commander of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Nikolai Oleshchuk.
07:40 Over the past 24 hours, 66 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled 13 enemy attacks in the Stepnoy, Lastochkino, Severny, Nevelsky districts of the Donetsk region. In the Maryinsky direction, the Russian army made 20 attempts to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops near Georgievka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka, Donetsk region.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy made two unsuccessful attempts to attack in the Sinkovka area of the Kharkov region; on Limansky - eight times attacked units of the Defense Forces near Belogorivka, Luhansk region and Ternov, Vyemka, Donetsk region. In the Bakhmut direction, two enemy attacks were repelled near Ivanovo, Donetsk region. In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy tried seven times to improve the tactical position south of Prechistovka and Zolotaya Niva in the Donetsk region. In the Zaporozhye direction, the Defense Forces repelled seven attacks near Malaya Tokmachka and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, Ukrainian forces hold their positions and repelled one assault by Russian troops.
07:15 At night, air defense destroyed 13 of the 19 Shahed attack drones that Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as one X-59 guided aircraft missile launched from the Belgorod region, the Air Force command reported. In addition, the enemy used an S-300 anti-aircraft guided missile and four Kh-22 cruise missiles (from the Rostov region). The drones were destroyed within the Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye and Donetsk regions. At the same time, some of the six unhit UAVs did not reach their targets.
07:08 The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov allegedly visited the command post of the Center group of troops in the occupied territory of Ukraine and heard a report from Colonel General Andrei Mordvichev on the order of further actions in the Avdeevsky direction.
06:29 The first group of four Ukrainian pilots will complete the F-16 training program by the summer of 2024, CNN reports. This group began training in mid-October 2023. The second group, also of four Ukrainian pilots, began training in January. The third group is currently taking English language courses. The Arizona National Guard, where the training takes place, said all pilots will complete training "between May and August, although the exact schedule depends on how they progress with the program."
00:32 Without renewed US assistance, Ukraine will have to decide which cities it can hold, said Pentagon Deputy Speaker Sabrina Singh. At the same time, she assured that as soon as Congress approves aid to Ukraine, supplies will begin quite quickly.