Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Chief of the Defense Staff of the British Armed Forces, Admiral Tony Radakin, actively helped the Kiev authorities in developing attacks on the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, and also played a large role in coordinating support for Ukraine from other senior leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance. This was reported by the British edition of The Times.
The material states that in 2023, Tony Radakin actively conducted “shuttle diplomacy”, promoting ties between Washington and Kiev. The publication clarifies that this happened against the backdrop of White House concerns that the United States was too closely involved in the Ukrainian conflict.
The British admiral personally met with the military leadership of Ukraine and the United States, helping to establish contacts between them and justify the need for broader economic and diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine, the article states.
The media reports that for such merits, at the request of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Radakin will remain in his post until the fall of 2025. Although according to the rules he must leave the post of chief of staff of the British Armed Forces after three years of office.
As Regnum reported, in November 2023, the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, announced the creation of a Ukrainian fleet of sea drones operating in the waters of the Black Sea. He noted that for the first time in the world, a fleet of naval UAVs, the Ukrainian fleet, began to operate in the Black Sea.
In August, the Ukrainian Navy announced the creation of a naval drone unit. Zelensky then presented the flag to the new unit.
The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, said on November 6 that the Russian Armed Forces destroyed storage sites for unmanned boats and aviation ammunition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of a special operation.
In addition, the Ministry of Defense regularly reports the destruction of unmanned boats of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with which Kiev is trying to conduct terrorist attacks on Russian targets, including the Crimean Bridge and ships of the Black Sea Fleet.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title
[Korrespondent] 22:21 Scholz said that he does not want to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine because they can hit targets in Moscow: “The Taurus has a range of 500 km, and if it is used incorrectly, it can hit a target somewhere in Moscow.” The Chancellor noted that in order to ensure control over the use of Taurus missiles, it would be necessary to send German military personnel to Ukraine, but this is excluded.
22:19 The United States is not seeing any signs that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons, State Department Speaker Matthew Miller said: “This is not the first time we have heard irresponsible rhetoric from Vladimir Putin. This is not the way the leader of a nuclear state should speak. We have communicated in the past, privately and directly with Russia about the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons."
21:44 Special operations forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported the death of military personnel of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center. The dead tried to land on the Tendra spit in the Kherson region. The Ukrainian Armed Forces did not disclose details; there are no official data on the number of deaths. Everything that is known about this is in the material The Battle of the Spit .
21:22 Several defense lines with a length of about 1000 km have been created around Kiev, the head of the KGVA Sergei Popko said in an interview with TSN: “The first line of Kiev is located quite far from the capital. Reliable systems for fire destruction of the enemy, engineering barriers of all types, anti-aircraft and anti-tank defense have been built, comprehensive provision." At the same time, most of the information on the defense of Kyiv from the northern direction is not disclosed.
21:13 The Russian army launched an airstrike, probably using FAB-250, on the village of Shcherbinovtsy, Bakhmut district, Donetsk region. A private house was completely destroyed, three people were injured. At least 10 neighboring homes were also damaged, prosecutors said.
20:52 The Russian corporation Rostec intends to resume production of the A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft. The head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, said that such aircraft are needed by the Russian armed forces and “are excellent for export.”
20:46 By his decree, Zelensky replaced the commander of the Logistics Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Vladimir Karpenko became the new commander.
19:38 If Ukraine is defeated, NATO will have to “go to war with Russia,” said Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin. He called the advance of Russian troops “very alarming” and warned that without renewed American aid, Ukraine will continue to be at a disadvantage.
19:35 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he held a meeting today on relations with the European Union: “This year should be the time for real negotiations on accession: we can start in the spring, take the first negotiating steps.”
19:01 Macron called all his words about the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine “balanced”: “These are quite serious issues. Every word I say on this matter is weighed, considered and measured.”
18:28 Russians in Krynki are prohibited from using armored vehicles, said Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of the Southern Defense Forces. According to her, the Defense Forces on the left bank of the Dnieper continue to hold the bridgehead and are carrying out combat work to expand it and consolidate positions. “The Russians continue to save armored vehicles. They have a commander’s embargo, that is, a ban on using armored vehicles in assault operations,” Gumenyuk added. She also noted that due to the downing of Russian planes, the enemy is now limited in the use of guided bombs.
17:51 France, Germany and the European Central Bank are the main opponents of the confiscation of frozen Russian assets, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. They are concerned about Moscow's retaliatory measures against European assets in the Russian Federation, the impact on financial stability and the status of the euro as a reserve currency. Leading EU countries believe such a move would set a precedent, forcing other countries to avoid holding their reserves in Western currencies.
17:30 The ministers of defense and foreign affairs of European countries will soon hold a meeting in Paris to discuss, in particular, specific measures to provide assistance to Ukraine, the French Foreign Ministry reported. The ministers will also discuss ways to protect countries where Russia is trying to destabilize the situation, in particular Moldova.
17:14 One of the coast guard boats of the border service of the FSB of the Russian Federation was on fire in the Sea of Azov. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the fire engulfed the wheelhouse of the Russian ship, and the enemy suffered five casualties. The boat crew urgently requested an evacuation group. The causes of the fire, as well as the nature of the enemy's losses, are being clarified.
17:03 The Ukrainian IT Army attacked the largest Internet portal in Russia Mail.gu, the Ministry of Digital Development reported. All users located outside the territory of the Russian Federation, and some internal ones, have lost access to their accounts, and therefore the ability to recover passwords, undergo two-factor verification, and access to devices.
16:56 Putin addressed the Federal Assembly with his traditional rhetoric. He threatened the West and talked about “invading heroes.” The main points of his speech are in the material Putin's New Nonsense .
16:42 OSCE member states have initiated the use of the so-called Moscow Mechanism to investigate Russia’s detention of Ukrainian civilians, Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said.
16:39 The joint investigation team for the investigation of serious international crimes of the Russian Federation in Ukraine has extended its work for another two years, the head of Eurojust Ladislav Hamran said during a briefing in Kiev. "This joint investigation team is the largest international effort to document war crimes in history. Never before has an investigation team been created that has actually documented war crimes during a war," he said. The group includes Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia and Romania.
16:37 The Ministry of Defense showed the work of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for February. In a month, they managed to shoot down ten Su-34 fighter-bombers, two Su-35 multi-role fighters and one A-50 radar aircraft.
16:03 Ukraine managed to return five more children from the occupied territories, said the head of the Kherson OVA, Alexander Prokudin.
15:56 The European Parliament adopted a resolution in support of Ukraine. In it, MEPs call on EU countries to provide Ukraine with ammunition, air defense systems, long-range missiles, artillery, as well as drones and weapons to counter them. In addition, deputies ask EU countries to confiscate Russian assets and transfer them to the restoration of Ukraine, as well as tighten sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus.
15:52 The Russians launched an artillery strike on the production infrastructure in the Vorozhbyansk community of the Sumy region. One person was injured, and a fire broke out in the warehouse of a manufacturing plant, the OVA reported.
15:50 Russia is buying up Ukrainian telegram channels and bribing influential Ukrainians “in dozens” to organize the special operation “Maidan-3,” said GUR representative Andrey Yusov. According to him, intelligence knows the lists of these recruits: “I can’t name specific names right now. There are lists of people the enemy is working with, and the task is to attract them to spread their rhetoric and influence the socio-political situation in the country. These are dozens of people ", if we are talking about influential categories. Now their task is to purchase thousands of pages and accounts as much as possible. This will be the work of bot farms, newly created or already purchased telegram channels."
15:38 Lithuania reported the first suspicions for international war crimes committed in Ukraine. We are talking about the murder of the famous Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravičius on April 2, 2022 in Mariupol, said Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė.
15:11 The absence of A-50 radar aircraft in the sky significantly helps Ukrainian troops shoot down Russian fighters, said Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat. According to him, without these aircraft, the enemy receives less information about Ukrainian radar stations and air defense systems.
14:48 In the Bakhmut direction, Russian troops are advancing towards Chasov Yar and trying to capture the villages of Ivanovskoye and Bogdanovka. Fighting is already going on there, said Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Khortitsa military group. According to him, the enemy is actively using assault groups, special forces and bringing up reserves.
14:36 As a result of the Russian strike on the front-line village of Yulyevka, Zaporozhye region, one person was killed, information about the wounded and damage is being clarified, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov.
He also said that the duration of the curfew in the city of Zaporozhye and the region has been reduced: now it will be in effect from 00:00 to 05:00. According to Fedorov, “the security situation allows this to be done.”
13:53 The Danish government announced that it has allocated an additional grant of 10 million Danish kroner (about $1.45 million) for the restoration of Ukraine. The funds will go towards cooperation between the municipalities of Aarhus and Copenhagen and the Ukrainian cities of Lviv, Kyiv and Nikolaev.
13:10 Syrsky said that he continues to work in the military units that hold the defense in the Avdeevsky and Kurakhovsky directions: “My main task is to effectively use the combat capabilities of the weapons and military equipment of our units to inflict maximum losses on the enemy and destroy a significant part of their artillery and armored vehicles ; hold our positions and restore the situation where we retreated."
According to the commander-in-chief, when working with brigade commanders, he focuses on how work is organized at control points to engage the enemy by fire, on the timeliness and adequacy of decisions made in accordance with the current situation, and on maintaining constant interaction between units and subunits.
12:56 Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Western leaders should not rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine: “I think that these are also signals that we are sending to Russia that we are not ruling out different things. Because all countries have realized that we We must do everything so that Ukraine wins and Russia loses this war."
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis also said that “nothing should be taken off the table, no option should be rejected out of hand.”
12:50 President of Poland Andrzej Duda does not believe in a Russian attack on NATO countries: “I don’t believe in this because I believe that we will prepare. Of course, this is all on the condition that we are strong. The strong are not attacked. They are attacked weak. Those who can be easily defeated. I think that if Putin knew what awaited him and his army in Ukraine, he would not have attacked Ukraine."
12:34 Since the capture of Avdiivka on February 17, the Russians have advanced approximately 6 km from the city center, British intelligence reported. The territory west of Avdeevka remains the center of the Russian army's offensive. Russia has "almost certainly" taken control of several villages in the area - Lastochkino, Stepnoye and Severnoye, intelligence notes. These tactical achievements, according to analysts, serve primarily to consolidate Russian positions around Avdievka.
11:56 Putin, in his message to the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, confirmed the use of Zircon missiles against Ukraine: “The Zircon sea-based hypersonic strike missile system has already been used in battle, which was not even discussed in the 2018 message. But this complex is already in service.” He also promised to “soon demonstrate” the Sarmat complex, which, according to him, has already been delivered to the troops. At the same time, Putin accused the West of “trying to drag Russia into an arms race, to repeat the trick as with the USSR in the 1980s.”
Commenting on the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine, Putin recalled previous wars of Western countries against Russia. But now, he said, “the consequences for any possible interventionists will be much more tragic. We also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory.” The head of the Kremlin added that this “really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.” He also called reports that Russia is preparing to attack Europe “nonsense.”
11:44 Today, at about 9:00, two more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers were destroyed in the Avdeevsky and Mariupol directions , said commander Nikolai Oleshchuk.
11:41 Spring weather can change the situation at the front, slowing down the movement of heavy equipment, said the speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces Ilya Yevlash: “This time can be won and used in our favor, since it will be quite difficult for the enemy to conduct offensive operations with the use of heavy equipment for a certain period of time , tanks, armored fighting vehicles." He added that Ukrainian troops can use this time to further equip their fortifications, since the Defense Forces are now on strategic defense.
11:09 The Air Raid app has been updated in Ukraine . According to Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat, this version allows us to obtain additional information about the threat. In particular, the application will notify you when a particular enemy target will enter Ukrainian airspace, as well as about the danger in the region where the user is located.
10:32 In the morning, the Russians fired at the Daryevsk community of the Kherson region, one person was killed in the village of Ponyatovka. In addition, in the evening, Russian troops struck the Dnieper district of Kherson. A shell hit an apartment building, one person was wounded. Over the previous 24 hours, one person was killed and two were injured as a result of Russian shelling in the region, the OVA reported.
09:48 Argentine President Javier Miley said that he plans to hold a “latin American support summit” for Ukraine at the end of the year.
09:14 Budanov, in an interview with the Canadian edition of CBC, confirmed the leak of data about the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer of 2023: “We had information, evidence that the Russian Federation became aware of the plans. This is a serious problem, and we are taking some measures.”
08:59 Syrsky reported that he visited the units that hold the defense in the Avdeevsky direction. According to him, during his work, certain commanders “were identified with certain miscalculations in their control of the situation and assessment of the enemy, which directly affected the stability of the defense in certain directions.” The commander-in-chief noted that he had taken “all measures to correct the situation on the spot, with the allocation of additional resources of ammunition and materiel, as well as the necessary reserves.”
A particularly tense situation has developed in the Avdeevsky and Zaporozhye directions, Syrsky noted. Russian assault units are trying to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops and capture Tonenkoye, Orlovka, Semenovka, Berdychi, Krasnogorovka. There are fierce battles in the Verbovoy and Rabotino areas, over which the enemy is trying to regain control. Syrsky also reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces knocked out the enemy, who had broken through to the outskirts of Orlovka.
08:45 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of February 29:
personnel - about 413,760 (+1150) people,
tanks - 6593 (+23),
armored combat vehicles - 12,552 (+44),
artillery systems - 10,070 (+41),
MLRS - 1000 (+0),
air defense systems - 690 (+2),
aircraft - 342 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 7768 (+15),
cruise missiles - 1912 (+0),
ships/boats - 25 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,152 (+40),
special equipment - 1601 (+7).
08:32 Over the past 24 hours, 99 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, in the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy tried 38 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Novomikhailovka and Urozhainy, Donetsk region. Another 25 attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction - in the Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenky, Pervomaisky, Nevelsky districts of the Donetsk region.
In the Kupyansky direction, the Defense Forces repelled two enemy attacks in the Sinkovka and Tabaevka areas of the Kharkov region; in Limansky - 12 attacks in the areas of Ternov, Yampolevka of the Donetsk region and Belogorivka of the Lugansk region; on Bakhmutsky - nine attacks in the Ivanovsky and Kleshcheevka districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - one attack in the area east of Rabotino, Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces hold their positions and repelled four assaults by Russian troops on the left bank of the Dnieper.
08:17 The General Staff confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a missile strike on a concentration of Russian troops in Yelenovka, Donetsk region, using Ukrainian multiple launch rocket systems. According to preliminary data, 19 Russian soldiers were killed as a result of the strike, including the deputy commander of a military unit, and another 12 people were wounded, including the commander of this unit.
08:02 The air force shot down another Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber in the Eastern direction , said commander Nikolai Oleshchuk.
07:20 New Zealand announced a new package of sanctions against Russia. The restrictions include the introduction of G7+ price limits for oil of Russian origin and a ban on the export of certain goods to Russia and Belarus through third countries. Sanctions are also being imposed against another 61 Russian individuals and legal entities, including those involved in sanctions evasion. These are organizations that purchase technology for the Russian defense industry, and senior executives of some Russian banks. Persons involved in the purchase of weapons from North Korea were also sanctioned.
01:14 Soldiers of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center were killed while carrying out a combat mission in a clash with Russian troops, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces reported. They ensured the withdrawal of the main forces of the group after completing a special task.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to destroy Russians in the Avdiivka direction
Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 25 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Berdich, Orlovka, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, and Nevelskoye.
Russian troops concentrated their efforts in the Avdeevsky direction. Ukrainian soldiers continue to conduct a defense operation. This was announced by the commander of the operational-strategic group of troops of Tavria, Alexander Tarnavsky, in Telegram on Thursday, February 29.
“The Tavria OSUV forces continue to conduct a defense operation. The enemy is concentrating its main efforts in the Avdeevsky direction, where over the past 24 hours our defenders have repelled 25 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Berdich, Orlovka, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Nevelskoye,” he wrote.
According to the commander, 38 combat contacts occurred in the Novopavlovsk direction. Also, the Russians had no success in Krasnogorovka, which was liberated by our soldiers. Only there the enemy's losses amounted to about 100 people.
Let us remind you that tough, intense military operations continue in the Bakhmut direction. The main task of the Russian troops is to advance to the village of Chasov Yar.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky announced the correction of “miscalculations” in the Avdeevsky direction and named the main task of the Ukrainian troops.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fight back against the invaders
Most of the attacks of the invaders on the front on February 29 were repulsed in the Novopavlovsky and Avdeevsky directions.
The Ukrainian military repelled 22 enemy attacks in the Avdeevsky and Novopavlovsky directions per day. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced this in an evening report on Thursday, February 29.
During the day, 73 military clashes occurred at the front. In total, Russian troops carried out two missile and 79 air strikes, and carried out 90 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repulsed two enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Petropavlovka and Tabaevka, Kharkov region, where the Russians tried to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions.
In the Liman direction, 11 enemy attacks were repelled in the areas of the settlements of Terny, Yampolevka in the Donetsk region and Belogorovka in the Luhansk region, where the enemy, with the support of aviation, tried to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In the Bakhmut direction, the Defense Forces repelled two attacks in the areas of the settlements of Ivanovskoye and Klishchievka, Donetsk region, where the invaders tried to improve their tactical position.
In the Avdeevsky direction, Ukrainian defenders repulsed 22 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Berdichi, Orlovka, Tonenkoye, Pervomaiskoye, Nevelskoye in the Donetsk region.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the Defense Forces continue to contain the enemy in the areas of the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka in the Donetsk region, where the enemy, with the support of aviation, tried to break through the defense 22 times.
In the Orekhovsky direction, a Russian attack was repelled in the Robotinoye area of the Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the enemy does not abandon his intention to dislodge Ukrainian units from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnieper. So, during the day, four assault attempts were made.
During the day, defense aviation carried out strikes on 10 areas where enemy personnel were concentrated. Also, units of the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed three Su-34 fighter-bombers.
Units of the missile forces inflicted defeat on two areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment, three BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket systems, ammunition composition, and enemy electronic warfare equipment.
Let us remind you that over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have eliminated almost 1,200 Russian invaders. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the total losses of the Russian army have already amounted to about 413,760 invaders.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Tendra Spit is a long narrow island in the Black Sea near the coast of the Kherson region.
In the event of the capture of the Tendrovskaya Spit, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be able to strike at the occupied part of the Kherson region.
Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported the death of servicemen of the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center on the night of Thursday, February 29. The dead tried to land on the Tendra spit in the Kherson region. According to the message of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the fighters died “ensuring the departure of the main forces of the group after completing a special task.” The Ukrainian Armed Forces did not disclose details; there are no official data on the number of deaths.
AN IMPORTANT SPRINGBOARD
Tendra Spit is a long narrow island in the Black Sea near the coast of the Kherson region. If the spit were captured, the Ukrainian Armed Forces would be able to strike at the occupied part of the Kherson region (the length of the island is about 65 km) and the northwestern part of the annexed Crimea.
On the spit there is a lighthouse built almost 200 years ago. The island has been under Russian occupation since February 2022.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONS
The command of the special operations forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that some of the Ukrainian special forces were able to complete the “special task”, but upon leaving they entered into battle with the Russian enemy.
“Ensuring the departure of the main forces of the group after completing a special task, the warriors accepted their last battle, remaining in the ranks forever. The heroic and extremely complex combat work of MTR units on land, at sea and deep behind enemy lines is the daily contribution of MTR soldiers to victory over the enemy,” the statement said.
ARMY ELITE
73 Naval Center named after Koshevoy Ataman Anton Golovaty is a military unit of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stationed in Ochakov (Nikolaev region). The fighters of this center are engaged in sabotage operations, conducting reconnaissance activities, and seizing ships and coastal buildings.
It was this unit that was engaged in operations to protect the coast of the Nikolaev region, as well as the liberation of Snake Island in the Black Sea.
RUSSIA VERSION
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had repelled an attack by a Ukrainian sabotage group of Ukrainian special operations forces that attempted to land in the Tendrovskaya Spit area in the Kherson region in five boats.
“As a result of the fleeting battle, four boats with a landing party were destroyed and sank, the fifth turned around and departed at high speed in the opposite direction. Enemy losses amounted to up to 25 Ukrainian military personnel. One serviceman was captured,” says the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Russian military telegram channels wrote that the Ukrainian military attempted to land on the island of Tendrovskaya Spit in the Black Sea, in the occupied part of the Kherson region.
One of the Telegram channels wrote that four bodies of a special forces soldier and one wounded military man were found in a boat found off the coast. The latter was captured and interrogated, establishing that the landing groups belonged to the 73rd Naval Center of the Special Forces.
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[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and delivered strikes at enemy manpower and hardware near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Terny (Donetsk People's Republic).
Up to 50 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, and three motor vehicles were neutralised.
In the course of the counterbattery warfare, one U.S.-made M198 howitzer, one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, one 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems were eliminated.
In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line and inflicted fire damage on cluster of manpower and military hardware of the 28th Mechanised and 92nd Assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Andreyevka, Kleshcheyevka, and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Four counter-attacks of the AFU 10th Mountain Assault Brigade were repelled close to Berestovoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 600 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, two armoured personnel carriers, and ten motor vehicles.
In counter-battery warfare, the Russian troops hit one 220mm BM-27 Uragan MLRS vehicle, one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, one 152mm D-20 gun, and three 122mm D-30 howitzers.
In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of AFU 53rd, 61st Mechanised, 59th Motorised Infantry brigades near Berdychi, Severnoye, Orlovka, and Pervomayskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
Up to 495 Ukrainian troops, seven tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, four armoured fighting vehicles, and 11 motor vehicles were neutralised.
In the course of counterbattery warfare, three 152mm D-20 howitzers, one 152mm Msta-B howitzer, one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled system, and two 122mm D-30 howitzers were eliminated.
In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces delivered complex strikes at AFU manpower and hardware near Rovnopol, Staromayorskoye, and Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 105 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, one 152mm D-20 howitzer, as well as one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
In Kherson direction, Russian units took more advantageous positions and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 128th mountain assault, 118th Mechanised, 35 Naval Infantry brigades near Rabotino, Stepovoye, Malye Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region), and Tokarevka (Kherson region).
The enemy lost up to 50 Ukrainian troops, five motor vehicles, as well as one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station.
In Kherson direction, the Russian Group of Forces neutralised one Ukrainian sabotage group of the 73rd Marine Special Operations Centre in an attempt to land close to Tendra Spit using speedboats.
As a result of a short battle, four of the speedboats with the landing groups were destroyed and sunk, the fifth turned round and travelled at high speed in the opposite direction.
The enemy lost up to 25 Ukrainian troops. One serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was taken prisoner.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation hit: a command post of Kupyansk Task Force, two command posts (72nd Mechanised and 59th Motorised Infantry brigades), one S-300PS anti-aircraft missile system, three ammunition depots, as well as manpower and military hardware in 126 areas.
Air defence systems have shot down nine HIMARS MLRS shells and two JDAM aerial guided bombs.
In addition, 93 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down close to Lisichansk, Golikovo (Lugansk People's Republic), Kurdyumovka, Pervomayskoye, Krinichnaya (Donetsk People's Republic), Mikhailovka (Zaporozhye region).
In total, 575 airplanes and 267 helicopters, 13,715 unmanned aerial vehicles, 475 air defence missile systems, 15,286 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,227 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,223 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 19,211 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:06 They report that attack aircraft of the Russian army occupied most of the village of Krasnoye (Ivanovskoye). However, the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold the outskirts of the village. 19:52 Motorized rifles of the Vostok group of troops in the South Donetsk direction destroy enemy armored vehicles with Lancet high-precision loitering ammunition.
The Lancet outperforms FPV drones in terms of maximum altitude, striking power and range. It carries three kilograms of explosives on board and flies at a speed of about one hundred kilometers per hour, approaching the target and diving at it, it accelerates one and a half times. Loitering ammunition is also less susceptible to enemy electronic warfare.
“During the time our crew worked in this direction, more than ten types of weapons and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed, including NATO models,” said the head of the UAV crew with the call sign “Irbis.” “They were hit by Polish-made Crab self-propelled guns, British-made Stormer anti-aircraft missile systems, and AC-90 self-propelled artillery systems.”
19:35 The Russian army advanced in the area of Belogorovka (LPR) and entered the outskirts of the city.
19:24 Ivanovskoe (Krasnoe) west of Artyomovsk came undercontrolRF. The information has not yet been confirmed.
18:49 Artillerymen of the “Southern” group of troops strike blows according to the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk direction
Crews of 152mm towed howitzers "Msta-B" destroy armored vehicles, artillery and mortar batteries, air defense systems, control posts and long-term enemy firing points.
18:11 According to the operational lines of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC on February 29, as of 18:00, information was received about civilian casualties in the cities of the republic:
n.p. Gorlovka (Central City district):
- on the street Minsk, 51, a woman born in 1992 was wounded.
Additional information has been received about damage as a result of artillery attack by the AFU in the cities of the Republic:
n.p. Gorlovka (Central City district):
– production infrastructure on the street. Youth
17:47 The situation in the Rabotino-Verbovoe section is reported
Vestnik 1430 Motorized Rifle Regiment:
At the moment, bloody battles are taking place throughout the Orekhovsky sector of the front. The artillery on both sides is not silent for a minute, and there is an active counter-battery fight.
From the very morning, FPV drone operators have been destroying enemy personnel and their positions found on the line of combat contact.
During aerial reconnaissance, a Russian Armed Forces UAV operator discovered an enemy tank in the Rabotino area. A massive artillery strike was launched at the transmitted coordinates.
16:45 Consequences of the artillery attack of the settlement of Novonikolaevka in the DPR -photo.
15:46 According to the operational lines of the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC on February 29, as of 15:30, information was received about damage as a result of artillery attack by the Air Forces of the cities of the Republic:
n.p. Gorlovka (Central City district):
– st. Voikova, 44 – private residential building, outbuildings and gas pipeline were also damaged;
– st. Kotsyubynskogo, 33 – private residential building.
n.p. Novonikolaevka:
– st. Sovetskaya, 12 – private residential building, outbuildings were also damaged.
15:01 Telegram channel “Ukraina.ru” reports that the village of Berdychi in the Avdeevsky direction has come under the control of the Russian Army.
14:47 Ukrainian troops fired 13 rounds with calibers of 155mm and 152mm at Donetsk and Gorlovka, the DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Issues Related to War Crimes of Ukraine (JCCC) reported.
13:52 Rabotino. News from this direction is reported by the 105th NM Regiment of the DPR:
Our troops are already on the outskirts of the village, carrying out attacking actions with the aim of entering the village itself, at the moment there are battles at dagger distances.
13:07 Information is received that on the southern flank of Nevel'skoye our army has taken under fire control all the roads leading to the village.
12:55 The main thing from the new briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense:
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 495 military personnel, seven tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles and four armored vehicles per day in the Avdeevsky direction;
The RF Armed Forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions in the Avdeevsky direction;
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 105 people per day in the South Donetsk direction;
Over the course of a day, the Russian Armed Forces improved the tactical situation in the Kupyansk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 50 military personnel and a tank;
The Russian Armed Forces hit the command post of the operational-tactical group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine “Kupyansk”, the command posts of two Ukrainian brigades;
During the day, Russian air defense shot down 9 HIMARS rounds, two JDAM guided bombs and 93 UAVs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces;
The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk direction per day amounted to up to 600 military personnel, two tanks, two armored personnel carriers, including M113;
The Russian Armed Forces took more advantageous positions in the Kherson direction.
12:20 Progress of the Russian Armed Forces in the Avdeevsky direction:
Orlovka - under the control of the Russian Armed Forces (cleansing is in progress);
Thin - 98% under the control of the RF Armed Forces, cleaning is in progress;
Berdychi - under the control of the RF Armed Forces;
Nevel'skoye - 90% for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the eastern and southern outskirts.
11:46 Statement of Head of the press center of the Vostok group
Units of the Vostok group of troops continue to carry out combat missions in the South Donetsk direction.
Bomber strikes, artillery fire, and heavy flamethrower systems hit strongholds and manpower concentration areas of the 128th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Urozhainy and Staromayorsky areas.
Enemy losses amounted to up to 155 military personnel, a tank, a 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount, a 100mm Rapier anti-tank gun, three vehicles, nine unmanned aerial vehicles and an ammunition depot.
11:25 Against the backdrop of the liberation of Tonenkoye and Berdych by our troops, two small half-cauldrons practically formed in the area, in which the Nazis who did not have time to leave were trapped. Right now, the “semi-surrounded people” are being hit by powerful fire.
11:15 According to operational information, stabilization measures and cleanup are currently taking place in Berdychi. The Ukrainian Armed Forces left the village. Thus, over the past 24 hours, the first line of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was completely breached.
10:55 Attack aircraft of the Southern Military District have gained a foothold in one of the key buildings of Rabotino.
The operation to storm the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Rabotino area was organized in cooperation with all types and branches of the military: aerial and ground reconnaissance is continuously operating, and powerful artillery preparation is being carried out.
09:47 Statement of Head of the press center of the Center group
The Center group of troops continues to carry out tasks in the special military operation zone.
The group's units, supported by artillery fire and air strikes, repelled 11 counterattacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of Leninsky, Novgorodsky, Novobakhmutovka, Tonenky, Orlovka and Pervomaisky.
In total, during the day, 147 identified enemy targets were hit by fire, including six platoon strongholds and more than 30 areas where manpower, equipment and fire weapons were concentrated.
Crews of heavy flamethrower systems destroyed four firing positions in the Novobakhmutovka area.
A HIMARS MLRS rocket was shot down by air defense systems.
Enemy losses amounted to up to 165 Ukrainian military personnel, four tanks, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, an American-made M113 armored personnel carrier, three 152mm D-20 guns, a 152mm Msta-B howitzer, and a 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled gun were destroyed."
09:20 The criminal Kiev regime continues to shell the civilian infrastructure of settlements on the left bank of the Kherson region, yesterday during the day the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired cannon artillery:
-- n.p. Alyosha three rounds;
-- n.p. New Mayachka two rounds;
-- Kazachi Lagery three rounds;
-- Zhelezny Port two rounds;
-- n.p. Dacha four rounds.
During the night, the Kiev regime continued to shell civilian infrastructure in the village. Kazachi Lagery, n.p. Peschanivka, n.p. Novaya Mayachka, n.p. Sagi, firing a total of 18 cannon artillery rounds.
Civilian casualties and destruction of infrastructure are being determined.
08:55 During the past 24 hours, the DPR representative office in the JCCC recorded seven incidents of firing from the AFU, and 20 ammunition were fired.
In the Donetsk direction the enemy carried out one artillery attack
in Gorlovsky - five
in Yasinovatsky - one.
Two civil infrastructure facilities, five residential buildings, five cars were damaged in Gorlovka, Yasinovataya and Yelenovka.
08:20 Russian military entrenched themselves in strongholds in the village of Rabotino. The Russian Ministry of Defense showed personnel active assault operations of motorized riflemen of the Southern Military District.
08:14 Avdiivka direction: liberation of Orlovka situation as of 08:00 February 29, 2024
Russian troops completed clearing the northern outskirts of Orlovka - the village came under the full control of the Russian Armed Forces at night. The remnants of the Ukrainian formations retreated in the direction of Umansky.
During the withdrawal, not only Russian, but also Ukrainian artillery struck the Ukrainian Armed Forces units. Apparently, the enemy command is seeking to create a barrage of fire, even at the cost of friendly fire, just to slow down the rate of advance of the Russian Armed Forces and buy more time to prepare a new line of defense.
Against the backdrop of the occupation of Tonenky and Berdych by Russian troops, two small “half-cauldrons” practically formed in the area, in which members of the Ukrainian formations who did not have time to leave were trapped. At the moment, they are being hit by fire.
The events of recent days have clearly shown that the attempts of the Ukrainian command to build a new line of defense along the eastern bank of the Durnaya River have failed.
However, Russian troops are unlikely to slow down. While the Ukrainian forces continue to retreat, now is the ideal moment: especially considering yesterday’s liberation of Berdych.
The current configuration makes it possible to reach the western bank of the Durnaya River, threatening the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Semyonovka and to the west of it.
08:07 Summary on the morning of February 29, 2024
In the Kherson direction, the enemy tried to land on the Tendrovskaya Spit (the southwestern outskirts of the region). Involved up to 30 people and several boats from the MTR Center “South” (formerly the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center, Ochakov). As a result of heavy fire from our troops, three boats sank, one ended up on the shore with the corpses of enemy special forces. Clashes continue in Krynki. In the area of the so-called “dachas” near the Antonovsky Bridge The Armed Forces of Ukraine settled in small groups in houses.
On the Zaporozhye Front there are battles in Rabotino. The Russian army is intensifying its fire attack, firing from MLRS, and FABs with UMPC are flying into enemy concentrations in Orekhov.
North of Mar'inka, our troops broke into the outskirts of Krasnogorovka. The infantry, with the support of artillery and tanks, is consolidated on the occupied lines. Our aviation works closely in Kurakhovo.
To the west of Avdievka, the Russian Armed Forces liberated Berdychi and Tonenkoye; most of Orlovka was also occupied by our units.
In the direction to Chasov Yar there are heavy battles in Ivanovsky (Krasny), the Russian Army is conducting an offensive.
In Volchansk, Khar'kov region, the evacuation of individual archives of government departments began. It is reported that enemy concentrations in the area were attacked by FAB with UMPC, which is a new element of the situation in the direction.
In the Belgorod region settlement Tishanka, Volokonovsky district, was attacked by drones and shelled.
08:01 Artillerymen of the 305th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 5th Army hit an enemy towed howitzer -video.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Mark Luzhkovy
[REGNUM] Vladimir Putin's Address to the Federal Assembly can be called truly global in the sense that it was of interest not only to Russian citizens. This is not surprising given the recent changes on the Ukrainian front, as well as the lack of Western political unity. The maps of Kyiv have turned out to be confused, and the outcome of the conflict is still not visible, but some intermediate results indicate fundamental changes in the conditions of the game in the near future.
The conceptual speech of the Russian leader, touching on the present and future of the largest and most strategically important armed confrontation in the world, logically attracted the attention of the Western audience. Moreover, in both the US and the EU, on the eve of the election cycle, a kind of crisis of trust has matured between the top and bottom, and therefore, in search of answers, people are increasingly interested in the opinion of the other side.
True, one cannot expect an adequate transmission of this opinion. The mainstream Western press has taken up what it loves: distorting and demonizing the Russian president. The American newspaper The New York Times, which has a reputation as an unofficial mouthpiece of the Biden administration, interpreted Putin’s warning about the risk of nuclear war if NATO troops were sent to Ukraine as a “threat.”
“Putin has repeatedly made veiled nuclear threats against the West since he launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, seeking to use Russia's huge nuclear arsenal to keep Europe and the United States from supporting the country. Last year he appeared to tone down that rhetoric. But this Thursday he returned to it, combining his threats with a statement that he is ready to resume arms control negotiations with the United States,” analyzes the head of the Moscow bureau of the publication Anton Troyanovsky.
The Kremlin’s call to prevent a slide into open war between NATO and Russia is thus presented not as a response to the recent aggressive rhetoric of French President Emmanuel Macron, but only as an aggressive bargaining tool with Washington.
There was also the traditional accusation of human rights violations against the backdrop of the death of Alexei Navalny. According to the NYT, a “campaign of repression against the opposition” continues in Russia and, accordingly, Putin’s quite routine reminder about the inadmissibility of truly real attempts by the United States to interfere in the internal affairs of the country is nothing more than a translucent hint of “continued suppression of dissent.” As can be seen, they are trying to sell Navalny’s case to an audience that is not very well versed in the vicissitudes of Russian politics at the price of an important factor in international politics.
The respectable British conservative newspaper The Telegraph saw in the message a declarative statement of Russia's expansionist appetites. Political scientist Jade McGlynn, who often visits Ukraine, interprets its military-political part as a manifestation of militarism and an open challenge to the West.
“Putin’s Address to the Federal Assembly is more than just a speech. It is a further manifestation of an era of Russian assertiveness based on the belief that Western indecisiveness is an opportunity for Russia. This is a strong argument that seems incredibly convincing the more I interact with soldiers here in Ukraine and the more time I spend near the front lines,” McGlynn writes with concern.
The conclusions of her column, when viewed from the prevailing UK-optimist point of view, are disappointingly pessimistic.
The delay with the military aid package for Kiev due to Republican obstruction in the US Congress, growing disagreements regarding the further plan of action between EU members, the decline in the combat capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the proactive pressure of the Russian Armed Forces - all this leads to an inconvenient outcome, which all these two years have been trying to prevent. “ Putin may ultimately win.”
Apparently, in order to somehow smooth out the very sad picture for the West and Ukraine, numerous national projects announced by the president were assessed as a bribe, if not a handout for the Russians.
“The announcement of the national project “Family” is a hint at the need for internal stability, an attempt to balance the scale of military power and social security. This is a recognition that the support and tacit consent of the Russian people to this war entails a certain price. With the “Family” project, Putin is writing a check to bribe the poorest part of the population,” the author of the article tries to explain the ability of the Russian leadership to ensure demographic growth.
For obvious reasons, Putin seriously angered the French - for example, the newspaper Libération, which gravitates towards left-wing political forces, attacked him with emotional criticism:
“And here comes the nuclear threat again. When Vladimir Putin wants to scare Westerners, he always uses the same refrain. But over time, he tends to lose authority. The master of the Kremlin always plays the same role of a fireman-arsonist, which in recent weeks he has assumed with more and more impudence,” says Benjamin Delisle, deputy head of Libé’s international department, indignantly.
The journalist believes that Putin’s show of confidence is nothing more than a primitive bluff, which he turned to in the hope of winning back Macron’s resonant bravado.
Nevertheless, the recent successes of Russian weapons alarm the author, who still tries to somehow downplay them, characterizing the position of the Russian group in Ukraine as “less bad shape than last year.” By completely omitting the economic aspect of the message, Libération concentrates on alarmist intimidation of the reader with the notorious threat that Russia allegedly poses to Europe.
"We saw this this Wednesday in Moldova, in the pro-Russian region of Transnistria, where a large congress, remotely controlled by the Kremlin, met to enlist Russian support. We have been seeing this for several weeks now in an increasing series of cyber attacks and operations to destabilize the West. Russia is fanning all the embers, all the crises shaking the West, from the war in Gaza to the farmers’ demonstrations in Europe,” the no less frightened Delisle himself seems to frighten the French.
And then he contradicts himself, again trying to belittle the same Putin, whose influence he was just indignant at:
“Almighty within his borders, Vladimir Putin seeks to export his authoritarian model to anyone who will listen. And with the fake elections approaching, he will remain at the head of the country until 2030, while it is increasingly shaped in his image,” the French expert sums up.
It is noteworthy that Libération seems to have forgotten that in Ukraine, which the newspaper has great sympathy for, there will be no presidential elections at all.
What can be said about the reaction of the Western media to the message? Yes, there remains an absolute misunderstanding of Russia and why it pursues such a policy. Yes, any successes are portrayed as either insignificant or immoral. But one thing is very noticeable - the change in the balance of power in favor of Moscow cannot be denied even with all the desire.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] After retreating from the Avdievka area, the Ukrainian army continues to lose fortified lines in the Donetsk direction one after another. According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Russian troops succeeded in successively liberating a number of settlements lying north and west of Avdievka.
Ukrainian troops were driven out of the settlements of Severnoe and Lastochkino. Information is also being received about the liberation of the settlements of Orlovka, Tonenkoye and Stepovoye and the advance towards the settlement of Berdychi. According to unconfirmed information, Russian troops were able to gain a foothold on the outskirts of this settlement.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are gradually retreating towards the north and west, sometimes snapping back with individual local counterattacks, reported a Regnum news agency source located directly in the Donetsk direction.
“Sometimes there are attempts to go on the attack, to pounce, to try to dislodge our troops from newly occupied positions. All without any particular success. These are not even counterattacks, but rather attempts to slow down our progress,” the publication’s interlocutor said.
In an effort to stop the advance of Russian troops, the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is throwing its last reserves into battle. In particular, American Abrams tanks were used for the first time in the Avdievka direction, which were kept in reserve until the very end. However, an attempted counterattack using American armored vehicles ultimately only resulted in the loss of one of the tanks.
Similar counterattacks are being launched in other areas, but also to no avail.
The offensive in the Avdievka area allows, firstly, to push the Ukrainian Armed Forces back from Donetsk and drive the enemy out of positions used for shelling the capital of the DPR. Secondly, the ongoing offensive does not allow the retreating units of the Ukrainian army to regroup and withdraw in order.
Also, Russian troops are delivering powerful attacks on the rear of the Ukrainian group in the Donetsk direction. Enemy positions in the populated areas of Novoselovka and Ocheretino come under attack.
According to data from the field, this is where the new defensive line of the Ukrainian Armed Forces should pass.
“As far as I know, Ukrainians began to dig in in the Novoselovka area in the fall, when the attack on Avdievka began. That is, even then it was assumed that there would be a retreat. Actually, our troops are now advancing along the area between the former line of defense and the future one. They simply have nowhere to gain a foothold in the vicinity of Avdievka,” adds IA Regnum’s interlocutor.
On the other hand, even despite the high pace of the offensive, Russian troops are in no hurry to force the advance and are thoroughly entrenched in the lines left by the enemy.
Ukrainian sources admit that the success of the Russian offensive is ensured by total superiority in artillery and aviation. Dozens of airstrikes are carried out almost daily on the positions of Ukrainian troops. At the same time, the artillery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces cannot conduct adequate counter-battery combat due to a “shell famine” caused by a reduction in arms supplies from NATO countries.
NEW FRONT LINE
The command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces explains the retreat near Avdievka by the need to withdraw troops to new defensive lines, as well as to rotate troops. This statement is partly true: earlier, the 110th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which had been on the line of combat contact for two years without rotation, was withdrawn from the Donetsk direction.
But statements about a defense line being created in the rear raise questions.
On the one hand, photographs are published on social networks indicating that somewhere in the rear of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, defensive structures are actually being created, trenches and trenches are being dug. In front of them are built barriers of so-called dragon teeth and barbed wire, as well as minefields and anti-tank ditches.
However, firstly, it is not entirely clear whether we are talking about creating a continuous front line or about some local events.
“Beyond Avdievka, no field lines of fortifications have been built to this day. I saw our soldiers in minks in the middle of a field being attacked by Russian drones,” wrote Ukrainian military journalist Yuriy Butusov on his blog.
Other experts also note that even those defensive structures that are being built in the Donetsk direction, to put it mildly, do not look reliable. And while trenches and shelters for infantry can be considered generally adequate, fortifications designed to stop armored vehicles do not inspire confidence. It looks more like the photographs are being published on the Internet to reassure an audience that is clearly not happy about the failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
It is worth noting that the terrain in the Avdievka area is absolutely not suitable for defense. On a predominantly flat, treeless terrain, any positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces lie in full view of the Russian troops. Soldiers really have absolutely no place to hide from drones, and armored vehicles from artillery fire.
Defense in this direction was possible as long as Ukrainian troops held the residential areas of Avdievka and industrial zones. Now it is necessary to look for new lines of defense. The command of the Ukrainian troops "Tavria" declares that the new front will be built along the Durnaya River - the only natural line in the area.
“The defense there should be facilitated by the relief itself: there is a cascade of reservoirs, and this was the chosen priority. Thus, units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Avdievka direction continue to conduct a defensive operation,” the headquarters of the group of Ukrainian troops reported.
It can be assumed that withdrawal beyond the water barrier is planned on other sectors of the front. In particular, in the area of the settlements of Krasnogorovka and Nevelskoye. After the liberation of Mar'inka (to the south) and Avdievka (to the north), Ukrainian Armed Forces units in this area may be surrounded. Therefore, the retreat option seems quite logical. Although the “patriotic public” in Kyiv will clearly not be happy with this scenario.
While the West is increasingly reducing arms supplies, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are losing the ability to hold a new front. This fact, in particular, was noted by Zev Feintush, an intelligence analyst at the security company Global Guardian, in an interview with Newsweek.
According to the expert, if the US Congress does not agree on aid supplies to Kyiv in the foreseeable future, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not be able to stabilize the front.
“If the US aid bill is not passed soon, there will be more Avdievkas as Russia uses this opportunity to consolidate its gains near Donetsk,” Feintush said.
Therefore, the creation of new defensive lines by the Ukrainian army in the future will not be able to stop the advance of the Russian army. Following the example of how the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were destroyed near Avdievka, defense units that are now being built in the Ukrainian rear will also be opened and destroyed.
However, if Ukrainian troops have been preparing to defend Avdievka for many years, the new defensive line is being built hastily and with a lack of funds. Therefore, Kyiv’s bet on maintaining this line looks like a losing one.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Permanent member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, head of the FSB Alexander Bortnikov said that there are many CIA bases of the United States of America on Ukrainian territory. He said this on Channel One.
When asked whether there are many CIA bases in Ukraine, Bortnikov briefly answered that there are many.
“They went there a long time ago, they use their resources so that both themselves and <...> representatives of the Ukrainian special services do the dirty work that we are talking about today,” added the director of the Security Service.
According to Bortnikov, the Americans, British and French are actively using Ukraine for their own purposes. At the same time, the general assured that “work is underway” and Russian forces will “reach” the CIA bases.
As Regnum reported, the number of Central Intelligence Agency bases in Ukraine is probably much larger than the 12 that the media wrote about. This was stated on February 29 by the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov on Channel One.
He added that Russia is an adversary for the CIA.
The New York Times newspaper, citing former and current officials of the Kiev regime, the United States and Europe, wrote that over the past eight years, the CIA has created 12 secret facilities on the territory of Ukraine near its border with Russia.
In October 2023, The Washington Post wrote that since 2015, the US Central Intelligence Agency has allocated tens of millions of dollars to turn Ukrainian intelligence services into an ally against Russia. According to journalists, the CIA maintains a significant presence in Ukraine.
On February 21, the Public Relations Center of the FSB of Russia announced that the Federal Security Service had established the fact of intelligence activities of British intelligence services in the Kherson region.
The Washington Post noted that over 20 thousand foreign mercenaries of more than 50 nationalities are in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The media clarified that they performed unspecified functions there, likely related to logistical support and training. The CIA finances and partially equips an extensive network of spy bases throughout Ukraine.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky arrived on the front line, he called the situation there difficult and accused individual commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of failures. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on February 29 in the Telegram channel.
According to Syrsky, the situation in the area where the Ukrainian troops are conducting the operation remains difficult. He called the situation in the Avdeevka and Zaporozhye directions particularly tense.
Syrsky noted that there are severe clashes in the area of Rabotino and Verbovoy. He also stated that in the work of some commanders, miscalculations in mastering the situation were discovered.
As Regnum reported, Ukrainian troops will continue to retreat due to problems in receiving assistance from the West, said retired junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Gudymenko. He added that the Russian army's offensive will continue.
The head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, announced mass checks of the Ukrainian troops against the backdrop of their surrender of Avdiivka and Krynok. According to him, first of all it is necessary to solve the problem of reserves, since their unpreparedness has led to significant consequences.
Zelensky also admitted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will continue to retreat under the pressure of the Russian army and Ukraine will lose new territories every day. The ratio of forces between Ukraine and Russia is one to seven, he added.
The combat effectiveness of even the most elite units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been severely undermined due to serious losses, noted columnists for the American military magazine Military Watch Magazine on February 27. Front-line units suffer huge losses, reaching 80–90% of their combat strength.
[Regnum] The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexander Syrsky, criticized high-ranking subordinates for the failure of the army in Zaporozhye and Donbass. British military expert Alexander Merkouris spoke about this.
According to the analyst, the commander-in-chief was indignant at the situation at the front and blamed the officers.
“Syrsky blames his subordinates. He accused local commanders of the fact that the situation in Zaporozhye and near Avdiivka is worsening,” Merkouris said in his blog on the YouTube channel.
The expert also explained that the commander-in-chief is trying to change the position of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the better, sending more and more people into battle.
“But the Russian army cannot be contained,” admitted Alexander Merkouris.
As reported by IA Regnum, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky arrived on the front line, he called the situation there difficult and accused individual commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of failures.
About 20 Ukrainian militants were killed during an attempt to land on the Tendra spit in the Kherson region, one of them was captured, the regional governor Vladimir Saldo said on February 29.
Saboteurs from the 73rd Center for Special Naval Operations tried to land from high-speed boats on the Tendra Spit. There are no populated areas in this part of the Black Sea coast of the Kherson region; rather, this is what the enemy was counting on. Kiev recognized the liquidation of an elite detachment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kherson region. The exact number of deaths was not stated.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than a third of the US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles supplied to them. The American magazine The National Interest wrote about this.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting of the departmental board on February 27 that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are losing 800 or more people per day, as well as 120 units of weapons and equipment. He noted that during the special operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 444,000 military personnel.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Russia plans to restore production of the A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft (AWACS). This was stated by the head of the Rostec state corporation Sergei Chemezov.
“Of course, this plane is needed. Of course we will do it. Not only does our army need it, but it also goes very well for export,” the head of the state corporation answered TASS when asked about the resumption of production of the A-50.
As Regnum reported, in January the Russian government approved a program to expand the production of aircraft, engines and instruments.
At the same time, on February 5, the press service of the developer PJSC Yakovlev reported that a new training aircraft for civil aviation would be created on the basis of the Yak-152.
The company noted that the technical appearance of the new training aircraft will be developed jointly with the Federal Air Transport Agency. The company called providing Russian military educational institutions with Yak-152 aircraft its top priority. At the same time, Yakovlev did not rule out exporting the aircraft in the future.
[Regnum] Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking on February 29 with his annual message to the Federal Assembly, said that tests of the Burevestnik unlimited-range cruise missile are being completed.
“Tests of the Burevestnik unlimited-range cruise missile and the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle are being completed. These systems have confirmed their high, one can say without exaggeration, unique characteristics,” he said.
As Regnum reported, Vladimir Putin first announced the development of the Burevestnik missile in 2018. According to data available in open sources, we are talking about an intercontinental cruise missile, which has an almost unlimited destruction range due to its nuclear power plant.
The Ministry of Defense noted: “Burevestnik” is practically invulnerable both to existing air defense and missile defense systems, and to anti-aircraft systems that may appear in the medium term. In the future, the missile could be equipped with a nuclear warhead, which would make it a real “doomsday” weapon.
On February 20, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to the Russian President that work on Peresvet, Poseidon, Sarmat, Burevestnik and Avangard is at the final stage.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said on February 29 that the daily territorial acquisitions of the Russian Armed Forces are “very alarming.”
“Every single day we see that the Russians continue to press and achieve gradual territorial gains. This is very alarming,” Austin said at a US Congressional hearing.
Without the support of Washington, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to be inferior to the Russian Armed Forces in artillery and will be in danger due to the lack of “adequate” air defense systems, the head of the Pentagon added.
As Regnum reported, at the end of February 2024, after the liberation of Avdeevka, the Russian Ministry of Defense also reported the liberation of the settlements of Severnoye, Lastochkino and Petrovskoye.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu previously informed the Ministry of Defense board that after the capture of Avdievka, the Russian Armed Forces continue to improve the situation in the Donetsk and Kupyansk directions, capturing new frontiers and positions. Since the beginning of 2024, about 327 square kilometers of the territory of new Russian regions have been liberated in all directions by February 27.
Kyiv authorities are afraid that if Western countries do not resume supplies of ammunition to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces will break through the defenses of the Kyiv army by the summer of 2024, Bloomberg reported on February 29, citing informed sources. The Kiev regime is facing catastrophic consequences due to the fact that the US Congress did not approve the allocation of additional military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, US President Joseph Biden noted in turn on February 27.
A bill on military assistance to Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel in the amount of $95 billion (including $60 billion to Kiev) was previously approved by the US Senate. At the same time, Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson clarified that this document will not even be considered, since the US authorities must first resolve the issue of protecting the border with Mexico and only then allocate such significant funds to other countries. Later, the lower house of the US Congress went on another vacation until the end of February without voting on this bill.
Austin also said on February 29 that if Ukraine is defeated in the conflict with Russia, then NATO “will have” to fight with the Russian Federation.
Russian anti-satellite weapons pose a threat to US national security, Stephen Whiting, head of the US Army Space Command, said on February 29.
Despite conducting a special military operation in Ukraine and economic sanctions imposed by the West, Russia continues to develop a complex of anti-satellite weapons, Whiting said at a hearing in the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
“Russia's counter-satellite capabilities pose a credible threat to the space domain, our national security, and our command's ability to respond decisively to protect our interests and those of our allies and partners,” Whiting said.
As Regnum reported, on February 21, Bloomberg observers, citing informed sources, wrote: US authorities are confident that Russia can deploy nuclear weapons in space as early as 2024. The publication noted that Washington warned its allies in this regard. Later, US President Joseph Biden stated that Moscow is creating anti-satellite space weapons that do not pose a direct threat to human life.
Russia has always opposed the militarization of space, and especially the placement of nuclear weapons in it, and does not do anything in space that other countries would not do, President Vladimir Putin said on February 20.
Statements heard in the West about Russia's alleged deployment of nuclear weapons in space are a hoax aimed at drawing Moscow into negotiations on Ukraine on its own terms, the president said on February 29 during the announcement of his message to the Federal Assembly.
The statement by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that the defeat of Kiev will allegedly result in a war with Russia for NATO is insane, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on February 29 in her Telegram channel.
The diplomat wondered whether these words of the head of the Pentagon were a threat against Russia or an attempt to come up with an excuse for the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky.
“Both are crazy. But now everyone sees who the aggressor is – Washington,” she wrote.
As Regnum reported, Austin previously said that the defeat of the Kiev regime in the conflict in Ukraine would lead to NATO war with Russia. He also called the daily advance of Russian troops" very alarming."
At the end of February 2024, after the liberation of Avdeevka, the Russian Ministry of Defense also announced the liberation of the settlements of Severnoye, Lastochkino and Petrovskoye.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu previously informed the Ministry of Defense board that after the capture of Avdievka, the Russian Armed Forces continue to improve the situation in the Donetsk and Kupyansk directions, capturing new frontiers and positions. Since the beginning of the year, about 327 square kilometers of the territory of new Russian regions had been liberated in all directions by February 27.
Bloomberg agency reported on February 29, citing informed sources: the Kiev authorities are afraid that in the absence of Western supplies of ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian army will break through the defenses of the Ukrainian army by the summer of 2024. It was noted that the Kyiv authorities are giving increasingly gloomy assessments of the situation in the combat zone.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Members of the terrorist organization BYPOL, created by former law enforcement officers of Belarus, close to the opposition, are training at Polish training grounds to carry out a military coup in the republic. This was reported by the Belgian TV channel VRT with reference to the leader of the organization Alexander Azarov.
The publication noted that BYPOL supports the leader of the democratic opposition Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
“A group of former Belarusian police and military officers say they have a plan to overthrow President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the republic since 1994,” the authors wrote.
Azarov worked in the special services of Belarus, but due to his own convictions he quit, fled to Ukraine, and then to Poland, where he organized BYPOL.
The organization's members, hundreds of people, are trained by former special forces in Polish army camps.
As Regnum reported, the BYPOL organization, created by ex-law enforcement officers of Belarus, claimed responsibility for sabotage against an A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces at the Belarusian Machulishchi airfield in February 2023. The attack on the plane was carried out using drones.
Lukashenko previously announced that Western countries were preparing to invade the territory of Belarus. According to him, “fugitive Belarusians” are not spared there and are being turned into militants for a future attack. Former Deputy Polish Minister of Defense Waldemar Skrzypczak said that Warsaw expects an armed coup in Belarus and is preparing to support opponents of the current Belarusian government through military means
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] A publication in the German tabloid Bild, according to which Russia is allegedly hatching a four-stage war plan against NATO, is aimed solely at maintaining the fears of the local population about an imaginary threat. Journalists of the publication, explaining another “horror story,” referred to a document from the German government, which, according to Bild, was presented to the deputies of the Bundestag.
This is how military-political publicist Mikhail Onufrienko assessed the article in the German publication in a commentary to a Regnum correspondent.
The expert noted that if we take the above-mentioned material seriously, we will have to conclude that Russia has already completed half of the plan, the result of which supposedly should be an attack on Germany. However, it is difficult to perceive Bild’s analytics without irony, Onufrienko admitted. After all, otherwise it’s time for Germany to prepare for the fact that a full-scale Russian invasion awaits it today or tomorrow.
“We are not shooting down satellites yet, but this is assumed if you follow the tabloid’s narrative, because we carried out an information campaign, deployed nuclear weapons in Belarus, and advanced to the borders of NATO,” the expert listed. — All that remains is to conduct new exercises in Belarus, shoot down a couple of satellites and move on to Germany. We will attack the chemical plants that are being closed and occupy Europe, it is also unclear why.”
IA Regnum’s interlocutor suggested that the next anti-Russian material in the German media is most likely aimed at maintaining fears among the country’s population regarding Russia in the face of imaginary threats emanating from it.
“This is another attempt to explain why Germany spends money, transfers weapons to the Kiev regime, and incurs losses,” the expert noted. “This should explain the logic of containing Russia at distant borders.”
The European population as a whole, unfortunately, succumbs to such information pressure, Onufrienko complained. Many people, including in Germany, really believe that Russia can attack. The Germans ultimately fear Russian military power more than anyone else in Europe, the expert stated.
Earlier, IA Regnum reported that the German tabloid Bild published a theoretical plan for Russia’s attack on the NATO bloc, citing government data.
The first phase involves covert cyber attacks and a massive disinformation campaign allegedly aimed at dividing and destabilizing society and undermining Europeans' trust in liberal democracy. The second phase, according to Bild, will be accompanied by provocative large-scale maneuvers of the Russian army near the borders of NATO. Disabling space satellites and attacks on chemical plants and nuclear reactors in Germany are not excluded.
Then the German government allegedly expects a Russian attack on NATO, a series of targeted attacks on Germany and the massive disabling of satellites of the alliance countries. After this, Russian troops, according to the German publication, will try to break through to German territory, attacking on the ground, in the air and at sea. A conflict on a global scale will unfold in space.
However, the West itself has provoked conflicts around the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his message to the Federal Assembly on February 29. And the version that Russian troops are preparing to attack Europe is a lie, the head of state added.
“They are talking nonsense that we are going to attack Europe,” Putin said.
He added that in the West they themselves choose targets for striking Russia, trying to choose the most effective means of destruction. And it was NATO that repeatedly expanded to the East, and Sweden and Finland, among others, were drawn into the military bloc.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Scientists from the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have confirmed the fact of permanent residence of the Red Book forest reindeer in the Tyumen region.
Zoologists conducted photomonitoring in the Uvat region. The lenses of camera traps installed near deer trails recorded about 60 individuals of this species. The research allowed us to obtain valuable information about the habits of deer and the population size. It was also possible to prove the fact of the permanent habitat of the Red Book animal in the south of the Tyumen region. As it turned out, during the snowless period, deer mainly lead a family-solitary lifestyle, and with the onset of cold weather they gather in herds of several dozen individuals.
The research is carried out within the framework of the long-term grant program of RN-Uvatneftegaz (part of the Rosneft oil and gas production complex) to study the state of populations of various animal species included in the red books of the Tyumen region and Russia. Previously, there was no up-to-date information about forest reindeer in the region.
To track the seasonal migration routes of deer, it is planned to install camera traps and conduct aerial monitoring. Based on the data obtained, experts will develop measures to preserve the deer’s habitat and create conditions to increase the population size. To provide ungulates with vital minerals, zoologists installed salt licks with fertilizing.
Preserving the environment for future generations is an important part of Rosneft’s corporate culture. The company's subsidiaries implement various programs aimed at preserving and restoring natural resources in the regions of production activity.
[IsraelTimes] Tehran says Pars-1 ‘fully domestically developed,’ sent to space with Soyuz rocket, amid West’s concerns over Islamic Republic’s nuclear, missile capabilities.
Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... announced on Thursday the launch of a remote sensing and imaging satellite into orbit from Russia, according to state media.
The launch of Pars-I with the Russian Soyuz-2.1b launcher was broadcast live by state television ... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
in Iran.
The satellite was launched "from Russia’s Vostochny launch base," some 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles) east of Moscow, according to the official IRNA news agency.
Iran’s Telecommunications Minister Issa Zareppur said Pars-I was "fully domestically developed" in Iran, which he said carried out a dozen satellite launches over the past two years.
The Iranian state TV said the 110-kilogram (242-pound) satellite has three cameras to take images for environmental, agricultural and other purposes.
It said the satellite will be put into orbit around the North and South Poles, synchronized to be in the same fixed position relative to the Sun, and will be fully functional after a calibration of its systems.
In January, Iran said it simultaneously launched three satellites into orbit, nearly a week after the launch of a research satellite by its Revolutionary Guards.
Western governments including the United States have repeatedly warned Iran against such launches, saying the same technology can be used for ballistic missiles, including ones designed to deliver a nuclear warhead.
Iran has countered that it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defense purposes only.
In August 2022, Russia launched Iran’s remote-sensing Khayyam satellite into orbit from Kazakhstan amid controversy that Moscow might use it to boost its surveillance of military targets in its war in Ukraine.
Moscow has sought to strengthen its alliances with other countries ostracized by the West, including Iran, which has been accused of supplying Moscow with armed drones for its offensive in Ukraine.
This month, the United States said it would soon impose new sanctions on Iran over its backing for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tehran denies the allegations.
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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.
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...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
