Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:05 The first batch of shells contracted by the Czech Republic may arrive in Ukraine in just a few weeks, said Director General for Defense Policy Jan Ires.
21:34 The IAEA said that on the morning of February 28, agency experts heard an explosion some distance from the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, which was likely followed by small arms fire near or on the site.
21:26 Russian propagandists are again announcing the Russian army’s march on Kiev. Bloomberg writes that Putin has not abandoned his original goals of capturing major Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Odessa. Meanwhile, several defense lines with a length of about a thousand kilometers have been created around the Ukrainian capital. Read more in the article New Russian campaign against Kiev .
20:52 Argentine President Javier Miley ordered the transfer of two helicopters to Ukraine, writes the Financial Times. Earlier, media reported that Argentina intended to transfer to Ukraine two Mi-171E multi-purpose helicopters, which were purchased from Russia.
20:42 On March 7, Macron gathers party leaders from the French parliament to discuss “the situation in Ukraine,” writes Le Figaro.
19:57 Switzerland has joined the 13th package of EU sanctions against Russia, the measures came into force on March 1, the Federal Council announced.
18:29 Canada has banned the indirect import of Russian diamonds weighing more than a carat, the country's Foreign Ministry reported. This restriction is in addition to the ban on Russian diamonds announced in December 2023.
18:23 Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Alexander Syrsky, Air Force Commander Nikolai Oleshchuk and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov held a special military briefing for Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on the situation at the front, Zelensky said.
17:38 The Netherlands announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine. It will include, in particular, highly maneuverable rubber and patrol boats, as well as landing ships. The Netherlands also allocated 250 million euros to the Czech initiative to order artillery shells for Ukraine.
16:54 Zelensky said that together with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte in Kharkov, he inspected buildings damaged as a result of Russian shelling and paid tribute to the memory of children who died due to Russian aggression. The President emphasized that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in Kharkov, more than 20 thousand buildings have been destroyed, including schools, universities, houses, kindergartens and churches.
16:47 Zelensky said that he and Mark Rutte signed a bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the Netherlands. According to the president, the document provides for 2 billion euros in military assistance from the Netherlands this year, as well as subsequent defense assistance over the next ten years. The agreement also defines assistance priorities in the field of air defense, artillery, naval and long-range weapons, with a special emphasis on strengthening the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In addition, the agreement formalizes the principled position of the Netherlands to strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation, force it to compensate for damages and hold it accountable. According to the document, the Netherlands also supports Ukraine's future membership in the EU and NATO.
16:16 Defense forces destroyed an X-59 missile in the Krivoy Rog region, the Shid Air Command reported.
15:31 Crimean public pages write about explosions in Sevastopol and the Saki region, as well as about a hit on the base in Gvardeyskoye, after which the power went out in the village. “Governor” of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev announced the work of air defense in Sevastopol, as well as the alleged use of standard camouflage equipment by the military.
15:24 France will not send combat troops to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejournet said. “The French will not die for Ukraine,” he emphasized.
14:46 The Russian army is making a powerful push towards Chasov Yar, said Ilya Yevlash, spokesman for the Khortitsa group of troops. According to him, Russian troops consider this settlement key for continuing the offensive against Konstantinovka and the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration. At the same time, Yevlash added that several defense circles have been erected around Chasov Yar. There are also minefields in this direction - both anti-tank and anti-personnel. Anti-tank ramparts and embankments have also been installed to prevent the advance of heavy equipment.
14:11 Biden expects the G7 countries to make progress on the issue of transferring Russian assets to Ukraine by the June summit, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. We are talking about the use of $280 billion of assets of the Russian Central Bank, in particular, the use of money as collateral to attract debt or issue guarantees.
13:25 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense confirmed an attack on the Russian missile and gun complex Pantsir S-1 in the Belgorod region. After the strike, the complex was disabled and two members of its crew were injured. The S-1 shell is designed to cover military and military-industrial facilities; its cost is about $15 million.
13:04 In the Avdeevsky direction, the operational situation is dynamic, said Commander Tarnavsky. The defense forces continue the defense operation and in some places are restoring lost positions, setting up additional squad positions, firing positions, and observation posts. At the same time, the Russians are increasing the intensity of artillery shelling, have a significant advantage in ammunition, are increasing the number of assault groups - up to a battalion-tactical group, are throwing new reserves into action, and therefore “have some local successes.”
12:47 Ukrainian pilots are already practicing striking targets on the F-16, said Air Force spokesman Ignat.
12:23 Chinese Foreign Ministry speaker Mao Ning, after yesterday’s threats from Putin with nuclear weapons towards the West, said that there will be no winners in a nuclear war: “There will be no winners in a nuclear war, China calls on all parties to maintain restraint.” She also recalled that in January 2022, the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states made a joint statement that “a nuclear war cannot be won and cannot be started.”
12:16 Responsible for the Russian special operation Maidan-3 against Ukraine are Putin’s former assistant Vladislav Surkov and deputy head of the Kremlin administration Sergei Kiriyenko, said GUR representative Andrei Yusov. According to him, people who are in Ukraine and act as objects of influence are involved in this campaign to undermine the situation inside Ukraine, they are being checked.
12:07 Canada can send military personnel to Ukraine, but not to participate in hostilities, Defense Minister Bill Blair said. According to him, we can talk about sending a limited number of military personnel to train Ukrainians on the territory of Ukraine, provided that such an operation will be carried out far from the front line.
11:58 This year, a new curriculum will be introduced in seven vocational schools in the Lviv, Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev, Kirovograd, Nikolaev, Sumy and Chernihiv regions - Civil Drone Operator, said the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Mikhail Fedorov. According to him, thanks to the support of the European Union, drones have already been purchased for practical training and teachers have been trained.
11:39 Ukraine has already signed security agreements with six countries: Great Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, Zelensky said.
11:32 The blocking of the Lithuanian-Polish border by Polish farmers is similar to the Kremlin’s attempts to quarrel between Ukraine’s two biggest supporters, said Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. She recalled that similar attempts had been made before. For example, it was stated that Ukrainian refugees receive more support than native residents of the countries. “I would like to draw attention to the fact that protests by farmers in the European Union are one of the most discussed topics in the programs of Russian propagandists,” the prime minister added.
11:11 Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets called the report of his Russian colleague that the Russian Federation is allegedly ready to transfer to Kiev the bodies of prisoners killed in the Il-76 accident as speculation. According to him, Moscow has still not handed over the official lists, has not confirmed the fact, and has not provided international organizations with access to the site of the tragedy.
“I emphasize that Ukraine’s position is unchanged: we demand a transparent investigation, access to the crash site, and from the first day we demanded official lists and repatriation of bodies and relevant examinations (if confirmed),” Lubinets wrote.
11:02 Russia is ready to transfer to Ukraine the remains of Ukrainian prisoners who died in the Il-76 crash in the Belgorod region, Russian Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova said: “Yes, we are ready, for this we have everything necessary from a procedural point of view... The bodies can be transferred according to the procedures that exist." According to her, Kyiv has already contacted Moscow regarding the transfer of bodies. The Ombudsman added that the Russian side has the DNA of all the victims.
10:24 Ukraine will become a member of NATO, but it is not yet possible to say when, said Deputy Secretary General of the Alliance Mircea Joan: “We cannot say when exactly, but one day a sovereign Ukraine will become part of both NATO and the EU. This war will probably continue "For some time, NATO will therefore continue to support Ukraine and avoid escalation in relations with Russia."
10:08 The British government has privately called on Germany to provide Kiev with Taurus long-range missiles, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. According to them, senior British ministers and officials have repeatedly made it clear to Germany that Ukraine is in dire need of Taurus missiles.
09:59 Air defense at night destroyed all four Shahed-type attack UAVs, which Russia attacked from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and Kursk, the Air Force command reported. The drones were destroyed within the Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk regions. In addition, at night the Russian Federation attacked with five S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the occupied Donetsk and Belgorod regions.
09:35 Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala said that “no one in Europe” is going to send troops into Ukraine. According to him, the overwhelming majority of participants at the summit in Paris came to the conclusion that the issue of sending troops would not be discussed and considered further.
09:06 In the Kharkov region, the Russians dropped ammunition from a drone in the village. Mitrofanovka, Kupyansky district - two people were wounded, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. Another person was wounded as a result of enemy shelling by a UAV in Volchansk. In addition, as a result of enemy air strikes by FAB-500 in the village of Osinovo, Kupyansky district, one person was wounded.
08:58 As a result of yesterday's rocket attack on Yulyevka, Zaporozhye region, one person was killed and one was wounded, said the head of the OBA, Ivan Fedorov.
08:39 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of March 1:
- personnel - about 414,680 (+920) people,
- tanks - 6610 (+17),
- armored combat vehicles - 12,582 (+30),
- artillery systems - 10 106 (+36),
- MLRS - 1000 (+0),
- air defense systems - 691 (+1),
- aircraft - 345 (+3),
- helicopters - 325 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 7794 (+26),
- cruise missiles - 1912 (+0),
- ships/boats - 25 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 13,206 (+54),
- special equipment - 1611 (+10).
08:32 Over the past 24 hours, 83 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, in the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy tried 30 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Georgievka, Pobeda, Novomikhailovka of the Donetsk region. Another 25 enemy attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction in the Berdychi, Orlovka, Tonenky, Pervomaisky, Nevelsky districts of the Donetsk region.
In the Kupyansk direction, the Defense Forces repelled two enemy attacks in the Petropavlovka 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; in Bakhmutsky - two attacks in the Ivanovsky and Kleshcheevka districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - one attack in the Rabotino area of the Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the Defense Forces continue to hold positions and repelled four assaults by Russian troops on the left bank of the Dnieper.
08:25 As a result of shelling in the Belgorod region, the Pantsir-S1 air defense system was damaged and two servicemen were wounded, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. According to sources, four drones attacked the area near the village of Golovchino in the Grayvoronsky district at noon on February 29. The drones exploded, causing damage to the Russian self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system Pantsir-S1.
In addition, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that drones were allegedly shot down and intercepted over the Belgorod and Nizhny Novgorod regions at night. The authorities of Nizhny Novgorod Dzerzhinsk said that three drones were shot down over the city at night, there were no casualties or destruction, “the factories are operating normally.” This city is home to a large explosives production plant.
08:13 The Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked a BC warehouse near Mariupol, said advisor to the mayor of the city Pyotr Andryushchenko. He clarified that the attack was carried out on the Russian base in the northwest in the direction of the village. Old Crimea - Kamenskoye - Kalchik. After another explosion on the afternoon of February 29, ambulances were seen leaving the area towards Melekino.
06:00 Japan introduced a new package of sanctions against Russia - the list included 12 individuals and 36 organizations. In particular, the concerns Kalashnikov, Almaz-Antey, Uralvagonzavod, Atomflot and others were included in the sanctions list.