7:51 p.m
Kiev: “Torture chamber discovered in Zaporizhia region”
New horror in Ukraine. The General Staff in Kiev said the Russians had set up a torture chamber in the town of Vasylivka in the occupied Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine. This was reported by the Kiev Independent, specifying that the Russians are putting more and more pressure on civilians and raiding their homes in the occupied parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. The Kyiv Independent recalls that torture sites have been found in several areas previously occupied by the Russians after being liberated by Ukrainian troops, such as the city of Kherson and Kharkiv Oblast.
7:18 p.m
Russia accuses West of ‘destabilizing G20 talks’
Russia accuses the West of “destabilizing the G20 talks”. So we read in a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, which claims that Western countries have tried to impose a joint statement on Ukraine “from an anti-Russian perspective”. “We regret that the activities of the G20 continue to be destabilized and used anti-Russian by the Western collective,” the State Department said.
18:59
European Union imposes sanctions on Wagner mercenaries: “They are a threat”
«The activities of the Wagner Group pose a threat to the people of the countries in which they operate and to the EU. They endanger international peace and security because they do not operate within a legal framework. The EU is determined to continue to take concrete action against violations of international law.” This was said by EU High Representative Josep Borrell in a statement announcing the Council’s decision to kill 11 individuals and 8 entities associated with the Wagner Group, due to the international dimension and the seriousness of their activities with a destabilizing effect, to be included on the sanctions lists.
6:15 p.m
Russian missile attack on Kramatorsk
Russian troops have launched a rocket attack on the city of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, resulting in one casualty. This was reported by Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, in a post on Facebook reported by Ukrinform. “At least one person was injured in a rocket attack by Russian occupying forces on Kramatorsk. The Russians hit a residential building with a rocket. They also hit and destroyed a local ambulance,” Kyrylenko said.
5:44 p.m
Prigozhin was blacked out by the official Russian media
Evgeny Prigozhin disappears from official Russian media: mercenary leader Wagner is said to have paid for his constant disagreements with military leaders in Moscow over the conduct of the war in Ukraine. This was revealed by the independent Russian media outlet Verstka, after which several press outlets received orders to cover up “Putin’s cook”. Prigozhin has been denouncing the failure of the invasion for some time and is in a head-to-head duel with Defense Minister Shoigu, whom he accuses, among other things, of not having supplied ammunition to the militiamen deployed in the Donbass. And now Werstka says the state media has been instructed not to quote his statements “on non-neutral topics.” According to an independent media analysis, the Kremlin-controlled news agencies have all but stopped citing Prigozhin’s statements in recent weeks, except for those directly related to Wagner’s activities on the battlefield. In addition, according to a source close to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Russian authorities have been preparing a “campaign” against Prigozhin, although they have decided not to launch it for the time being.
17:22
Zelenskyy: “Putin will be eliminated by his own entourage”
Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy said he was convinced that sooner or later Vladimir Putin would be killed by his own entourage: “There will certainly come a time when the fragility of Putin’s regime will be felt in Russia. Predators eat the predator. They will find a reason to kill the killer, but they will need a reason,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalist Dmytro Komarov, who was making a documentary a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
5:15 p.m
Wagner: “We are less than 2 km from the center of Bachmut”
Russian forces are less than two kilometers from reaching the center of Bakhmut. This was stated by the platoon commander of the Wagner mercenary group involved in the capture of the Ukrainian city in an interview with RIA Novosti. «In the center of Bakhmut remain 1,740 meters away from the advanced positions. The enemy holds the defenses, but still loses heart. It’s starting to retreat,” he said. According to the commander of the mercenaries, fierce fighting is now taking place in the city, and Russian forces are not advancing as quickly as they would like because the Ukrainian command is sending new recruits into battle to hold the city.
17:07
Meeting in Brussels between Chinese and NATO soldiers
The military of China and NATO met in Brussels on Thursday and resumed “dialogue and institutional consultations” for the first time since the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the Covid pandemic. The talks, held a day before Beijing’s release of Beijing’s 12-point plan to resolve the Ukraine crisis and amid warnings from Europe and the US to China not to supply arms to Russia, “focused on developing bilateral relations and exchanging geopolitical comments and security issues of mutual interest and to enhance mutual understanding and trust,” Beijing said in a statement.
4:13 p.m
Zelenskyy: Let’s prevent Moscow from reducing Europe to “crumbs of cement”.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Germans to make every effort to prevent Russia from “turning” Ukraine and all of Europe into “cement crumbs”. This was said in a speech at the solidarity event of the German Federal President with Ukraine, reported the press service of the Ukrainian Presidential Office quoted by UNIAN. “Dear Germans, Mr. Federal President, Mr. Federal Chancellor, Olaf, everything changed in the past year. For Ukraine, for Germany, for all of Europe and the free world. What the free world has become accustomed to in decades of peace has become something we must fight for,” said Zelenskyy. “We must do everything possible and impossible to prevent Russia from turning Ukraine, our neighbors and all of Europe into crumbs of concrete,” he stressed.
3:47 p.m
Zelenskyy: Sooner or later, Putin will be killed by his own entourage
Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelenskyy said he was convinced that sooner or later Vladimir Putin would be killed by his own entourage: “There will certainly come a time when the fragility of Putin’s regime will be felt in Russia. Predators eat the predator. They will find a reason to kill the killer, but they will need a reason,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalist Dmytro Komarov, who was making a documentary a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
2:44 p.m
Biden: «China plan? If Putin likes it, it can’t be good.”
“If Putin likes it, how can it be a good plan?” In doing so, Joe Biden has liquidated China’s proposed peace initiative for Ukraine. “This plan has only advantages for Russia,” added the US President in an interview with ABC News, stressing that the idea that China “negotiates the outcome of a completely unjust war for Ukraine is not rational.”
2:02 p.m
Biden: «China plan? If Putin likes it, how can it be good?
“If Putin likes it, how can it be a good plan?” In doing so, Joe Biden has liquidated China’s proposed peace initiative for Ukraine. “This plan has only advantages for Russia,” added the US President in an interview with ABC News, stressing that the idea that China “negotiates the outcome of a completely unjust war for Ukraine is not rational.”
1:48 p.m
G20 closes without agreement: There is no official statement
The G20 financial meeting in Bangalore ends without an official final communiqué, but with a summary of the Indian presidency, which reiterates the condemnation of the war started by Russia in Ukraine, voiced in Bali in November, backed by “most member countries” but without the support from Russia and China. That writes the agency Bloomberg.
1:17 p.m
Palazzo Chigi illuminated for the first anniversary of the invasion
“Palazzo Chigi joins the initiative of the Pontifical Foundation for the Church in Need aimed at commemorating the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. The lights on the facade of Palazzo Chigi will be switched off from 8:00 p.m. today until 1:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 26». A press release announces it.
12:31
Zelenskyy: “More pressure on Russian military and banks”
«The tenth package of European sanctions targets the Russian military industry, propaganda and the financial system. The pressure on the Russian aggressor must increase: we expect decisive steps against Rosatom and the Russian nuclear industry, more pressure on the military and banks.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.
12:25
Von der Leyen: “The most far-reaching sanctions of all time”
“I welcome the formal adoption of our tenth package of sanctions against Russia. We now have the most far-reaching sanctions ever to exhaust Russia’s war arsenal and hit its economy to the core.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured on Twitter that at the same time “the pressure is increasing on those who try to circumvent our sanctions”.
12:21
Borrell: “The tenth EU sanctions package passed”
“The tenth package of EU sanctions has been passed”. This was announced by the EU’s High Representative, Josep Borrell, on social media. «121 people and organizations listed, significant new import/export restrictions, ban on distribution of Russian propaganda. We remain united in our determination to damage Russia’s war machine,” he proclaimed.
11:15
Podolyak: China’s peace plan is unrealistic
Ukrainian President’s adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has dismissed China’s plan to end the conflict as unrealistic. “If you claim to be a global player, don’t offer an unrealistic plan. There is no betting on an aggressor who has violated international law and will lose the war. It’s not forward looking. China, the time window is not infinite». he wrote in a tweet.
10:19
Kiev: Russia doubles the number of ships deployed in the Black Sea
Ukraine’s military said yesterday that Russia had doubled the number of ships actively deployed in the Black Sea, predicting that this could be in preparation for further missile attacks. The Guardian reports on it. “In the Black Sea, the fleet of warships has doubled since Thursday: there are now eight ships,” the military command in the southern region said in an update on Facebook, “this may indicate that missile attacks and strikes from drones are being prepared,” He said one of the ships was a frigate armed with eight Kalibr missiles, the southern military command said.
10:18
Giorgetti: “No step backwards in condemning Russia”
“We cannot question what was approved in Bali and any other solution would be an unacceptable setback,” Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said before starting work on the final day of the G20, which was marked by divisions over Russia’s condemnation of the war in Ukraine.
09:55
Medvedev: ‘The West is only prolonging Ukraine’s agony’
“The West is only prolonging Ukraine’s agony in hopes of weakening Russia and then scrapping it,” Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said in an article published in National Defense and quoted by RIA Novosti. “Ukraine’s agony is being artificially prolonged by the West in hopes of wearing Russia down.” According to Medvedev, the US has spent $50 billion on military aid to Ukraine. “Russia’s defense industry is working, no western supply of arms can give Kiev an advantage,” he added.
09:40
Intelligence GB: Russia has exhausted its stocks of Iranian drones
Russia has depleted its stockpile of Iranian drones and is looking for new supplies, says the UK MoD in its usual daily update on the situation in Ukraine. No drone strikes have been reported since the 15th of the month.
08:58
Kuleba: “I do not agree with Beijing’s plan to end sanctions”
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba believes that in the position paper presented by China on the war in Ukraine “there are several elements with which we agree, but at least one element with which we disagree, and that is the call for an end to “unilateral sanctions «. “We believe – says Kuleba, quoted by some media, including Ukrainska Pravda – that sanctions are an important tool”. But in general, “this (Chinese) document is important. We study it, we have to do it from beginning to end and then draw our conclusions,” Kuleba said. “We have to be clear: 141 countries voted on a resolution that defines the principles and key elements of how this war should end. And everything that is proposed outside of this resolution must correspond to the resolution itself,” stressed the head of Kiev diplomacy.
08:02
Germany will send four more Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine
Germany will send four more Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said. The total number of tanks arriving from Germany thus increases from 14 to 18. “Together with our partners in Portugal and Sweden, we can provide a mixed battalion,” says Berlin. 31 vehicles are part of a tank battalion. Portugal will deliver 3 tanks and Sweden 10.
08:01
Usa Institute for the Study of War: Moscow’s silence on anniversary betrays failure
There was no comment or celebration from Moscow on yesterday’s anniversary of the “Special Operation,” as Russia calls the invasion of Ukraine — a fact that the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW ), conscience betrays that Russia’s war aims have failed. Isw’s comment has been quoted by various media outlets. According to ISW experts, Russia “has not achieved any of the stated goals and has not gained sufficient ground since July 2022”.
07:53
Kiev: Wounded in Russian night attack in Donetsk
At least five people were injured in night attacks by the Russians on the part of the Donetsk region under Ukrainian control, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. Two were wounded in Khasiv Yar, two in Bakhmut, one in Donetsk and one in Kostiantynivka, said the governor of the region where the fiercest fighting is taking place. Russian forces, and in particular the private militia of the Wagner group, have attempted to fully capture it and have aimed at Bakhmut for weeks, encountering very stubborn resistance.
06:41
Biden: «In 2024 I will run again»
Joe Biden He reiterated his intention to run for a second term again in 2024, but also acknowledged that it was “legitimate” to ask questions about his age. “My intention from the start was to run for a second term. But there are too many things we need to do on short notice before I launch a campaign,” the president said in an interview with ABC News. At 80, Biden is the oldest sitting president in US history. “The only thing I can say to anyone who’s worried about my age is look at me,” she said.