• Navalny, the Farnesina summons the Russian ambassador.
• The dissident's mother's appeal to Putin: “Let the body be returned.”
• Putin: “Italy has always been close to Russia.”
• Moscow puts Navalny's brother on the wanted list.
10:22 a.m. – EU gives the green light for the 13th sanctions package against Moscow
EU ambassadors have given the political green light to the 13th package of sanctions over Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The EU Presidency explains that this is one of the largest packages adopted by the EU. It will undergo a written procedure and be officially approved by February 24, the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.
10:05 a.m. – UNHCR, the displaced Ukrainians' hopes of returning are fading
Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people are losing hope of returning home sooner or later. This was determined by the United Nations Refugee Agency based on a survey conducted between January and February with interviews with about 10,000 Ukrainian families of refugees, internally displaced persons and repatriates. According to the study, the majority of Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons (65% and 72% respectively) have always expressed a desire to return to their homeland. Currently, nearly 6.5 million Ukrainian refugees have applied for asylum worldwide, while approximately 3.7 million people remain displaced within the country. The war, now in its third year, and the increase in attacks on energy facilities, with thousands of homes without basic services such as electricity and heating and just as much destruction caused by bombing, have deepened disillusionment and more people are expressing uncertainty about returning home. Displaced people interviewed cited insecurity in Ukraine as the main reason preventing their return, while other concerns include the lack of economic and housing opportunities. In addition, refugees report that they continue to face difficulties in host countries, particularly regarding employment opportunities and legal status. After two years of all-out war in Ukraine, which brought massive destruction, bombings and rocket attacks across the country, humanitarian conditions remain dire in Ukraine, where around 40% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, UNHCR stresses .
9:54 a.m. – Kiev attacks a Russian base in Donetsk with the Himars, 60 dead
The Ukrainian army launched an attack with two Himars missiles against a Russian training camp near the village of Trudovskoye in Donetsk's Volnovakha district. The BBC service reports in Russian. At the time of the attack, which apparently occurred yesterday, the soldiers of the 36th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Guards were in formation at the training ground. According to estimates, there are around 60 victims among the Kremlin soldiers. Photos and videos, which the BBC says it is not publishing for ethical reasons, show dozens of deaths. Ukraine did not comment on information about the Himars attack.
9:21 a.m. – The difficulties of the Ukrainians on the battlefield
(Lorenzo Cremonesi) Between 850 and 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers were captured by the Russians or are in any case missing. The New York Times reports on it. It happened last week in the final hours of the Battle of Avdiivka. So far, the Ukrainian command admits that some soldiers have been captured, especially in the Fort Zenith area. “In the final phase of the operations, some Ukrainians fell into the hands of the Russians under the pressure of overwhelming enemy forces,” said the Ukrainian commander in the region, General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, last Saturday. However, an exact number was never revealed. Some soldiers reported that six of their wounded were captured or even killed at Fort Zenith.
However, a worrying picture emerges for the Ukrainians as the battle progresses. In recent days, many soldiers have also told the Courier here in the immediate rear of Avdiivka of a late retreat and essentially chaos as the Russians advanced protected by drones, artillery and their complete control of the airspace. The elite troops of the Third Brigade also arrived late; they were supposed to secure the escape corridors, but had to quickly retreat themselves.
“If the Allies had guaranteed us sufficient ammunition and missiles, Avdiivka would not have fallen,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said yesterday. Many here agree, but some officers add that the defeat “had many causes, not just the lack of ammunition.” Including the lack of soldiers. The troops at the front are tired and need replacements. But there are no reserves.
9:16 a.m. – Ukraine raises allegations: Some of our prisoners were executed
(Lorenzo Cremonesi) The two Ukrainian soldiers come limping out of the trench. One holds the other, who appears to be injured. They appear unarmed, but have no rifle in their hands, no helmet and show no aggressive intentions. Around them you can see some Russian soldiers stationed a few meters away with machine guns at the ready. The scene is filmed by a drone flying over the battlefield; a third Ukrainian can be seen lying on the ground. The Ukrainians look at the Russians. We don't know if they're shouting something. But the Russian shots are clearly visible. The two collapse in the mud. A few seconds and the Russian shoots again, bodies shaking with tremors. A complete execution of soldiers who were supposed to be prisoners of war in violation of the Geneva Conventions. According to Ukrainian authorities, the shooting occurred on February 18 near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region, where the Russians were attempting to advance last week. And it would by no means be an isolated case.
The Ukrainians showed other videos that would show the cold killing of their wounded soldiers who were ready to throw down their weapons as the Russians captured the town of Avdiivka in central Donbass last week. The most serious crimes occurred in the ruins of “Fort Zenith,” one of the positions most stubbornly defended by the Ukrainians. This is nothing new. Since the first days of the invasion two years ago, Kiev authorities have accused the Russian army of “serial war crimes” and today called on the Red Cross and the United Nations to open an investigation. But it is also true that there have been repeated prisoner exchanges between the two countries since the beginning of summer 2022. Yesterday, Putin wanted to respond to the Ukrainian allegations and, together with his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, reaffirmed Russia's determination to “treat prisoners in accordance with international conventions.”
8:55 a.m. – Kiev denies losing a bridgehead on the Dnipro River
Ukraine has denied losing Krynky, its bridgehead on the Russian-occupied bank of the Dnipro River, the day after the Russian defense minister announced the capture. “We officially report that this information is not true,” the Ukrainian army command on the southern front wrote on social media. “Southern Ukraine Defense Forces continue to hold their positions (in Krynky).”
8:32 a.m. – Kiev: The Russian armed forces suffered 1,130 casualties on the last day
Russia has lost 406,080 soldiers in Ukraine since the war began on February 24, 2022, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported. This figure includes 1,130 casualties suffered by Russian forces over the past day. According to the report, Russia also lost 6,516 tanks, 12,338 armored fighting vehicles, 12,861 fuel vehicles and tanks, 9,826 artillery systems, 992 multiple rocket systems, 678 air defense systems, 338 aircraft, 325 helicopters, 7,560 drones and 25 boats.
8:10 a.m. – Poll: In the EU, only 10% believe Moscow will defeat
Support for Ukraine among Europeans remains high, but almost two years after the invasion, only about 10% of the population believe Russia can be defeated, according to a European-level poll published in the Guardian. At this point, according to the study commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) think tank, the most likely end to the conflict will involve a “compromise agreement”, which will require a more “realistic” approach on the part of the focus. The focus was on defining what what an acceptable peace actually means. “To justify continued European support for Ukraine, EU leaders need to change the way they talk about the war,” said Mark Leonard, co-author of the Ecfr survey. The survey shows that pessimism about the outcome of the war is fueled by a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has not produced the expected results, growing fears of a change in US policy and the prospect of a second term for American President Donald Trump . Across all countries, the poll found the most widespread opinion, shared by an average of 37% of respondents, is that the war will end with a “compromise agreement,” although some countries are more positive about this outcome than others. When it comes to aid to Ukraine, respondents in Sweden (50%), Portugal (48%) and Poland (47%) are more likely to say Europe should continue to provide military support to the country, while respondents in Hungary (64%) and Greece are more likely to say that Europe should continue to support the country militarily (59%), while Italy (52%) and Austria (49%) prefer to press Kiev to accept an agreement. Opinions are more evenly divided in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
7:36 a.m. – Kiev, a Russian fighter-bomber shot down
The Ukrainian Air Force shot down a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber yesterday evening: Air Force commander Mykola Oleschuk announced this on Telegram, Ukrainska Pravda reports. “Minus one, we continue to work.” The crew of the Su-34 joins our column “Eternal flight, brothers!”,” the message says.
6:41 a.m. – Two missiles and 13 Russian drones shot down during the night
During the night, Russian forces attacked the territory of Ukraine with various types of Shahed-type missiles and drones. This was reported by the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russia reportedly deployed an S-300 anti-aircraft missile and four Kh-22 cruise missiles fired from the Rostov region, a Kh-59 guided missile from the Belgorod region and 19 Shahed drones from Russia's Primorsky-Akhtarsk region. According to the Air Force, the Kh-59 air-guided missile was destroyed in the Poltava region of Ukraine and destroyed 13 of 19 within the borders of the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions. Some of the six drones that were not shot down did not reach their targets, the Air Force adds.
6:37 a.m. – Former FBI informant's lies could impact US elections
Prosecutors investigating Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant accused of lying about the Biden family's business dealings in Ukraine, said he was “actively spreading new lies that could impact the U.S. election.” “. Smirnov is suspected of meeting with Russian spies late last year to obtain information about the US President's son Hunter Biden. According to prosecutors, the consequences of his previous false corruption allegations against the Bidens are “still being felt today.” CNN reports on it.
06.30 a.m. – Moscow, the liberation of Avdiivka happened quickly, but it took a long time to prepare
Avdiivka was liberated in a relatively short time, but this phase was preceded by a long period of preparation. This was stated by the Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. “To date, the main task assigned to us has been fulfilled, Avdeevka has been liberated. “I must say that she was liberated in a relatively short time, but this moment was preceded by a long period of preparation,” Gerasimov said in a statement released by the Russian Defense Ministry Video. Yesterday, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that preparations for the liberation of Avdeevka began in the fall of 2023 and that the operation was carried out in such a way as to minimize losses in the ranks of the Russian army.
05.45 a.m. – New: Hundreds of soldiers are captured or missing after the withdrawal from Avdiivka
The New York Times expresses reservations about the assessment publicly expressed by U.S. officials that the loss of Avdiivka would not represent a significant defeat for Ukraine: This assessment, the newspaper writes, does not take into account the loss of hundreds of Avdiivka soldiers during the Withdrawal, a factor “that could change the strategic calculation”. In fact, the newspaper reminds that the morale of the Ukrainian armed forces “has already fallen due to the failure of last year's counteroffensive and the removal of commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny.” For this reason, too, it would become increasingly difficult for Kiev to recruit new soldiers: the leaders of the Ukrainian armed forces have stated that they want to mobilize an additional 500,000 troops, but “the request faces political resistance and is blocked in parliament.” . The capture of hundreds of soldiers, “especially men with field experience, would increase manpower needs and further complicate recruiting efforts,” the US newspaper warns.
5:06 a.m. – Trump: “I'm being politically persecuted like Navalny”
Donald Trump compared his problems with the American justice system to political persecution and compared his fate to that of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny, who died in prison last week. The former president was fined $355 million on Friday for committing financial fraud by inflating the value of his real estate empire to obtain cheaper financing from banks. A sanction he compared to the treatment of Vladimir Putin's main opponent in Russia. “It's a form of Navalny.” “A form of communism or fascism,” he said during a public meeting in South Carolina. And not only that: the judge who sentenced him was “a madman, he decided that I was guilty before the trial began.” Trump didn't mention Putin on Fox News. He simply praised Navalny as a “very brave man” who “probably would have been better off staying away and speaking from outside the country” rather than returning to Russia. “I’ve had eight or nine trials because I’m in politics,” Trump concluded. Navalny's death sparked a wave of outrage in Western countries and US President Joe Biden made clear statements about Putin's responsibility. However, Donald Trump did not respond immediately and was attacked by his rival for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley.