NATO sees the start of the new Russian spring offensive, which in fact “has already begun”. This is why NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg is urging the allies on the eve of yet another meeting in the US-led Ramstein format. “We will also talk about the possibility of supplying jets to Kiev.” Meanwhile, the US embassy in Russia has urged US citizens to leave the country “immediately”. New sanctions against Russia and other measures will be announced on February 24, the first anniversary of the invasion. Russia pushes on Bakhmut, fierce fighting. The Russian threat of a coup hangs over Moldova.
Air alert throughout Ukraine
An air alert has been triggered over the whole of Ukraine due to the risk of bombing. This is reported by all the leading Ukrainian media. A MiG-31K fighter capable of carrying missiles took off from Belarus shortly after 8 am Italian time.
Gb: progress of the Wagner group towards Bakhmut
Over the past three days, Wagner Group forces have made small advances and gained ground on the northern outskirts of the disputed city of Bakhmut, Donbass. This was reported by the British Ministry of Defense in its daily update on the war in Ukraine. “However, organized Ukrainian defense continues in the area,” British intelligence points out. “Overall, the current operational picture suggests that Russian forces are receiving orders to advance in most sectors,” the report reads, “but lack enough offensive power to achieve decisive effect.”
Shoot and advance: the attack of the Russian tanks
Dutch Defense Ministry: ‘Russian planes came from Kaliningrad’
The Dutch Defense Ministry specified that the aircraft “approached NATO’s Polish area of responsibility from Kaliningrad”, explaining that eight of its Dutch F-35s are stationed in Poland this month and next. The Russian air formation consisted of “three aircraft: an Ilyushin IL-20M Coot-A escorted by two Su-27 Flankers”, specified the Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands.
Three Russian planes intercepted in Polish airspace
Three Russian military aircraft were intercepted by two Dutch F-35 fighter jets over Poland and were escorted out of the country’s NATO airspace. The Dutch Ministry of Defense announced it on social media.
Born, today and tomorrow the summit of defense ministers in Brussels
NATO defense ministers will meet in Brussels today and tomorrow to strengthen the Alliance’s deterrence and confirm and step up support for Ukraine. There will also be the Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, who will participate both in the meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine, led by the Americans, and in the meeting with NATO ministers.
Kiev: 16 insediamenti bombardati vicino a Bakhmut
The Ukrainian military reported Russian shelling all along the front line and said 16 settlements were shelled near Bakhmut.
The assault on Bakhmut runs aground in the village of Sacco and Vanzetti
The latest Russian attempt to broaden the attack against Bakhmut and transform it into a large-scale offensive ran aground ten days ago in a Ukrainian town with a surreal name: Sakko i Vantsetti, i.e. Sacco and Vanzetti, the two Italian anarchists sentenced to death in the United States. Keep reading
China confirms: by the end of February the foreign minister will visit Russia
China’s government has confirmed that its foreign minister, Wang Yi, will visit Russia this month. This was reported by the Reuters news agency. Beijing has remained relatively silent on the events in Ukraine, neither offering clear support for Russia’s invasion, nor explicitly condemning it. In October 2022, China called for de-escalation, saying that “all countries deserve respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity” and that “support should be given to all efforts that help resolve the crisis peacefully” .
Kiev: Russian shelling damages railway tracks in Kherson
Russian shelling damaged railway tracks in the Kherson region. This was indicated by the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. The broadcaster explained that trains from Kiev and Lviv (Lviv) to Kherson will instead terminate in Mykolaiv and passengers will be transferred by bus to their destination.