Bob Homans February 24
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Ukraine – 2/24/23 Sitrep
Compiled by: Robert Homans
February 24, 2023
Webinar Reminder
Celebration of the 1-Year Anniversary of Ukraine’s Predicted Demise
February 28, 2023 (1PM EST, 56PM in London, 8PM in Kyiv, and 10AM PST)
Russian President Putin and many Western pundits predicted with certainty that Ukraine would capitulate after no more 5 days of Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine. Instead of marking the 1 year anniversary of the start of Russia’s latest invasion, as many others are doing, we decided to mark the 1-year anniversary of the day of Ukraine’s expected capitulation.
We want to do what we can to honor the brave heroes of Ukraine, consisting not just of soldiers of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, but all Ukrainians, and all Ukraine’s partners, including countries supplying weapons, private groups and individuals who provide humanitarian assistance, who togther proved President Putin and all the pundits wrong. Last but not least, all of you, our loyal readers.
Panelists will be the 2 authors of the emails that you’ve been getting almost daily since February 24, 2022. The Moderator will be Larysa Homans, executive coach, mentor, former member of the Faculty of Kyiv Mohilya Business School, experienced moderator and, in the interest of full disclosure, the wife of one of the authors. We will both make short introductory statements, the Moderator will then ask both of us questions, and then we will open the floor to questions.
The webinar will be conducted on Zoom. The Zoom link is here. The Zoom meeting ID is - 830 1184 0497, and the Zoom passcode: 449343. If you’re dialing in you may need these to join the meeting.
We greatly appreciate your loyalty and support. We look forward to your participation.
Slava Ukrainii!!!
Brief Reflection
I now must make sure to start adding the year, to the month and day, in order to differentiate from the emails we sent out in the past 12 months of Russia’s latest invasion.
We were one of the few commentators who, from the start, predicted Ukraine would win. Speaking for myself, since then I had no reason to change my conclusion. On the morning of February 24, 2022 I contacted 2 people, my collaborator in these emails, and my friend whom I have mentioned in these emails, the Ukrainian female sniper (now training Ukrainian Army drone operators). They confirmed what I had already concluded. That was enough for me.
General Mark Hertling
There were others, with far more experience in the military arts that us, who predicted Ukraine would win. One is retired General Mark Hertling, former commander of the 1st Armored Division in Europe. General Hertling recently wrote this op-ed in the Washington Post.
An Echo From the Past?
I have been reading a book entitled “Lords of Finance – The Bankers Who Broke the World,” about the governors of the Banks of England and France, the German Reichsbank, and the U.S. Federal Reserve in the period between 1914, the beginning of WW-I, and 1930 the beginning of the Great Depression. One of the early chapters starts with the following paragraph, concerning the circumstances surrounding the end of WW-I –
“On November 11, 1918, the Great War came to an end as it had begun, as a total surprise. In June 1918, the German Army broke through the Allied lines and came within 50 miles of Paris. The German Public, given a distorted picture by its government, fully anticipated victory. A month later, the Allies counterattacked and suddenly the entire German war machine seemed to disintegrate. The German forces, exhausted by that last offensive, withered away, support for the war at home crumbled; civilian morale collapsed, soldiers deserted in droves, the navy, blockaded at Kiel, mutinied; and Germany’s allies began to sue secretly for peace. By October, the military, desperate to salvage what it could, turned over power to the civilians. On November 9, the kaiser was forced into exile by his generals, boarding a train for Holland. Early on November 11, in a railway car in the forest of Compiegne forty miles outside of Paris, an armistice was signed.”
The pundits never tire of saying, “except for WW-II, all wars end in a negotiated peace, and the War in Ukraine is no exception.” As with WW-II, WW-I did not end with a negotiated peace, and in fact I found the description above, of the circumstances that ended up with the German collapse, somewhat similar to what the editors of the “Economist” described in today’s Ukraine seminar:
· 2/3rd of all military assistance that Ukraine’s western allies have committed since the start of the war, are now on their way to Ukraine.
· Substantial decline in Russian supplies of ammunition.
· Declining support in Russia for continuing the war.
· One in twelve Russians know someone who has been killed in Ukraine, an extraordinary number given that Russia has relied heavily on ethnic minorities to fight in Ukraine.
We’ve yet to see the planned Ukrainian offensive. Will Ukraine’s offensive fall upon an exhausted Russian army, and what will be the result? The editors believe, as I do, that Russia’s planned offensive has already started, but the gains are marginal at best. I noted that Zanny Minton Beddoes, the Editor-in-Chief of the Economist, has started using the term “Sitrep.”
The Explosions Around Mariupol
Over the last few days there has been a series of explosions around Mariupol, destroying or damaging Russian troop concentrations and ammunition dumps. There have been much discussion on how Ukraine managed to hit these targets, given that the range of HIMARS missiles, that Ukraine already has, isn’t long enough to reach these targets from territory Ukraine controls. Could it be longer-range missiles supplied by Ukraine’s western partners? Could it be missiles developed and manufactured in Ukraine? Either one is possible; Ukraine isn’t saying, and for good reason.
Mariupol is Ukrainian territory, so that the prohibition placed on Ukraine by the U.S. on striking targets inside Russia using weapons supplied by the U.S., doesn’t apply to weapons produced in Ukraine. The prohibition doesn’t apply to targets inside Crimea, because Crimea is recognized by the U.S. and Ukraine’s other western partners as Ukrainian territory.
It is possible that the missiles used against targets around Mariupol were designed and manufactured in Ukraine. “Moskva,” flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was sunk by 3 Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles, designed and manufactured in Ukraine. Has Ukraine developed a surface-to-surface version of the Neptune? If the answer is yes, and given that the anti-ship version of the Neptune has a range of 300km, then Ukraine can use a surface-to-surface version of the Neptune against targets inside Russia, and against Russian targets inside Crimea.
Ukraine not disclosing the origin of the missiles keeps Russia guessing, as to what Ukraine’s capabilities are. Regardless, it is clear that all Russian installations in the “land bridge,” consisting of temporarily occupied territory between the Dnieper River and Rostov-on-Don, and the Sea of Azov, Crimea and the Black Sea to the south, are now all within range.
Swamps, Blueberries, Mushrooms and Amber
In yesterday’s “Reporting From Ukraine” he talks about the possibility of a Russian invasion from Belarus, toward Ukrainian territory roughly between the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and Polish Border. The first 3 minutes of the video describes what Russian invaders would face, if they chose this area as an invasion route.
“Reporting From Ukraine” describes the border area between Belarus and Ukraine as heavily forested with a lot of rivers. In fact, the rivers he describes are really swamps with very little ground conducive for the use of mechanized equipment. During WW-II, neither the Nazi Army nor the Soviet Army wanted anything to do with conducting operations in this area. As a result, it became a favorite area for partisans, using bases in this area to conduct attacks against both German and Soviet forces.
This area is a very good area to find wild blueberries and a variety of wild mushrooms. People from nearby towns go into the forest to harvest wild blueberries, and then bring large baskets of blueberries to Kyiv to sell in the local markets. During the summer, it is common to see entire rail cars filled with people carrying baskets of blueberries to Kyiv.
Part of this area is being mined for amber; much of the mining is illegal. Amber mining involves using high-pressure hoses to remove topsoil. Small lakes are created and, since amber is buoyant, amber floats to the surface where it is collected. The result is that areas that have been mined look like muddy seas or, as someone said, the surface of Mars.
Ukrainians engaged in harvesting blueberries or mining amber know every inch of this territory, giving Ukrainian defenders a huge advantage in local knowledge. As “Reporting From Ukraine” stated, Ukraine is defending this area with a relatively small number of troops, and for good reason. The attackers will be at a huge disadvantage, from both geography and lack of local knowledge.
Transnistria
The “Latest Denys” covers the possibility of Ukraine moving into the enclave of Transnistria, turning it back over to Moldova (Transnistria is Moldovan territory but occupied largely by Slavs), and taking a huge stock of Soviet Era ammunition that is stored in an area not far from the border between Transnistria and Ukraine. Unless Russia launches an assault against Moldova from bases in Crimea, in which case Ukraine will respond, I think it’s possible but unlikely, for the following reasons:
· Moldova has virtually no armed forces of its own, likely meaning that Transnistria would have to be occupied by Ukrainian forces.
· There would be likely opposition from individual Transnistrians.
· Teraspol, the capital of Transnistria, is a relatively large city that would present a problem for Ukrainian occupiers.
Ukraine may make a move against the town where the ammunition is located, especially since it is near Ukrainian territory, and try to neutralize the 1,500 Russian “peacekeepers” that are there, but I think the likelihood of full Ukrainian occupation of Transnistria is unlikely.
It’s certainly worth watching.
2/24/23 Sitrep
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon February 23 to 12:00 noon February 24, 2023
One year ago, we were invaded by an army led by a brutal leader with a deranged world view. Although lacking any hope of succeeding in his mission to liquidate Ukraine he continues to inflict suffering. This newsletter exists because I saw no reason then or now to believe Ukraine will lose. My only wish is that Ukraine destroys the invaders soon.
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
February 24
11:04: The United States is preparing motorized infantry brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and this will allow the Russians to break through the defenses, said US Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin.
· "We train and equip several brigades of motorized infantry - this is quite a significant potential. Plus additional artillery, all this will allow us to break through the Russian defenses and maneuver, and I think this will create a different dynamic," Austin said.
10:38: New Zealand has imposed new sanctions on Russia, the country's Foreign Minister Nana Mahuta said.
· The list includes 87 people, including politicians who are "of strategic importance to Russia and close to Putin."
10:32: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed Ukrainians on the anniversary of the war.
· "One year of brutal Russian aggression. A year of heroic Ukrainian confrontation. A Year of European Solidarity. The future of unity awaits us ahead," she said.
10:22: Britain has imposed sanctions on 92 individuals and entities in Russia, the British government.
· In particular, the heads of Rosatom, as well as 34 heads of the two largest Russian defense companies, Rostec and Almaz-Antey, and four banks, fell under the sanctions.
10:14: In Minsk, Belarusians raised the flag of Ukraine in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
· This was reported by the monitoring group "Belaruski Gayun".
10:06:"This war could end tomorrow if Russia stops attacking Ukraine and withdraws its troops," the United States responded to "China's plan to resolve the war in Ukraine."
· "Well, my first reaction to that is that China could stop at the first point, namely respect for the sovereignty of all nations," said Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
09:44: Adviser to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan says that, no matter how events develop in the future, Russia has already lost the war with Ukraine.
· "Russia's goal in this war was to erase Ukraine from the map, take the capital and destroy Ukraine, absorb it. They have failed, and will no longer be able to achieve these goals," Sullivan said during a discussion organized for the anniversary of the outbreak of war by CNN.
09:10: We are skeptical of the idea that the so-called Chinese peace plan for Ukraine plays a constructive role, says State Department spokesman Ned Price.
· "Washington is not inclined to trust the initiative announced by Beijing, as China, on the one hand, seeks to maintain neutrality in the situation around Ukraine, and on the other hand, supports Moscow," Price said.
08:40: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak intends to call on his G7 counterparts to help Ukraine with the provision of weapons that allow strikes on the Russian rear, according to the office of the head of the British government.
· Rishi Sunak should also repeat his offer of British support to countries that will express their readiness to hand over fighter jets to Kyiv.
08:27 PM: Australia imposes sanctions on 90 Russian citizens, 40 organisations and Patriarch Kirill.
· "The sanctions list will include Russian ministers responsible for energy, natural resources, industry, education, labor, migration and health care, as well as citizens and organizations of economic and strategic importance to Russia," Albanese said.
08:20 BBC: The Ministry of Defense of Moldova refutes Russian statements about Ukraine's preparations for a provocation in Transnistria.
· The statement of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation about possible provocations by Ukraine in the Transnistrian region is an "element of a psychological operation".
08:12: Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin is illuminated with the colors of the Ukrainian flag on the eve of the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
08:00 CNN: The White House confirms the allocation of a new $ 2 billion military assistance package to Kyiv, says National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to the President of the United States
08:00 PAP Poland in response to the diplomatic demarche of the Belarusian authorities will send a Belarusian military attache, - press secretary of the Polish Foreign Ministry Lukasz Yasina, reports the Polish agency.
07:47: China has published a so-called "peace plan" with its ideas on resolving the war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine.
· The proposed document contains 12 points, namely:
- Respect for the sovereignty of all countries;
- Rejection of the "Cold War mentality";
- Cessation of hostilities
- Resumption of peace talks;
- Solving the humanitarian crisis;
- Protection of civilians and prisoners of war;
- Maintaining the safety of nuclear power plants;
- Reduction of strategic risks;
- Promotion of grain exports;
- Termination of "unilateral" sanctions;
- Maintaining the stability of industrial chains and supply chains;
- Promoting post-war reconstruction.
07:17 CNN: The United States today will announce a $2 billion aid package for Ukraine.
· According to the publication, the American authorities will not send Ukraine weapons from the warehouses of the US Army, but will order their production from American companies.
February 23
23:57 Spiegel: Russia is in talks with China to supply kamikaze drones -.
· According to the publication, Beijing and Moscow are already negotiating the purchase of 100 drones, which can be delivered by April.
· Earlier, the United States and Germany warned China against selling weapons to Russia.
23:37: Explosions rang out in Iran. Local media report on the work of air defense.
23:12: The building of the European Parliament in Brussels was illuminated with the colors of the flag of Ukraine as a sign of solidarity. This is reported on the official page of the institution.
22:47: The UN General Assembly adopts a Ukrainian resolution on the need to achieve a just peace.
· It calls on Russia to stop the fighting and withdraw its troops from Ukraine, and also enshrines the main provisions of the Ukrainian "formula of peace".
· 141 of the 193 member states voted for the resolution. Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua and Mali voted against it. 32 countries abstained.
22:37: Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in an interview with Sky News, called on the current government to hand over Typhoon fighter jets to Ukraine to defend against a full-scale Russian invasion.
· "Ukrainians want the F-16. It so happened that we don't have an F-16, but we have a Typhoon. I think there are enough arguments for Britain to become an "icebreaker" in this matter and give them a few Typhoons. If we need to train their pilots to fly these machines, we can do it," he said.
22:24: Poland has begun strengthening its borders with Russia and Belarus with anti-tank barriers, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said.
· "We have started preventive strengthening of security on the border with Russia and Belarus. This is part of our defence and deterrence strategy. The first fortifications are already unfolding on the border with the Kaliningrad region," he wrote on Twitter.
21:33: In Paris, on the anniversary of the Russian invasion, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in blue and yellow.
21:26: Tomorrow, US President Joe Biden will hold an online meeting with the leaders of the G7 and Volodymyr Zelenskyy - the White House.
· The prospects for further support of Ukraine will be discussed at the meeting.
21:16 Reuters: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says that on July 11-12, Sweden and Finland could become full members of NATO.
· "I see progress. My goal is for Finland and Sweden to become full members of NATO before the bloc's summit."
19:36 Deputy Secretary of State: The United States is discussing the possibility of supplying Ukraine with fifth-generation fighter jets, as part of meeting Ukraine's long-term needs.
· At the same time, details on the timing of possible delivery, specific models of aircraft and training of Ukrainian pilots are not specified.
19:26 Sky News - NATO Secretary General: The supply of artillery shells for Ukraine from NATO countries is now "unstable" due to the high rate of consumption.
· "Now the conflict in Ukraine has entered the phase of "logistical confrontation" - to exhaustion, so Ukraine's allies need to increase production," he added.
18:30 Politico: The European Commission has banned its employees from using the Chinese social network TikTok.
· "In order to protect the Commission's data and enhance its cybersecurity, the EC's Corporate Governance Board has decided to suspend the TikTok app on corporate and personal devices registered with the Commission's mobile device service," the email reads.
17:56: The G7 countries intend to provide $39 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine in 2023.
· This is stated in the document adopted following the meeting of the heads of the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of the G7 countries.
· "For 2023, in accordance with the needs of the Government of Ukraine, we have increased our commitments of budget and economic support to $ 39 billion," the document says.
17:13 ABC: Australia will hand over drones to Ukraine and impose new sanctions against Russia, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
· The federal government of the country will provide Ukraine with unmanned aerial systems worth $ 33 million.
· In addition, Australia imposes additional sanctions against individuals in the Russian government to help continue the war against Ukraine.
16:53 Spanish Prime Minister: Spain will hand over to Ukraine up to ten Leopards after military training.
· "Spain will provide six Leopard 2A4 tanks. In the coming weeks and months, we will raise this figure to 10. We will provide this assistance as soon as possible," he said.
13:21: A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has been recorded in Tajikistan, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center.
· The epicenter was located 82 km from the border with China. The earthquake was also felt in China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
13:05: Finland will transfer three Leopard 2R tanks to Ukraine as part of the 13th military assistance package, the Finnish Ministry of Defense said.
NATIONAL
February 24
11:29: The anthem of Ukraine was played today at British embassies around the world, British ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons said.
· "On this horrific anniversary of the Russian invasion, my colleagues at British embassies around the world played Ukrainian national anthem to demonstrate their support for Ukraine," she wrote.
11:19: The SBU neutralized FSB agents who were "pointing" Russian missiles at hospitals in the southern regions of Ukraine. During the operational actions, 6 Russian agents were detained.
· In addition, one of the perpetrators, under the pretext of delivering aid to the front, arrived at the positions of Ukrainian defenders, where he collected intelligence in favor of the Russian Federation.
11:10: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki arrives in Kyiv on the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
· He laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance of the Victims and met with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal.
09:55: Vitali Klitschko addressed Ukrainians: "Friends! For a year we have been living in a new reality. Tragic and psychologically exhausting. But we fight, we believe in ourselves and in our country. Therefore, we will overcome everything and win."
09:29: Valeriy Zaluzhnyi addressed Ukrainians on the anniversary of the war:
· "Thank you, Ukrainians! All those who serve in the Armed Forces and other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine - respect and deep gratitude. Everyone who helps, supports, believes - a premortal bow. To all those who have fallen for freedom - Eternal Memory and Honor."
09:19: The Air Force warned of possible provocations today.
· "The day has just begun, which has become symbolic for everyone. We are waiting for provocations. The fact that the enemy may want to give us certain "surprises" on this day is such a threat," said Yurii Ignat, spokesman of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· He also added that there is no need to expect strikes. According to him, the Russians see that Ukraine has prepared, so they can arrange an attack on another day.
08:49 DTEK: Ukrenergo has not provided restrictions on electricity consumption to date.
· This allows you not to turn off the lights in Kyiv, Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
· However, due to network restrictions in Odesa and Odesa district, there will be schedules for stabilization outages.
07:24 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Russia is now focusing its main efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Kupyansk, Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsky directions.
· Last day, Ukrainian defenders repulsed about 100 enemy attacks in these areas.
· In the regions of the Caucasus, there is an active forced mobilization of men of draft age in order to be sent to participate in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine.
· All men are subject to mobilization, regardless of their state of health and desire to fight. Many of the mobilized soldiers are citizens who have served or are serving their sentences in penitentiary institutions. Prisoners are released on condition of voluntary participation in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine.
· In some areas of the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk region, mobile operators have disabled access to the Internet, to prevent the transmission of data on the actions of Russian troops and the fight against the patriotic population towards Ukraine.
· The internet connection should take place in all temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk region.
· Aviation of the Defense Forces during the day inflicted 17 strikes on the areas of concentration of Russians, as well as 4 strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems.
· Units of rocket troops and artillery struck 3 areas of concentration of enemy manpower, ammunition depot, fuel and lubricants and one other important object of the Russian Federation.
07:05: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: "On February 24, millions of us made a choice: not a white flag, but a blue and yellow flag. Not an escape, but a meeting. Meeting the enemy. Resistance and struggle.
· It was a year of pain, regret, faith and unity. And this is the year of our indestructibility. We know that this will be the year of our victory!"
00:07: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Held a meeting of the Stavka today. Extended format, detailed reports. Zaluzhny, Syrsky, Tarnavsky, Moskalev and Naev. The situation in the main areas.
· The East is very difficult. Painful. But we do everything to survive.
· South - in some areas the situation is quite dangerous, but our soldiers have something and how to respond to the occupier.
February 23
22:57 BBC - Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Putin still has not abandoned hopes to occupy Kyiv.
· However, he noted that the Osian army is not as strong as it was a year ago.
· President Zelenskyy is confident that Ukraine will survive even if Belarusian troops join the Russian troops.
21:55: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the delegation of the United for Ukraine global parliamentary network, which included representatives of the parliaments of 13 European countries and the European Parliament.
· "I am grateful for this visit. It is an important signal of support. We are glad that we have such wonderful partners who help our country not to lose its independence and the lives of our people. After all, people are our biggest priority," the president wrote.
21:43 Mayor of the city: In Lv’iv, on the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion, "Rays of Memory" were lit over the graves of the Ukrainian military.
20:52: Commander with call sign Magyar about collecting 500 kamikaze drones:
· "Rest assured that they (drones - ed.) will be manufactured, we will be tested, they will be given the correct assessment and most importantly they will be properly distributed among special forces."
· Thank you to the "Magyar birds" for their support! Glory to Ukraine and glory of the Armed Forces of Ukraine!
20:19 Social Networks: Tv channel "Inter" hacked and aired the anthem of the USSR.
20:13: Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
· "We talked about strengthening food security and cooperation in opening food hubs in Africa by Ukraine, the importance of continuing the grain initiative. We supported the goals and principles of the UN Charter, in particular the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states."
20:01: Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he considers himself a candidate for NATO secretary general.
· "Great opinion. I have to announce that there is such a plan. I see myself as a candidate. This is a very good position, important. Now NATO is stronger than ever," he said on the air of the Rada TV channel.
19:52: The Navy announced a significant increase in Ukraine's maritime potential since the beginning of a full-scale war.
· "The concentration of enemy forces and means at the beginning of large-scale aggression was 1:12, and now we calculate our potential as 1:4," said Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Oleksiy Neizhpapa.
18:47 Operational information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on February 23:
· During the day, the Russian occupiers launched 9 missile strikes and 28 air strikes. They carried out more than 40 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems. As a result, civilian objects of the cities of Beryslav, Zelenivka and Belozerka in the Kherson region were damaged.
· The Russian Federation focuses its main efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Kupyansk, Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsky directions. There are no changes in the composition and position of enemy groups of troops, - General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· The occupiers, causing a humanitarian crisis in occupied Mariupol, persuade the local population to get involved in equipping positions around this city for food rations. Payment for this labor activity is not determined, - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· In Melitopol, Zaporizhia region, in a local school, for children from all over the city, it seems that on a "voluntary basis" it is planned to take the oath of "Unarmians", - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· Also, on the basis of this educational institution it is planned to form the so-called "All-Russian Corps of Salvation".
· During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces inflicted 14 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the occupiers, as well as 4 strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems, - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· The Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down enemy drones such as "Merlin" and ZALA. Also, rocket launchers and artillerymen hit 3 areas of concentration of manpower and one other important enemy object.
18:20: Air Command "Center" appealed to the community of border areas of Chernihiv and Sumy regions, as well as to all residents of Ukraine:
· "Photos and videos of the relocation of our aircraft to certain positional areas in order to perform combat missions appeared on the Internet. We remind you about the ban on photo and video recording of personnel, locations of military equipment, its number and direction of redeployment. It can be detrimental to the accomplishments!"
17:46: A nameplate in honor of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was unveiled on the Alley of Courage in Kyiv.
· "We feel the solidarity of Spain from the first days of a full-scale war. Thank you for all the help and support," Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote.
17:36 Lieutenant General Sergei Naev: The increase in the number of occupants on the northern borders, which is written about in many sources, is fake.
16:12: NACP has added French corporation Auchan to the list of international sponsors of the war.
· Thanks to journalistic investigations by The Insider, Le Monde and Bellingcat, it became known that the corporation supplied goods to the Russian military in the occupied Ukrainian territories.
· The company supplied these goods under the guise of "humanitarian assistance", and also helped with the implementation of mobilization measures in the Russian Federation.
16:32: The Verkhovna Rada supported the resolution imposing sanctions on all banking and financial institutions in Russia.
· Sanctions are imposed against all Russian banks, including the Central Bank, credit organizations, payment system operators, stock market participants, insurance companies and other institutions for a period of 50 years.
16:21: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Kyiv.
· "Your visit to Kyiv on the eve of February 24, on the eve of the year of our indestructibility, shows that Ukraine and Spain will continue to stand together for the freedom of Ukraine, all Europe and every nation that values life, democracy and international law and order based on fair rules," the President wrote.
15:51 press service of the Security Service of Ukraine: The court arrested the property of Medvedchuk's wife Oksana Marchenko for more than UAH 5.6 billion, reports reports.
— The court decision concerns packages of 14% of the shares in two regional power distribution companies and more than 4% in the third, which Marchenko owns through five offshore companies.
— Also, 2 land plots, 4 residential buildings in Kyiv and Crimea and 10 cars belonging to the defendant were arrested.
— In addition, Marchenko's assets were seized in 18 investment, agro-industrial, telecommunications and other enterprises.
14:21: MP Geo Leros has been suspended from participating in the Verkhovna Rada until the end of the war for "violating parliamentary ethics."
14:08: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the termination of powers of People's Deputy Oleksandr Trukhin.
· 288 deputies voted "for".
13:41: People's Deputy Oleksandr Trukhin issued a resignation as parliamentary deputy.
KHARKIV
February 23
15:35 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kharkiv.
14:38 Kharkiv RMA: A Russian rocket hit one of the local administrations of the Kupyansk district.
· "There are people under the rubble, there are wounded. All emergency services are working on site.
· At the same time, the enemy is spreading information that he allegedly has success in capturing our settlements. These are fakes," Sinegubov said.
DONETSK
February 23
23:02 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region.
18:38 Donetsk RMA: Under artillery fire from Russians Chasiv Yar and Krasnohorivka.
· Two houses were damaged in Chasovy Yar, the rest of the shells flew into the industrial zone.
· In Krasnohorivka, there is a direct hit on the 5-storey building, fortunately, no one was injured.
16:42: Operational Command South: the direction of Mariupol is no longer completely unattainable for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
· "At this stage, we can only state that remoteness is a very relative concept. What is considered so remote as unattainable is not always so. The direction of Mariupol is no longer completely unattainable for us," she said.
DNIPRO
February 24
07:56: There are 10 shellings in the Nikopol district overnight. With heavy artillery, the Russian Federation targeted Nikopol itself, the Marganets, Myriv and Krasnogrigorievskaya communities.
· According to the head of the DOR Mykola Lukashuk, 8 private houses and half a dozen outbuildings, 2 shops, cafes were damaged in Nikopol.
KHERSON
February 24
10:41 Kherson RMA: At night, Russian troops struck one of the city hospitals in Kherson. At the time of the attack, there were about 120 patients there.
· "Due to enemy shelling, the maternity hospital, emergency and oncology departments were damaged, and the fence was destroyed. Fortunately, no one was injured," the report said.
February 23
23:18 Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in Kherson.
22:14: A breakthrough occurred at the Kherson CHP. This was announced by the head of the Kherson OVA Alexander Prokudin.
20:57 Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in Kherson.
19:24 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Oleshky, Kherson region.
15:15 Social Networks: Explosions are heard again in Kherson.
15:01 Prosecutor General's Office: This morning, Russians shelled Kherson.
· "As a result, a 58-year-old man was killed in the Kherson district near the household, another woman was injured, and she was hospitalized.
· Residential buildings, cars, gas pipelines and power lines were damaged," the statement said.
17:29 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
13:28 Social Networks: Explosions are heard in Kherson.
KYIV
February 24
09:34 Kyiv RMA: Explosions are possible in Kyiv and the region today.
· "Today, in the Vyshgorod district, the elimination of explosive objects will take place. Let's keep calm - these are planned works."
February 23
13:52 Air Force Spokesperson: In the Kyiv region, air defense forces shot down an enemy reconnaissance drone.
· "A familiar day in a belligerent country – a reconnaissance drone visited the Kyiv region," Ignat said.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://euromaidanpress.com/
https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka