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Ukraine continues its fight against Russian invaders. As of February 20, the 362nd day of our resistance continues.
Read about the main events of this day on the military and diplomatic fronts in the materialChannel 24.
23:53 On the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will come up with a “peace plan” proposal. Oleksandr Kraev, an expert at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council, doubts that the West will even consider the scenario of fully supporting the Beijing project.22:56Irakli Zarkua, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, once again stated that Ukraine is forcing Georgia to fight with Russia. In addition, the country's authorities are outraged that Kyiv considers former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili a political prisoner.
22:37 President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainians. He noted that right now and it is in Ukraine that the fate of the world order based on rules, humanity and predictability is being decided.
According to him, Biden's visit on the ninth anniversary of the worst days of the Maidan and the beginning of Russian aggression against Ukraine is an indicator of how stable and important our state is for the world.
22:17 Joe Biden published a photo from the guest book of the Mariinsky Palace. The US President wrote there: “Kyiv captured a piece of my heart. I knew that I would return.”
22:15 Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmihal met in Kiev with the IMF team headed with the head Kristallina Georgieva. Ukraine is counting on the launch of a new multi-year extensive program worth more than $15 billion.
22:05Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States in 2015-2019, head of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center Valery Chaly noted that there is a point of view that Biden's trip was not officially announced earlier, because they were afraid of provocations from Russia. According to him, the Kremlin knew about the plans of the US president.
22:00While Joe Biden was visiting Kyiv, the chief Chinese diplomat, Wang Yi, arrived in Moscow and announced a peace initiative the day before. His visit has a certain symbolism, because it took place at a time of tension between China and the United States.
21:39 Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin believes that the arrival of the US president means that there will be no restrictions on the supply of new types of weapons or the expansion of “old” ones.
21:32Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his opinion on whether Russia can use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine. He believes that the Kremlin will not dare to do this, even if Ukraine liberates Crimea by military means. After all, Russia fears a possible retaliatory strike from the United States. According to the Prime Minister:
- Any use of nuclear weapons by Russia will lead to the fact that the United States will definitely respond to this and their response will be much stronger;
- The United States is so much stronger than Russia that they they just can't take that risk.
20:46International expert, candidate of political sciences Bohdan Ferens said that another world leader, Pope Francis, could unexpectedly visit Ukraine. After all, the Pope spoke about his desire to visit Kiev back in 2022.
20:21 The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that there is a clear feeling that we are preparing for a big battle on the battlefield and to battle on the diplomatic battlefield. Therefore, now we need the maximum mobilization of all friends, all those who are effectively helping Ukraine.
20:16Yulia Shevchenko, speaker of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the Military and Defense Sphere of the Western Region, said that the prosecutor's office opened proceedings due to the death of military officer Bogdan Pokotko, who died a month after being drafted.
Shevchenko said that special prosecutors are establishing the involvement of persons, probable negligence which led to dire consequences. For negligent attitude to military service threatens from 5 to 8 years in prison.
19:50Dmitry Kuleba said that there are countries other than Britain that are ready to supply us with long-range weapons. In particular, according to the Foreign Minister, several more countries will join the UK.
I think that decisions will be announced soon. However, the list of these countries is narrow, because long-range weapons are highly modern technologies. Therefore, there will not be a large number of countries in this coalition. However, there will definitely be long-range weapons in Ukraine, – said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
18:45The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that Russia launched 3 missile and 22 air strikes, carried out more than 30 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems. In addition:
- Russia continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Shakhtyorsky directions;
- occupiers from artillery attacked Kherson and 30 inhabited points of the region;
- enemies fired at Naked Pristan to accuse and discredit the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- The Kremlin is carrying out mass passportization in the occupied part of Kherson. In particular, in Skadovsk and Kalanchak people are threatened with confiscation of personal property, forced to speed up the process of obtaining Russian passports and re-register their business under Russian law. Pensioners are afraid that they will not be paid.
Our aviation in a day delivered 16 strikes on the areas of concentration of personnel and military equipment of the occupiers and attacked the enemy's anti-aircraft missile system in a firing position.
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18:21Oleksiy Reznikov said that Ukraine is ready for the Russian offensive and is preparing a counteroffensive. According to the Minister of Defense, a real Russian offensive with tanks and artillery has not yet been observed, and the occupiers are demonstrating potential in the South, and the offensive can still happen.
However, the official assured that our will to resist and our fighting spirit indestructible. Moreover, Ukraine plans to win this war.
17:51Bloomberg journalist Jennifer Jacobs said that the United States will allocate $460 million in military assistance to Ukraine. The package will include:
- HIMARS,
- air surveillance radars,
- Javelin anti-tank systems,
- Bradley Infantry Fire Support vehicles Team,
- night vision devices,
- medical supplies,
- spare parts and other equipment.
17:42Russia shelled Antonovka, Kherson region. The Russians killed two people – a husband and wife, who died on the spot as a result of a mine-explosive injury. It is known that the man was an employee of the children's regional clinical hospital.
17:49 Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President's Office, said that Russia had been warned in diplomatic circles about the official visit of US President Joe Biden to Kiev.
Given that Russia is committing war crimes and for which it will be held accountable, they were warned that any attempts to interfere with the official visit would end badly, – said Mikhail Podolyak .
17:25 The occupiers shelled the Kherson region with force bombs. As a result, in the village of Burgunka:
- 3 people were killed;
- 8 people were injured. Among them are 3 children, 2 of whom were left orphans.
The victims are in serious condition with numerous injuries in the hospital.
17:00US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Joe Biden's visit to Kiev is the first time in history that a US president has visited the capital of a country at war where the US military does not control critical infrastructure. Sullivan called this visit unprecedented in our time.
16:30 The SBU reported suspicions to three pro-Kremlin bloggers discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and preparing fakes for Solovyov's talk show. In particular, it is known that the suspicion was reported by:
- in Kyiv – to a metropolitan blogger who spread disinformation about the logistics of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To do this, he used the YouTube channel UPN;
- in Crimea – a blogger who runs several YouTube channels with a total audience of more than 1.5 million subscribers. He justifies the armed aggression of Russia and the seizure of the Ukrainian peninsula.
The Security Service also documented the criminal actions of a former resident of Odessa, who is hiding in temporarily occupied Donetsk for subversive activities against Ukraine. Indeed, in June 2021, he created the telegram channel “Ghost of Novorossiya”, where he called for raising money in support of the Russian occupation groups in Russia.
16:15 Russia attacked a suburb of Zaporozhye. Fortunately, there were no arrivals. Information about the destruction and casualties is currently being clarified.
16:08 Denys Shmygal said that the visit of the American delegation led by Biden to Kiev is a powerful signal of support for the Ukrainian people.
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During an extended meeting between Joe Biden and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the issues of sanctions against the Russian nuclear industry and representatives of Rosatom were raised, the Prime Minister of Ukraine said.
Shmyhal added that he focused the attention of the US President on three important reforms: anti-corruption , the reform of justice and corporate governance.
16:02 Near the Russian Kursk, the invaders very “successfully” kindled the stove with gasoline. Russian media report that due to careless handling of fire, 6 conscripts died there.
15:51Intelligence of the Netherlands stated that Russia is preparing sabotage in the North Sea. The aggressor country will probably want to disable critical infrastructure.
15:42 Italy may supply five Tornado and AMX combat aircraft to Ukraine. This was reported by the publication La Repubblica and noted that the state will take such a step only if it is not the first in the list of suppliers of this type of weapon.
15:23During the visit of the US President to the capital of Ukraine, two aircraft of the American Air Force were noticed on the border with Poland. They are reported to have begun their observation at about 10 pm on 19 February. It was probably at this time that Biden's journey to Ukraine began.
15:07 In Kyiv, Biden was given a gift – a sign dedicated to the American president was opened on the Alley of Courage. It was personally shown by Vladimir Zelensky during the meeting.
What does Joseph Biden's sign look like on the Alley/Photo by ICTV
Zelensky showed Biden a sign on the Alley of Courage/Photo lviv.media
14:50 CNN said that Biden's trip was completely classified for security reasons. Moreover, the President of the United States flew under the cover of night for additional camouflage.
14:28The President of the United States announced a new large package of military assistance to Ukraine. It is estimated at $2.5 billion and will include ammunition for HIMARS and artillery, as well as additional systems to protect against bombing.
14:13 It became known that Joe Biden left Kiev. This was reported by American journalist Kaitlen Collins.
13:28 Dmitry Kuleba shared the results of the meeting between Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. According to him, this visit is a victory for the Ukrainian people and President Zelensky. “A clear signal to the swamps – no one is afraid of you!”, – said the minister.
13:30 The official footage of the meeting between the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak and US Presidential Advisor Jake Sullivan in Kiev appeared on the network.
Yermak and Sullivan/Photo by the Op. :19 It became known that Biden and Zelensky had a tete-a-tete conversation – that is, in private. Then the Ukrainian leader stated that the result of the meeting with Biden would affect the battlefield.
13:15CNN wrote that Biden arrived in Kyiv at 8 am. Upon arrival, he stated: “It's nice to be back in Kyiv.” Mrs. US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink was the first to congratulate him in our open spaces.
13:00 More photos of the visit of the head of the United States of America to the capital of our state have appeared on the net. Note that on them he is mainly with President Zelensky. As noted in the White House, the purpose of the visit of the US President to Ukraine is to expand the dialogue on supporting our state.
Biden in Kiev: view photos of the OP
12:50Biden stated that the United States will impose new sanctions against Russia. The corresponding decision will be announced in Washington this week.
12:35 The head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, said that together with Biden, National Security Adviser to the President of the United States Jake Sullivan arrived in Kiev. He also called the visit of the American leader to our state historical and strategic.
Many issues are being resolved and those that are stuck will be accelerated. Our common goal is the victory of Ukraine over Russia and the triumph of Ukrainian soldiers and Western weapons,” added Yermak.
American delegation in Kiev: view photos from Yermak’s Telegram channel
12:23During a visit to Kyiv, US President Joe Biden announced a new $500 million aid package for our state. It is known that it will contain artillery ammunition, Javelins and even howitzers. In addition, Reuters noted that Zelensky and Biden talked about the transfer of long-range missiles to our state, although there were no official reports on this as of the moment.
12:18 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the information that China may decide to transfer lethal weapons to Russia. He stated that if Beijing still decides to go for it, then everything could end in World War III. Actually, according to him, the PRC themselves are well aware of this.
12:11Defense Minister Reznikov: we will decide when we are ready to go on the counteroffensive; now it is wrong to predict when this will happen.
12:08 Zelensky congratulated Biden in Kiev.
Joseph Biden , welcome to Kiev! Your visit is an extremely important show of support for all Ukrainians,” he wrote.
Biden and Zelensky in Kyiv/photo by OP
11: 39It became known that US President Joseph Biden arrived in Kyiv. Together with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, he was spotted at the memory wall of St. Michael's Cathedral. At that time, an air raid had just begun.
11:38 An American strategic reconnaissance aircraft Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint was spotted near the border with Ukraine over Poland.
Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint flight over Poland/Channel 24 screenshot as of 11:20
11:22Energoatom: Russia has placed more than 600 mobilized military and cadets in the bomb shelter of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.
10:59 Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba canceled a visit to Brussels. This happened against the backdrop of news that top guests may arrive in Kyiv. Actually, Andriy Melnyk, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported about the “surprise for Ukrainians”. However, he did not say who exactly will win over our state.
10:49The OK “South” stressed that in the Kherson region, the occupiers not only fire at civilians with aimed fire, but also with carpet attacks. The enemy also uses prohibited incendiary and phosphorus shells.
As a result of the shelling of the village of Burgunka, 3 people were killed, 8 people were injured, including 3 children, 2 of whom were orphans, – the message says.
The attack of the invaders on the Kherson region: watch the video of OK “South”
10:30Politico wrote that the US was considering smuggling Joe Biden into Ukraine by February 24, the anniversary of the start of the full-scale invasion.
10:20 By According to the head of the Ministry of Defense Alexei Reznikov, the German Leopard 2 will be the base tank in the Armed Forces.
10:19 British intelligence: Russia is trying to attack in three directions, in particular, near Ugledar, Kremennaya and Bakhmut; probably, in the foreseeable future, the invaders will begin, contrary to the real picture of events, to talk about the fact that Bakhmut has already been captured.
10:11 Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk: road closures in Kiev are due to the arrival of an Israeli delegation in the city.
09:43 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Kiev Mikhail Brodsky congratulated deputies of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Yulia Edelstein and Zeev Elkin in the capital.
Arrival of Israeli deputies in Kiev/Photo by Mikhail Brodsky
09:40The media reported that traffic in the capital was partially blocked. This may be due to the arrival of foreign delegations in Kiev, which will honor the memory of people who died on the Maidan 9 years ago.
09:22 Head of the Donetsk OVA Pavel Kirilenko said that the Russians launched 3 missile strikes in the region. At the same time, in the Donetsk direction, 1 person died in Avdiivka, and in Gorlovsky – 2.
Consequences of shelling by the Russians in the Donetsk region: view photos from Kirilenko's telegram channel
09:10President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainians on the occasion of the anniversary of the tragic events on the Maidan in 2014. He stated that today we are honoring the heroes who gave their lives for Ukraine and Ukrainians during the Revolution of Dignity. According to him, they were people of all ages and professions, were born in different regions, but had the same and real values.
09:07Russian soldiers from the “Somalia” battalion are wanted in the Rostov region. According to preliminary information, four fighters fled the quasi-republic a few days ago, taking machine guns with them.
09:05 The French Ministry of Defense denied information about the transfer of the latest Akeron anti-tank systems to Ukraine.
08:59 Ukrenergo stressed that there is no shortage of electricity. That is, there will be no planned outages in most areas.
08:54Deputy of the Kherson Regional Council Sobolevsky: over the past 24 hours, as a result of Russian aggression in the Kherson region, 11 civilians were injured, and 3 people were killed; 8 were injured, 3 of them were children.
08:50 Head of the Kharkiv OVA Oleg Sinegubov described the current situation in the region.
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Occupiers shelled the village of Strelechya, Kharkiv region. 2 people were injured: the woman was hospitalized by doctors, and the man received help on the spot.
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Over the past day, the invaders attacked at least 11 border settlements of the Kupyansky, Chuguevsky and Kharkov regions.
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In Kupyansk, the Russians hit and damaged the building of a medical institution, a civilian industry facility, a 9-story an apartment building, private houses, a garage, outbuildings, monuments in a cemetery.
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In the village of Dvurechnaya, Kupyansky district, the buildings of the fire and rescue unit were damaged, and as a result of the shelling of the village of Liptsy, Kharkiv region, they were destroyed 2 residential buildings – 2 women aged 50 and 32 were injured.
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In Volchansk, Chuguevsky district, a 45-year-old woman received shrapnel wounds. She received medical attention on the spot. At the same time, a 40-year-old man was injured in Kruglyakovka, Kupyansky district, due to shelling. They also noted that only on the morning of February 19, the invaders attacked Kupyansk several times.
The shelling of the Kharkiv region by the invaders: view photos from the police after the arrivals
08:30 Yury Ignat, Speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said that the Russians have changed the tactics of using missiles. Actually, the invaders began to launch small numbers of air targets mainly over the channels of the Dniester and the Southern Bug, pressing them to the ground as low as possible.
08:27 US Permanent Representative to the UN Linda Thomas- Greenfield is confident that China will cross the red line if it provides Russia with lethal weapons.
08:13The head of the Nikolaev OVA, Vitaly Kim, said that on February 19 at 18:20, as a result of artillery shelling of the Kutsurub community, the enemy damaged a private house – its inhabitants were slightly injured.
On the same day at 18:27 and at 18: 43 under artillery strikes was the water area and port infrastructure of the Ochakovo community – there were no casualties, according to Kim.
Also in the city of Nikolaev, Pervomaisky, Voznesensky and Bashtansky districts, the day and night passed relatively calmly, – the head of the region wrote.
08:12 00:00 shelled Kupyanshchina, resulting in a fire at an agricultural enterprise in the village of Kurilovka. The report says that the building of the service center with an area of 160 square meters and two pieces of equipment were on fire. Firefighters extinguished the flames after an hour and a half.
08:03As noted in the command of the Ukrainian army, over the past day, Russia has lost another 820 invaders. In total, 143,680 invaders have died since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Enemy losses as of February 20/General Staff picture
07:42< /strong> Italian Foreign Minister Antonino Tajani said that 99% of Italians support Ukraine. In his opinion, Russian propaganda does not exist in Italy and is not a problem.
07:31Serhiy Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military District, stated that, despite the alarm, the night in the regional center and the region passed without shelling.
07:26 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published the traditional morning report.
- The enemy is trying to attack in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Shakhtyorsky directions.
- Ukrainian units of Ukraine repelled the attacks of the occupiers in the areas of Gryanikovka, Kharkiv region; Belogorovka, Luhansk region; Vasyukovka, Dubovo-Vasilovka, Berkhovka, Bakhmut and Ivanovsky Donetsk region.
- During the day, the invaders launched 10 missile and 25 air strikes on the Lugansk, Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions. Also, the enemy made 62 shelling from the MLRS – because of this, civilians were injured and died.
- The threat of strikes on the territory of Ukraine remains high. At the same time, the invaders did not form strike groups in the northern directions.
- The Russians put pressure on the civilian population in the temporarily occupied territories by all means. Actually, in some towns and villages of the Kherson region, they equip places in administrative buildings for the illegal detention of people suspected of collaborating with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- The Defense Forces aviation inflicted 20 strikes on enemy areas over the past day. Also, the Ukrainian army inflicted 7 strikes on enemy air defense systems in firing positions, as well as 2 more strikes on other important objects.
- Our defenders shot down an enemy Su-25 aircraft, 2 Orlan-10 UAVs and 2 Lancet-3 kamikaze drones. And the rocket and artillery units hit the MLRS battery.
06:56 Zelensky: Ukraine is preparing for a short-term war that will end in victory; it is very important not to freeze this conflict, as was done in 2014.
06:41The Institute for the Study of War stated that Russia does not have enough reserves to strengthen combat units in the Luhansk region. In addition, they noted that the enemy lost 1,000 tanks during the year of the large-scale war, and another 500 pieces of equipment were captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This figure is equivalent to 16 tank regiments.
06:28 Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi accused Zelensky of being guilty of the ongoing war since February 24. The Ukrainian leader responded with humor to this.
I don't know him personally. But maybe we should send him something. Does he like vodka? We have excellent quality in Ukraine, if you want, we will give it,” Zelensky joked.
03:00Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean stated that Pridnestrovie should be demilitarized by expelling Russian troops from there. Only after that, according to him, it will be possible to introduce various reforms in the region, in particular, economic and social ones.
02:28 Bloomberg: IAEA inspectors found enriched uranium in Iran up to 84%; this is 6% less than what is needed to produce a nuclear weapon.
01:11 President Zelensky: it is important for us to protect Bakhmut, but not at any cost; we will defend Bakhmut as long as it is reasonable, the Russians then want to continue the offensive on Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, up to the borders of Donbass and to the Dnieper, if they can; we resist, and in the meantime we are preparing the next counterattack.
00:24 Vladislav Nikolaev was fired from the post of head of the internal policy, press and information department of the Zaporozhye city council. It is known that the official called Ukraine a fascist state and spoke at pseudo-referendums in quasi-republics.
