February was very tense and filled with complex and important decisions for the General Staff and command.
The defense forces were forced to abandon their positions in Avdievka and withdraw units.
President Zelensky signed a bill on the demobilization of conscripts, the Air Force destroyed 12 Russian bombers and one A-50, and the unrecognized republic of Transnistria asked to join Russia.
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Read about the advance of the invaders in the Donetsk region and the record shooting down of Russian combat aircraft by the Air Force in the ICTV Facts material.
- The situation in Avdievka
- Russian plane crash
- Draining of the Ukrainian Armed Forces counter-offensive plan
- The occupiers are preparing a new offensive
- Demobilization Law
- Transnistria asked to join Russia
The situation in Avdiivka
February 17 The Ukrainian Armed Forces had to withdraw units from Avdiivka, and on February 26, the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrew from the village of Lastochkino.
Meanwhile, to strengthen the defense in the Avdeevsky direction, the command allocated additional reserves and ammunition. And the other day Syrsky reported that soldiers of the 3rd assault and 25th separate airborne brigades drove the Russian enemy out of the vicinity of Orlovka.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Alexander Syrsky, the situation at the front remains difficult. The occupiers continue an active offensive in many directions.
The situation in the Avdeevsky and Zaporozhye directions is especially tense. There, Russian assault units are trying to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and capture Tonenkoye, Orlovka, Semyonovka, Berdichi, Krasnogorovka.
Avdiivka on the battle map
Map: our website
They have repeatedly said that the Russian occupiers want to enter the borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions before Putin’s elections, military expert and reserve colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Petr Chernik said in an exclusive interview with ICTV Facts.
– Putin has elections on March 17.He needs at least some positive results on the front line. In his understanding, the capture of these two areas, by the way, where the war began, would be a significant success. Why exactly this ritual must be followed? It is very important how they vote for Putin, we scoff a little, but on the other hand it will be of great importance whether Putin gets 60+%, objective, real ones, or he gets 80+% & #8212; it is very important. The difference is primarily in the elites, because when the Fuhrer has popular love, or when this legitimacy does not reach even half of the population — this is completely different,” he said.
The colonel noted that after the capture of Avdeevka, the Russian strategic offensive ran out of steam.
– They have not even advanced to the level of a mechanized regiment, with the exception of Avdeevka itself, which is up to 5 km in depth. At several hundred meters in some locations, up to one and a half kilometers in other locations. Based on the type of force that they used, and only since October 2023, a full-fledged mechanized corps was killed near Avdeevka, that’s more than 15 thousand people killed, let’s multiply this figure by three — wounded. More than 350 tanks and within 750 armored fighting vehicles. Well, this is something unprecedented that has no analogues in history yet,” noted Peter Chernik.
Russian plane crash
During February, the Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down 13 Russian combat aircraft. Their total cost is more than $1 billion.
- February 17: two Su-34, one Su-35;
- February 18: one Su-34;
- February 19: one Su-34, one Su-35S;
- February 21: one Su-34;
- 23 February: one A-50U;
- February 27: two Su-34;
- 29 February: three Su-34.
23 February The air force destroyed the Russian A-50 radar detection and control aircraft, this is the second such aircraft shot down, the first was hit at the end of 2023 over the Sea of Azov.
Photo: our website< /p>
After the downing of the enemy A-50, the Russian occupiers did not fly aircraft of this type into the skies for several days in a row, which allowed the Ukrainian Air Force to destroy five SU-34 bombers, two on February 27 and three on February 29.
– The Russians declared nine A-50 aircraft, six were in working order, no more. Repair of this aircraft — This is a very difficult process because they don’t produce or build anything like that. I think they have four more of these working machines, but no more. Why is this machine important? Because it is the one that, in radio mode, calculates and helps launch guided aircraft missiles, such as X-31, X-35, X-59, – said the expert.
Petr Chernik noted that the 12 Su-34 — bombers shot down in February this is a masterful work by our Air Force. Over the past year, the occupiers put into service only six such aircraft.
– For the month of February, we surpassed in terms of knocking down — receipts. And this is very good news. Why exactly does the Su-34 need a target? We understand that Avdeevka fell not least because we bombarded it with heavy adjustable aerial bombs of the FAB-250, FAB-500 and, the heaviest, UPAB-1500 caliber. So here is the Su-34 — this is the main carrier. Up to six 500-caliber bombs can be carried on board, up to three – 1500. The more such vehicles fall, the easier it will be for our Armed Forces in terms of bombing. Excellent work, we must take our hats off to the people who did this,” the colonel emphasized.
Draining of the Ukrainian Armed Forces counter-offensive plan
February 25, at a briefing, President Zelensky said that the plan for the Ukrainian counteroffensive was on Putin’s table even before it was supposed to begin. He noted that there are leaks of information about the next steps of the military-political leadership of Ukraine, so several plans will be developed.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, confirmed that there was a leak of secret data about Ukraine’s counteroffensive strategy against Russian troops.
He noted that the leak of secret data about the counter-offensive — this is a serious problem, so the Ukrainian side is taking certain measures.
– We had, let’s say, information and evidence that the Russian Federation became aware of the plans. This is a serious problem. We are taking certain measures. “I won’t say more than the president,” explained the head of Ukrainian intelligence.
And on February 23, the General Staff reported that Syrsky was conducting an audit of the Defense Forces, during which it turned out that there are units that have been fighting for two years without rotation, and there are units of the Ukrainian military that, after two years of full-scale war “have never been to the front”.
The occupiers are preparing a new offensive
Also at a press conference on the results of 2023, Vladimir Zelensky said that the occupiers are preparing for a new offensive at the end of May – the beginning of summer. According to military expert Pyotr Chernik, now the demarcation line is more than a thousand kilometers, and it is difficult to calculate where exactly the enemy’s forces and means will be concentrated for a future offensive. However, it is clear that the enemy does not abandon his philosophy of capturing all four areas where active hostilities are currently taking place.
– In a strategic sense, the enemy has one task — liquidate our statehood. They still have a safety margin for armored vehicles; it is quite large, but still finite. The safety margin of personnel, according to official data, is from one and a half to three million people. This is very, very much. More than 100 million Kalashnikov assault rifles were produced, more than 37 million Mason rifles, more than 15 million Simonov self-loading carbines, more than 8 million World War II weapons. Of course, these millions are not in warehouses, but there are hundreds of thousands, and the cattle masses “ for the homeland, for Putin, for greatness” was dying and will continue to die,” the expert emphasized.
Demobilization Law
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky signed Law No. 11035 on demobilization, which provides for the transfer to the reserve of conscripts who completed their service during martial law.
Lawyer and lawyer Rostislav Kravets noted that this bill provides for the dismissal from military service of persons who were previously called up for military service. The President was given the right to retire them in 2024.
Thus, conscripts whose service period ended during martial law, as well as whose military service was extended beyond the established deadlines, are discharged from military service into the reserve within the time limits determined by the decree of the head of state.
The lawyer also noted that beyond conscription and military service there will be no more, but only basic service.
Transnistria asked to join Russia
February 28, deputies of the so-called Transnistrian Moldavian Republic turned to the Russian Federation with a request for supposed “protection from pressure from Moldova”.
They also asked the OSCE, the CIS, the European Parliament, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the UN Secretary General “to influence the leadership of Moldova to return to an adequate dialogue and stop the violation of the rights and freedoms of the residents of Transnistria”.
Photo: Verkhovna Rada of the PMR
Political scientist Vladimir Fesenko noted to ICTV Facts that the economic situation in Transnistria has now significantly worsened. This is due to the Russian war against Ukraine. He noted that the appeal contains a request for help not only from Russia, but also from various international organizations and European structures.
According to Fesenko, Transnistria wants to reduce its economic problems, so it uses a kind of blackmail.
– It talks about abstract help, but, in essence, this is blackmail, not direct, but noticeable. They say that if they don’t help us, if they don’t resolve the current economic problems in relations with Moldova, then there may be conflicts and problems. We can, say, intensify our long-standing ties with Moscow, turn to Moscow for help,” the expert notes.
Vladimir Fesenko points out that in Transnistria they are well aware that any attempt to do something aggressive towards Ukraine or Moldova will end with the republic ceasing to exist in its current form.
The expert believes that the situation will be resolved through negotiations, a relatively compromise method. In particular, they will look for options for further economic integration, but on Moldova’s terms.
