[Korrespondent] 22.56 A bilateral meeting between representatives of Ukraine and Russia in a narrow format is a common practice that has been used before. This was reported by Diana Davityan, Head of the NSDC Secretary Service.
According to her, the narrow-format meeting with the participation of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov took place in the usual format for the negotiation process and did not go beyond the main agenda.
"This is a common format, which was practiced in Istanbul, in particular, when the heads of delegations can hold a meeting in a narrow format, while involving other representatives of the delegation," Davityan said.
20.58 During the Ukrainian-American-Russian talks on ending the war in Ukraine, which took place on February 17-18 in Geneva, political issues about possible compromises and the necessary meeting of leaders were not sufficiently worked out. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Today, we spoke in detail several times with our team at the negotiations in Geneva. There was a second day of meetings - both the trilateral format and other formats. Ukraine is interested in the result. As of today, we cannot say that the result is sufficient. The military talked about some issues - seriously and meaningfully. Sensitive political issues, questions about possible compromises and the necessary meeting of leaders have not yet been sufficiently worked out. We are counting on the next meeting, and it would be right to do so in February," the head of state said.
Zelenskyy called it important that representatives of European countries - France, Great Britain, Germany and Italy, as well as Switzerland as the host country, were present at the negotiations. "It is we in Ukraine who always promote the position that Europe should be a participant in the process," the president emphasized, thanking the United States "for hearing this position."
19.22 The Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the S-300VM air defense missile system launcher, UAV control points, and the concentration of forces and equipment of Russian troops.
At night, Ukrainian military personnel struck a concentration area of ​​a Russian UAV unit near the village of Trudove in the Zaporizhia region, and a UAV workshop near the village of Tokmak.
Also, in the area of ​​the village of Staromlynivka in the Donetsk region, a communications hub was hit, and in occupied Donetsk, a concentration of the occupiers' military equipment was hit.
In addition, on February 17, a launcher of the S-300VM anti-aircraft missile system was hit in the Mariupol area.
Also, in the area of ​​the village of Salne in Kursk and in the area of ​​the town of Rodynske in the Donetsk Oblast, enemy UAV control points were hit.
19.01 After the main round of talks in Geneva on Wednesday, February 18, Ukraine and Russia held a separate meeting. This was reported by Suspilne, citing Diana Davityan, Head of the NSDC Secretary Service.
It is noted that the heads of the two delegations, Rustem Umerov and Volodymyr Medinsky, respectively, as well as David Arakhamia, were represented at the meeting.
A correspondent for Suspilny reported that she met Medinsky near the hotel, who was leaving the meeting.
In a comment to Russian media, he confirmed that he met with the Ukrainian delegation. These negotiations lasted about an hour and a half, the topics of communication are unknown.
18.39 Ukrainian military managed to reduce the "gray zone" near the settlements of Vyshneve, Verbovye, and Ternove in the Dnipropetrovsk region and push back Russian reinforcement groups. This was stated by the spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces Vladyslav Voloshyn in a comment to Ukrinform.
Dozens of battles took place in the Hulyaipil and Oleksandriv directions, some of which were counterattacks, he noted.
17.31 The Ukrainian army pushed back Russian occupiers near three villages in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This was reported by the DeepState monitoring project. The area of ​​the territories liberated by the Defense Forces in the Oleksandrivka direction has increased by more than 17 sq. km.
17.03 Since the beginning of the year, contributions under the PURL program have already amounted to $584 million. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky on the social network X. The total financing need under the PURL program in 2026 is $15 billion.
16.50 The case of two Russian generals who ordered the demolition and subsequent destruction of the Oskil reservoir dam in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022 has been referred to court.
On the orders of Oleg Makovetsky and Oleg Tsokov, Russian troops carried out air strikes on the dam from fighter jets - using Kh-59 missiles and FAB-250/500/1500 high-explosive bombs. In September 2022, during the retreat from the Kharkiv region, the Russian military mined and blew up the dam's sluice structures.
The dam was completely destroyed. The reservoir lost up to 70% of its water. Fertile soils were eroded.
The ecosystem of the Seversky Donets River has undergone devastating changes. Flora and fauna are under threat of destruction. Environmental damage amounted to over 39.1 billion hryvnias.
16.40 Since the beginning of the day, 102 attacks by the Russian occupation army have been recorded on the front. The enemy is most actively advancing in the areas of Gulyaipol and Pokrovsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational update as of 16:00.
16.22 Ukrainian military personnel received domestic night vision devices that have a range of almost 2 thousand meters and are able to withstand extreme loads.
The Ministry of Defense has approved the use of the MT-GEKKO-PRO-40 and MT-GEKKO-PRO-50 monoculars in the Defense Forces. The new devices have already been tested in combat, have enhanced protection, and can withstand extreme loads.
Depending on the configuration, monoculars can see human figures at a distance of over 400 meters, and equipment at a distance of almost 2 kilometers.
These night vision devices help to navigate the terrain, perform technical work on equipment, provide medical care to the wounded, read maps, and drive vehicles in conditions of limited visibility.
The convenience of the mounts allows you to use the MT-GEKKO-PRO monoculars while holding them in your hands, or mount them on a helmet or weapon.
15.54 To combat Russian drones that use the LTE mobile network for control, it is necessary to introduce the sale of SIM cards based on passports and with a limit on their quantity. This was stated by Advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov.
"Our enemy has come up with the simplest way to control FPV... They figured out that it is possible to deliver FPV drones on winged UAVs to places where mobile communication is good and stable, and there to drop drones on objects. Such a drone is controlled by an operator from Russia, the drone's flight time is literally minutes. For these tasks, Ukrainian SIM cards, in particular, are used," he wrote.
One solution that will help influence the processes is the sale of SIM cards by passport with limited quantities, the minister's advisor emphasized. However, Beskrestnov noted that it is not a 100 percent solution to the problem.
"Will this help 100%? Of course not. In Russia, SIM cards have long been sold using passports, and buying SIM cards from criminals or homeless people is not a problem. Will this help in any way? Yes! Imagine that now any "Zhdun" can buy 3,000 cards without any problems and send them to the Russian Federation. Selling using passports will at least somehow limit the gigantic scale of this uncontrolled process," he noted.
Other options may include disabling data transmission services in one format or another, but, the minister's advisor noted, "we all understand how painful these actions are for the country."
15.47 Russian troops dropped three FAB-250 aerial bombs on high-rise buildings in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region. This was reported by the head of the Ministry of Defense, Sergey Gorbunov.
As a result of the airstrike, three high-rise buildings were reduced to ruins. The head of the MVA noted that the Russian Federation has once again proven its terrorist nature by purposefully targeting the homes of ordinary civilians.
"This time, the Russian aviation used three FAB-250 guided bombs. This is a super-powerful weapon designed to destroy fortifications, but the enemy is using it to wipe out peaceful high-rise buildings. Fortunately, according to preliminary information, there are no casualties, but the scale of the destruction is terrifying," Gorbunov noted.
15.25 Delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian Federation at the talks in Geneva agreed to hold the next meeting on peace efforts. This was announced by Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tykhyi at a briefing in Kyiv.
15.23 Two brothers from Khmelnytskyi region tried to illegally cross the border with Moldova across the Dniester River and were detained by border guards of the Mogilev-Podilskyi detachment. This was reported by the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The servicemen recorded the movement of two people towards the river. As it turned out, they were 24-year-old twin brothers from the Khmelnytskyi region, who were planning to illegally cross the border to Moldova on a rubber boat.
15.21 SBI employees reported suspicions to a serviceman who organized his escape from the training center.
Before mobilization, the man worked at one of the service stations in Kremenchuk. After receiving a summons, he was sent to a training center in Zhytomyr region, but he did not plan to serve. Therefore, he turned to his employer at the service station with a request to help him leave the unit. He involved an acquaintance who agreed to take the serviceman out of the region in his own car.
At night, the "carrier" arrived at a designated location near a military unit. The serviceman quietly left the area, changed into civilian clothes, and got into a car. Later, they reached Kremenchuk.
Upon returning to the city, the man celebrated his return with a bottle of vodka and went to work at the same service station.
SBI employees have located him. The serviceman has been reported on suspicion of desertion. The carrier has been charged with aiding and abetting desertion.
14.51 Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed concern about the war in Ukraine, days before the fourth anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vatican News reports.
14.06 According to the results of two-day negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine, the United States and Russia in Geneva, there is progress on military issues, namely monitoring the ceasefire, but on political issues - territories, the ZNPP, and other sensitive issues - the positions of the parties remain different. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a conversation with journalists.
13.46 During the trilateral talks between Ukraine, the US and Russia in Geneva, some issues were clarified. The next stage is to achieve the necessary level of coordination in order to submit the developed decisions for consideration by the leaders of the countries. This was reported by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov on Telegram.
13.22 A 17-year-old girl was detained in Kharkiv, who, on behalf of the FSB, was preparing a series of explosions in crowded places. The SBU reported this.
The attacker intended to transport the explosives to the city center by taxi and hide them for remote detonation during rush hour.
12.54 Trilateral talks between the delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian Federation have concluded in Geneva, Switzerland. This was stated by Diana Davityan, spokeswoman for the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
And the Head of the Russian negotiating delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the negotiations were "difficult, but businesslike." The next round will take place "in the near future."
12.43 Law enforcement officers detained the heads of two defense state enterprises while receiving $12,000 for fictitious employment with subsequent reservation from mobilization.
According to the investigation, the officials, in a preliminary conspiracy, demanded $12,000 from a Ukrainian citizen for registering him for work with a reservation. At the same time, the employment was supposed to be formal, the person was not supposed to perform labor duties, but only be listed on the company's staff.
12.31 In the Kirovohrad region, the head of the personnel department of the headquarters of one of the military units will be tried for failing to stop accruing over UAH 1.4 million in cash benefits to servicemen in the SFR. This was reported by the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation.
The indictment has already been sent to court.
12.27 Ukrainians returning from captivity need only apply to the Central Military District once to obtain a deferment from mobilization. In the future, it will be extended automatically every 90 days. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. They recalled that from November 1, 2025, the procedure for obtaining a deferment from mobilization has been simplified. The right to extend the deferment from mobilization is granted to persons deprived of their liberty as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine; servicemen released from captivity.
12.19 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the Ukrainian team before the delegations began their work in Geneva. He reported this on Telegram.
According to him, "yesterday there were really difficult meetings, and we can state that Russia is trying to drag out negotiations, which could already have reached the final stage."
12.05 Finland will increase humanitarian aid to Ukraine to 22 million euros. This was announced by Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratyuk.
"The Finnish government plans to send an additional 52 generators to Ukraine in February and increase humanitarian support to 22 million euros. We are grateful to Finland for this assistance and leadership in the international "Civil Protection Shelter Coalition," she noted following a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Helsinki.
12.00 In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, an explosion occurred in the city of Kolomyia in the premises of the local CCC and SP. The regional prosecutor's office reported this. Criminal proceedings have been initiated under the article about a terrorist act committed by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy.
11.30 On Wednesday night, Russian aggressors attacked energy facilities in four regions of Ukraine. This was reported by Ukrenergo. The most difficult situation is in the Odessa region, where almost 100 thousand subscribers were left without electricity as a result of shelling and bad weather.
11.16 An agent of the Russian military intelligence (GRU) was detained in the Kyiv region, who was helping the Russians prepare new missile attacks on thermal power plants in the capital region. The SBU reported this.
11.10 Pilots of the 412th separate Nemesis unmanned systems brigade carried out a precision strike on the Russian OSA air defense system, which was used to cover units and important facilities of the Russian Armed Forces from strikes by aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs. The Unmanned Systems Forces reported this in a video.
10.50 Delegations of Ukraine, the United States and Russia have begun the second day of trilateral talks in Geneva, Switzerland. This was reported by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov on Telegram. Consultations are taking place in groups by direction within the political and military blocs, he noted.
10.29 Ukraine has imposed sanctions against the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko for aiding Russia in armed aggression against Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
8.58 On the front line over the past 24 hours, 160 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on February 18. The enemy launched two missile strikes, using 30 missiles, and carried out 76 air strikes, dropping 168 guided bombs.
8.16 Russian troops attacked two districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region at night with drones, shelled with artillery and MLRS Grad. This was reported by the head of the regional state administration Oleksandr Ganzha on February 18. According to him, 11 private houses, outbuildings, and a car were damaged in the Chervonohryhorivska community of the Nikopol district.
The Pokrovska community was also hit. In the Troitska community of the Pavlohrad district, a private enterprise, housing, an administrative building, a gymnasium, and cars were damaged.
7.50 The Ukrainian Defense Forces neutralized 740 Russian invaders over the past 24 hours, and the total losses of enemy personnel in the war exceeded 1 million 256 thousand people. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on February 18.
7.23 As a result of a night attack by Russian drones on Mykolaiv, houses in the private sector were damaged. This was reported by the head of the Mykolaiv OVA, Vitaly Kim, on February 18.
03.33 The Russians have begun to transport FPV drones using Shahed-type strike drones. This was reported on Tuesday, February 17, by the advisor to the Minister of Defense, Sergey (Flash) Beskrestnov. He called on all units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to take information about new risks into account.
01.00 In Sumy region, the number of people injured as a result of a series of enemy drone strikes has increased to 11. In the regional center, apartment buildings and other buildings were damaged - hundreds of windows were broken, facades and roofs were damaged.