[Korrespondent] 23.57 Ukraine and Turkey are actively working on organizing new prisoner exchanges with the Russian Federation. During a working visit to Turkey, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov met with the head of the National Intelligence Organization Ibrahim Kalin, during which they discussed, in particular, humanitarian issues and the return of Ukrainians from Russian captivity.
"We are working to ensure that new exchanges take place in the near future," the NSDC Secretary said.
22.35 Ukraine is scaling up the use of interceptor drones to combat Russian drones. These weapons are currently able to neutralize every third Russian strike drone. This was stated by Yuriy Ignat, head of the communications department of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the air of the United News.
21.36 Canada is providing Ukraine with a new military aid package, which will include 449 armored vehicles. This was announced by Defense Minister David McGuinty, according to the Canadian government website.
20.53 The Government of Canada announced the extension of the UNIFIER program for another three years until 2029. Through this program, the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to train and enhance the capabilities of the Ukrainian military. The number of personnel in the operation will increase for greater flexibility and adaptation to the needs of Ukraine.
20.42 The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine summed up the results of four years of the great war in Ukraine. This is stated in their post published on Telegram.
20.09 Estonia is allocating 11 million euros to strengthen Ukraine's air defense and provide ammunition as part of NATO's PURL initiative. This was announced by Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
19.49 The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly supported the resolution "Supporting a lasting peace in Ukraine", which called for an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire, reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and expressed concern over the Russian Federation's attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure. Ukrinform reports.
19.12 Ukraine will receive 100 million euros from the EU for urgent energy support and more than 900 million euros in preparation for next winter. This was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a briefing in Kyiv.
19.09 The leaders of the Group of Seven countries, in a joint statement on the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion, reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its territorial integrity, right to exist, as well as freedom, sovereignty, and independence.
18.36 The missile strikes by Russian aggressors on Kyiv on the night of December 27 were filmed from space. The footage shows both downed missiles and hits in the capital and near the Trypillya thermal power plant.
18.09 President of the European Parliament Roberta Metzola signed a European loan for Ukraine for 90 billion euros for 2026-2027. She announced this on the social network X.
The European Union will provide financial resources for Ukraine for 2026-2027 "in one way or another," assured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
17.50 On Wednesday, electricity outage schedules will be in effect again in most regions of Ukraine. This was reported by Ukrenergo. The reason for the permanent restrictions is the consequences of regular Russian missile and drone attacks on energy facilities.
17.49 US President Donald Trump miscalculated his strategy regarding Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and the end of Russia's war against Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, Bloomberg reports.
17.18 Ukraine and Denmark are launching a joint project to modernize one of the training centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Denmark will finance the renovation of infrastructure and equipment for training military personnel. This was announced by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov. It is noted that Fedorov met with the Minister of Defense of Denmark Troels Lund Poulsen.
"Today, together with Denmark and the "Return Alive" Foundation, we are launching an infrastructure project to modernize one of the training centers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Denmark is investing about 33 million euros in training infrastructure, living and sanitary conditions, equipment, and drones for training. The "Return Alive" Foundation, which systematically invests in the education and training of military personnel, is an implementation partner," Fedorov noted.
16.59 Ukraine's international partners, together with representatives of the Ukrainian government, visited one of the thermal power plants in Kyiv on the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion. This was announced by Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal on his Telegram channel.
16.53 Since the beginning of the day, 50 battles between the Ukrainian army and the Russian invaders have taken place on the front. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational summary. Minimal activity of the invaders is recorded in most directions. Three clashes are currently underway in the Pokrovsky direction.
16:45 Seven utility workers were injured in Kherson due to an explosive detonation in the city center. The Kherson Emergency Response Unit reported this on February 24. It is noted that women aged 31, 53 and 42, as well as men aged 54, 51 and 62, were taken to the hospital. They suffered blast injuries, concussion and acute stress reaction.
16.33 The government of the Republic of South Africa has secured the release of citizens who were "deceitfully forced to sign military contracts" to participate in the war on the side of Russia. This was stated by the country's President Cyril Ramaphosa, Bloomberg reports.
The men were recruited through Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, the daughter of former South African President Jacob Zuma, the families of the mercenaries said. The men were allegedly "promised training to work as bodyguards" but were later "forced to sign military service contracts."
16.31 The shutdown of Starlink terminals for the Russian occupiers has been beneficial for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but this is not related to the success of offensive operations in Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. This statement was made by President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Tagesschau.
16.27 A Russian military intelligence agent was sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property for attempting to target ballistic missiles in the Chernihiv region. The SBU reported this on Tuesday, February 24.
The attacker was trying to correct a Russian missile attack on a regional railway station, which, according to the enemy, is involved in the transport logistics of the Defense Forces.
16.17 The British government has responded to Russian statements about the alleged intention of Britain and France to provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine, Sky News reports.
"This is a clear attempt by Vladimir Putin to divert attention from his terrible actions in Ukraine. There is no truth to this. You will have heard the Prime Minister's words this morning, in which he paid tribute to the incredible resilience of the Ukrainian people... We will continue our efforts to secure a just and lasting peace," the UK government said.
15.58 Russian ballistics is one of the main problems for Ukraine. Kyiv should consider options for effective counteraction to ballistic missiles, because the current reserves of partners are not infinite. This was reported by Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov, advisor to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, specialist and technical blogger in Telegram.
15.46 In the Kostyantynivka community in the Donetsk region, Russian troops carried out a strike with an FPV drone, resulting in the death of one person. This was reported on February 24 by the head of the Kostyantynivka city military administration, Serhiy Gorbunov. It is noted that three local residents were injured as a result of the attack. For one of the civilians, the injuries were incompatible with life. Two more people received injuries of varying severity. The injured were urgently taken to the Kramatorsk hospital.
15.15 China has issued a statement on the anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Beijing supports all efforts to establish peace in Ukraine and calls on the parties involved in the war to seize the opportunity for dialogue that has recently appeared. This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a briefing.
On April 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine announced the launch of a new category A1.2 "Forced displacement outside Ukraine" in the International Register of Losses, which allows Ukrainian refugees to apply for compensation.
14.55 Ukraine received part of the anti-aircraft aid package two days ago, but needs Patriot missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during a speech to participants in a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing.
14.29 Ukrainian military struck control points, warehouses and a repair base of Russian troops. American ATACMS ballistic missiles were used, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
14.15 On February 24, Denmark announced the allocation of an additional 190 million kroner (25.4 million euros) for humanitarian aid to Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
14.07 More than 200,000 Russian soldiers have died in the four years of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This was reported in a joint report by the BBC Russian Service, Mediazon, and a team of volunteers, prepared based on open data.
14.03 Bulgaria has sent 13 packages of military aid to Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In particular, the latest package was approved by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers on February 12. This is reported by Novinite.
Details regarding the type, amount, and financial value of the assistance are not disclosed.
13.50 Most of Ukraine's territory remains without air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The Head of State noted that his previous statements regarding air defense were not criticism of partners, but an attempt to draw attention to the real situation.
"I will not say where our Patriot systems are located. But 80% of the territory of our country does not have such systems against ballistic missiles," Zelensky said.
The President emphasized that Ukraine continues to seek opportunities to strengthen its defense. Even in the absence of a sufficient number of systems, Kyiv, together with partners, is working on financing their procurement.
13.46 Law enforcement officers reported suspicions to three Russian generals, whom the investigation considers to be involved in the massive artillery shelling of the Nikopol district in July-August 2022. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to the investigation, these shellings lasted for two months in 2022. The attacks killed 16 civilians and injured 21 others, including four children.
Suspicion was announced:
- Commander of the South Group of Forces - General of the Russian Army Sergei Surovikin;
- Lieutenant Generals Sergey Medvedev and Denis Lyamin, who were performing their respective official duties at that time.
13.36 The United Kingdom and France are allegedly planning to secretly transfer nuclear weapons and their delivery systems to Ukraine. This was stated by the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacted very promptly to the information from Russian intelligence, who mentioned international law.
13.27 In the Kherson region, one person was killed and another was injured as a result of attacks by Russian drones. This was reported by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin.
He noted that at around 9:00 a.m. in Kherson, an enemy UAV hit a 62-year-old employee of a utility company. The man suffered life-threatening injuries.
Another attack occurred at around 11:00 in Sofiivka, Stanislavska Hromada, the OVA reported. Russian military personnel used an FPV drone to hit a charity fund's evacuation vehicle. A man was injured as a result of the strike.
13.19 On the fourth anniversary of the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska, together with European leaders, prayed in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv for Ukrainians and a dignified peace in Ukraine.
13.16 Russia is trying to use problematic moments in the mobilization process in Ukraine for information attacks and inciting panic, including using artificial intelligence technologies. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in a comment to Tagesschau.
The Head of State acknowledged that there are difficulties in the work of territorial recruitment centers, but emphasized that some of the information being spread around the topic of mobilization is deliberate disinformation.
The president also emphasized that the enemy uses any miscalculations or difficult situations to destabilize the internal situation in Ukraine.
"The Ministry of Defense has been instructed to clarify this issue, to find a more technological approach. We will see how the minister copes. We will support them in any way," Zelenskyy noted.
13.01 In the Saratov region of the Russian Federation, powerful explosions were heard at the strategic Engels airfield. Before that, local residents noticed drones that are very similar to Ukrainian An-196s. February.
12.59 Units of the Unmanned Systems Forces hit and destroyed several units of Russian military equipment in the temporarily occupied territories, including air defense systems, a radar station, and a multiple launch rocket system. This was reported by the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert Magyar Brovdi.
In particular, it became known about those captured by the Ukrainian defenders:
MLRS Uragan in Zaporizhia region;
Buk-M1 air defense system in Svobodne in Donetsk region;
Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile system in Krasnosilske NP in Crimea;
Malachite radar station in Novofedorivka in Crimea.
12.56 Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation stopped an attempt to smuggle weapons and explosive materials to the Kharkiv region.
The organizer of the scheme was a sapper from one of the border detachments, who was serving in the Donetsk region. Having access to the unit's arsenal, he began appropriating explosive materials and components.
The suspect then sent them by mail to two acquaintances in the Kharkiv region. They kept the received packages in their homes, effectively accumulating an illegal arsenal.
During the shipment of another shipment, law enforcement officers at one of the Kharkiv postal terminals seized almost 300 units of dangerous weapons. Among them are the main parts of unguided rockets, grenade casings, powder charges, detonators, elements for under-barrel systems, and other components of explosive devices.
During searches of the accomplices' residences, investigators seized warheads, hand grenades, electric detonators, detonator caps, components for grenade launcher shots, and other means of destruction, including improvised explosive devices.
12.31 An FSB agent was detained in Zaporizhia, who was trying to get a job at a defense plant to leak to the Russians the coordinates of local enterprises working for the front. The SBU reported this on February 24.
12.30 Russia has not yet achieved all its goals in Ukraine, so the war continues. At the same time, Moscow seems to be hoping for peace talks. This statement was made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. At the same time, he complained that the so-called "SVO" had turned into a large-scale confrontation and blamed Europe and the United States for this.
12.27 During the four years of full-scale war, Russia has attacked Ukraine's energy system 5,796 times. 247 energy workers have died in the line of duty. This was announced by First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal.
11.51 The White House plans to conclude an agreement to end the war in Ukraine by the 250th anniversary of US independence, which will be celebrated on July 4. This was reported by Bloomberg.
11.45 French President Emmanuel Macron made a statement on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"This war is a triple failure for Russia: military, economic and strategic. It strengthened NATO, the expansion of which Russia wanted to avoid, united the Europeans, whom it sought to weaken, and exposed the fragility of imperialism from another era," Macron wrote on the social network X.
The French President noted that the Russian Federation has captured only 1% of Ukrainian territory since the stabilization of the front in November 2022 at the cost of the death and injury of 1.2 million of its soldiers, and is now recruiting people on the African continent to send them to fight on the Ukrainian front, often without any prior training.
The French leader called Ukraine "the first line of defense of our continent." According to him, France and Europe strongly support Ukraine by providing financial, military, humanitarian and energy assistance, as well as continuing to supply equipment, ammunition and train Ukrainian defenders.
11.28 Two people were detained in the Odessa region who agreed to register Starlink terminals for the needs of the Russian occupiers. The SBU reported this. The suspects turned out to be two residents of Izmail: a 36-year-old unemployed man and his 28-year-old unemployed cohabitant. They came "into the field of view" of racists through Telegram channels in search of "easy money."
11.07 On Tuesday morning, new power outages were recorded in four regions of Ukraine due to Russian shelling. This was reported by Ukrenergo. Emergency restoration work is already underway wherever the security situation allows.
11.02 Last year, Russia set a task to create 15 new divisions, but in fact it has only begun forming four. This was stated by the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Colonel Pavlo Palisa, in an interview with Ukrinform. The Russian Federation restored/reformatted the structure in 2024, creating the Leningrad and Moscow military districts. But this is presented more as a strengthening of the direction against NATO. Moreover, it is more psychological. But creating a district on paper is one thing.
Filling it with trained personnel, equipment, logistics is quite another," he explained. Palisa also added that it takes a lot of time for the created formations to acquire combat capabilities.
10.49 US President Donald Trump wants to sign an agreement on security guarantees and ending the war in Ukraine during a large-scale ceremony, but the Ukrainian side requires its prior approval by Congress. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with CNN.
10.43 Explosions were heard in temporarily occupied Crimea on the night of February 24. They were heard at the Kacha airfield in Sevastopol and Saki near Yevpatoria. This was reported by the Crimean Wind Telegram channel.
"At 00:46, a powerful explosion and flash across the sky occurred at Kacha airfield, a subscriber reports," the post says.
It is noted that seven more explosions were heard at the Kacha airfield. The Telegram channel also wrote about outbreaks at the Saki airfield in Novofedorivka.
10.38 The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated a number of settlements during the February offensive on the southern front. This is stated in the ISW report. It is noted that geolocation videos published on February 21 indicate that Ukrainian troops have recently advanced east of Verbovye. In addition, videos published on February 22 show a Ukrainian serviceman operating in the northwestern part of Ternuvaty. ISW experts have not found visual evidence that the Russians have been holding positions in Ternuvaty since February 6, 2026. According to ISW estimates, Ukrainian troops have recently liberated Andriivka, Ostapivske, Pishchane, Nechaivka, Radisne and Novye Zaporizhzhia. In addition, analysts have not observed visual evidence of the presence of Russian troops in any of these settlements for more than two weeks.
10.26 On the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published data on 34 enterprises of the Russian Helicopters holding company of the Rostec state corporation.
"Four years ago, dozens of Russian Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters were heading at low altitude to the Gostomel airport with the aim of capturing it and creating a bridgehead for an attack on Kyiv. Special forces of the GUR, fighters of the National Guard and other units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine thwarted the enemy's plans and held the airport territory during the first critical hours of the invasion," the intelligence report says.
In the aggressor's military-industrial complex section of the War&Sanctions portal, the GUR published information about Russian enterprises that develop, manufacture, repair and maintain Russian helicopters, in particular those involved in the Gostomel operation: reconnaissance and strike Ka-52 Alligator and transport Mi-8.
09.55 President Volodymyr Zelensky gives the Ukrainian delegation very clear directives before each round of peace talks. According to him, Ukraine seeks only a just and lasting peace that will not devalue the years of struggle and the enormous sacrifices of the Ukrainian people.
"But I definitely won't reveal a state secret if I say my main message: 'Don't nullify all these years, don't devalue all the struggle, courage, dignity, everything that Ukraine has gone through. It is impossible, it is impossible to give it away, forget it, betray it.' That is why there are so many rounds of negotiations and a battle for every word, for every point, for real security guarantees, so that the agreement is strong," Zelenskyy said.
The President noted that "history is watching us closely," so the peace agreement must not just be signed, but rather accepted by Ukrainians.
9.43 In the Kharkiv region on the morning of February 24, a Russian drone attacked trucks, injuring two drivers. This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office. It is noted that at about 05:50 on the Kharkiv-Kyiv highway, between the city of Valky and the village of Mandrychyne, a hostile attack occurred, previously using a Geran-2 UAV. The Russian invaders struck parked trucks. A 42-year-old driver was injured. Another driver is unconscious. Both victims were hospitalized.
9.22 Air defense forces neutralized 111 of the 133 drones used by Russian troops to attack Ukraine. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Missile hits and 19 strike UAVs were recorded at 16 locations, as well as the fall of downed targets (fragments) at one location.
08.33 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy published an address to Ukrainians on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale attack. The head of state recorded it in his office in the bunker, from where he had his first telephone conversations with world leaders after the attack.
08.17 Over the past 24 hours, 116 combat clashes were recorded at the front, in particular, in the Pokrovsky direction, Ukrainian defenders stopped 22 assault and offensive actions of the Russian invaders.
Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces struck ten areas of concentration of personnel, six control points, an artillery system and one other important target of the Russian invaders.
07.25 From February 24, 2022 to February 24, 2026, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 1,261,420 people (+920 per day).
06.02 Russia, through Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, once again expressed its position on the war against Ukraine, which has been going on for four years. In particular, Zakharova emphasized that all the goals of the so-called "special military operation" will be achieved. The statements without a hint of peace were made during a briefing.
05.04 To launch the Compensation Commission in 2027, it is necessary for the Convention on its establishment to be ratified by at least 25 countries. Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra noted that Ukraine expects to achieve the required number of ratifications by the end of 2026.
02.37 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine expects the European Union to make concrete decisions regarding its future membership. According to Kyiv, delaying this process creates additional risks, especially in conditions of war and pressure from Russia.
00.46 On the night of Tuesday, February 24, Russian troops launched an attack on Zaporizhia using strike drones. According to preliminary information from the head of the Zaporizhia OVA, Ivan Fedorov, the enemy launched more than six strikes on Zaporizhia, one of which hit the city's infrastructure. Three people, including a child, were injured; an apartment building was damaged by the blast wave and debris. Later, the State Emergency Service reported five injured people and a fire and large-scale destruction in various areas of the city.