Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22.34 Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, together with Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Melnyk and Commander of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Anatoliy Kazmirchuk discussed the mechanism for reserving medical personnel for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Health on Thursday, February 6.
22.21 On February 6, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated in his address the six-month anniversary of the Defense Forces offensive in Kursk region. The head of state awarded the participants of the operation, including two Heroes of Ukraine, and presented the "Crosses of Military Merit" and orders.
19.18 On February 5, two Georgian soldiers who fought in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, David Dvalishvili and Mamuka Beria, were killed at the front. This was reported by the head of the Georgian group of Special Operations Forces.
19.03 Operators of the 412th NEMESIS regiment once again demonstrated a high level of skill by destroying a BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system moving at high speed in the Luhansk direction. The corresponding video was released by the Unmanned Systems Forces Command on Thursday, February 6.
16.33 The aggressor state has allocated additional funding for Roskomnadzor in order to strengthen control over the information space both in the Russian Federation itself and in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on Thursday, February 6.
16.16 The court sentenced three agents of the Russian special services who set fire to Ukrzaliznytsia facilities in Bukovina to 15 years in prison. This was reported by the SBU press service on Thursday, February 6.
15.52 Western allies - France and the Netherlands - have handed over Mirage 2000 and F-16 fighters to Ukraine. This was reported by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The modern combat vehicles are already in Ukraine and will soon begin performing combat missions.
15.29 US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg will not present a peace plan to resolve the war at the Munich Security Conference. He said this in a commentary to Newsmax. According to him, US President Donald Trump will do this soon .
12/15 The Ministry of Defense codified and approved for use in the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine seven models of small arms and grenade launchers produced by European and American arms companies during January 2025. This was reported by the Main Directorate for Support of the Life Cycle of Weapons and Military Equipment, the Ministry of Defense reports. Among the codified models are machine guns of various calibers, an ergonomic infantry assault rifle, and sniper rifles.
14.22 SBU counterintelligence prevented sabotage by Russian special services at a Ukrzaliznytsia facility in Odessa Oblast. Two Russian agents were detained in the region, who attempted to derail a freight train on a local railway line.
To commit the crime, the defendants began to dismantle part of the track at night and hammer metal reinforcement into its joints. At this stage of preparation for the sabotage, they were detained.
The enemy's henchmen turned out to be two local residents aged 17 and 18, who were looking for "easy" money on thematic Telegram channels.
14.01 The UK is convening a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's defence in the Ramstein format on 12 February in Brussels. This was reported by the British Permanent Mission to the Alliance headquarters.
13.39 The aggressor country Russia is ready to negotiate with the United States in a "tough bargaining" mode to end the war in Ukraine. The corresponding statement was made yesterday by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov. According to him, Moscow demands that Washington take the first step toward normalizing bilateral relations based on the principles of mutual respect and equality.
13.20 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky reported that he held a working meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Lieutenant General Mikael Klasson, who is visiting Ukraine. The parties discussed international support for Ukraine, cooperation with NATO and European allies.
12:43 In January, 66% of Russian military equipment was disabled as a result of the work of Ukrainian attack UAVs of various types. The largest share of defeats fell on FPV drones. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrsky.
12:17 The first French Mirage 2000 fighters arrived in Ukraine. This was reported by the Minister of Defense of France Sebastien Lecornu on the social network H. Earlier, France trained Ukrainian pilots for these aircraft in a few months.
11:20 The Security Service detained a female agent of the Russian special services in Kharkov, who committed a terrorist attack in the city at the end of January. The woman helped the occupiers detonate explosives near the private home of a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For conspiracy, the agent wore wigs, and after the terrorist attack, she tried to destroy all the clothes she was wearing while preparing the explosion.
11:00 North Korean missiles that Russia launches at Ukraine have become much more accurate since late December 2024, Reuters reports , citing two high-ranking Ukrainian sources.
It is noted that the missiles from the DPRK, which Russia has been using to hit Ukraine since December 2024, have become significantly more accurate than those used before. Now these missiles have a deviation of 50-100 meters instead of 1-3 km, as it was before.
Possible explanations for the improved accuracy of these missiles are that they are equipped with better navigation systems or a steering mechanism to facilitate maneuvering.
10:29 The Ukrainian Defense Forces have been conducting the Kursk operation for six months. During this time, Russia has lost 40,000 soldiers, and North Korea - 4,000. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
10:20 The majority of Ukrainians surveyed (69%) continue to believe in Ukraine's ability to repel a Russian attack. This is evidenced by the data of a survey conducted by the Sociological Group Rating.
Belief in Ukraine's victory has not changed significantly over the past year: it has increased for 24% of respondents, decreased for 23%, and has not changed for 49%.
Sociologists note that regardless of age, gender, and region, respondents are tired and feel a lot of apathy. The fighting spirit that arose at the beginning of the war has somewhat died down for now.
9:45 Russian troops attacked one of the largest markets in Kharkov, Barabashovo, with drones. At least 100 trade pavilions were damaged.
9:15 At night, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 77 Shahed-type attack UAVs and drone imitators. Air defense shot down 56 drones, another 18 drone imitators were lost (without negative consequences).
As a result of the enemy attack, Kharkiv, Cherkasy and Dnipropetrovsk regions suffered.
8:35 At night in the Krasnodar region of Russia, Ukrainian drones hit the Primorsko-Akhtarsky military airfield, there were explosions and a fire at the facility.
This facility is used for the storage, preparation and launch of Shahed UAVs on the territory of Ukraine, as well as servicing aircraft performing missions in the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
8:15 The missile forces and artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit 19 areas of concentration of personnel and equipment, one command post, an artillery facility, and an electronic warfare station of the Russian invaders. Over the past day, 90 combat clashes were recorded on the front.
7:20 As of February 6, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine were approximately 845,310 people (+1,240 per day).
3:51 Enemy air strikes on the night of February 6 damaged the largest market and transport enterprise in Kharkiv. This was reported by the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.
4:55 Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced in the Pokrovsk direction to the east of Nadeyevka (southwest of Pokrovsk). This is evidenced by geolocation footage published on February 5, the Institute for the Study of War noted in a report.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] General Staff reported the number of clashes on the front.
The enemy suffers significant losses - in particular, in the Pokrovsk direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces neutralized 148 Russians, 81 of whom were irreparably killed. A tank, eight vehicles, a UAV control antenna, an artillery system, a transporter, a howitzer, and a cannon were destroyed.
Ukrainian defenders continue to resolutely rebuff the enemy's attempts to advance deep into our territory, inflicting effective fire damage on them, exhausting them along the entire front line. Since the beginning of this day, 89 combat clashes have occurred. This was noted in the General Staff report on Thursday, February 6.
The Russian invaders carried out three missile and 65 air strikes, using four missiles and 65 KAB. In addition, the Russians used 1,105 kamikaze drones to destroy the positions of our troops and populated areas.
In the Kharkov direction, our troops repelled one enemy attack in the Volchansk area.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy carried out five assaults on the positions of our defenders in the areas of Lozovaya, Novaya Kruglyakovka, Petrovpavlovka and Zagryzovoye. Ukrainian defenders repelled all enemy attacks.
In the Liman direction, during the day, Russian invaders attacked Ukrainian positions 18 times near Zelenaya Roshcha, Kopanki, Novosergeevka, Grekovka, Novoye, Zelenaya Dolina, Novolyubovka, Yekaterinovka, Yampolevka, Terny and Kolodtsy.
In the Seversk direction, during the day, the enemy made two attempts to attack the positions of our units in the Belogorovka area. At the same time, it dropped two aerial bombs on Seversk and Zvanovka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, two ongoing military clashes have been recorded near Vremenny Yar. The enemy attacked Bondarnoye with guided air bombs.
In the Toretsk direction, the Russians attacked the positions of the defense forces 13 times. The occupiers concentrated their main offensive efforts near Dilievka and Toretskaya. Currently, four combat clashes are ongoing.
Since the beginning of this day, in the Pokrovsk direction, the invaders' units have tried to break through our defenses 28 times near the settlements of Zelenoe Pole, Novotoretskoye, Pokrovsk, Peschanoye, Udachnoye, Mirolyubovka, Luch, Lysovka, Kotlyarovka, Uspenovka, Dachnoye, Andreyevka and Shevchenko. Three combat clashes are still ongoing. The settlement of Novoalexandrovka was hit by an airstrike with two guided bombs.
The enemy is suffering significant losses - today in this direction Ukrainian soldiers have neutralized 148 occupiers, 81 of them irretrievably. Also destroyed was one tank, eight vehicles, a UAV control antenna, one artillery system, also damaged was a tank, a multi-purpose transporter, a self-propelled howitzer and a cannon of the enemy.
Today, in the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attacked seven times near Lisovka, Konstantinopol and Razdolnoye. No success. Conducted air strikes with unguided missiles on the settlement of Novosyolka and dropped two KABs in the Otradnoye area.
The enemy did not conduct offensive operations in the Orekhov, Gulyai-Polye and Dnieper directions.
In the Kursk direction, there have been five combat contacts since the beginning of the day.
While in other areas the situation has not undergone significant changes.
The General Staff recognized the soldiers of the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade and the 406th Separate Artillery Brigade, who steadfastly held back the invasion of superior enemy forces.
Let us recall that over the past 24 hours, aviation, missile forces and artillery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit 19 areas of concentration of personnel and equipment, one command post, an artillery facility, as well as a radio-electronic combat station of the Russian invaders.
On February 5, Russia lost more than 1,200 soldiers at the front in one day. The total combat losses of Russian troops are approaching 850,000 people.
Linked article is available only through a VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
In Kharkov direction, units of the Sever Group of Forces hit formations of two territorial defence brigades close to Volchansk and Okhrimovka (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 25 troops, four motor vehicles, and one field artillery gun. One ammunition depot was destroyed.
The Zapad Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation and delivered strikes at manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU, and one national guard brigade close to Peschanoye, Novaya Kruglyakovka, Zeleny Gai, Zagryzovo (Kharkov region), Shangdrigolovo, Novoye, Yampolovka, and Kolodezi (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 200 troops, one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, to include three U.S.-made M-113 armoured personnel carriers, seven motor vehicles, five field artillery guns, two of which were Western-made. One electronic warfare station and four ammunition depots were destroyed.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Formations of two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, and two territorial defence brigades suffered losses near Predtechino, Katerinovka, Orekhovo-Vasilyevka, Nikolayevka, Zelenovka, Sukhiye Yaly, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 180 troops, three motor vehicles, one self-propelled artillery system, and one ammunition depot.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units improved the situation along the front line. The Russian troops inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of two heavy mechanised brigades, five mechanised brigades, one jaeger brigade of the AFU, and the Lyut Assault Brigade of the National Police of Ukraine near Druzhba, Shcherbinovka, Udachnoye, Novopavlovka, Tarasovka, Dzerzhinsk, Vodyanoye Vtoroye, and Kotlino (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to more than 505 troops, five armoured fighting vehicles, to include one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, two motor vehicles, and seven artillery guns, to include one Western-made self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Formations of one tank brigade, three mechanised brigades of the AFU, and three territorial defence brigades were hit near Burlatskoye, Novoselka, Novopol, and Rovnopol (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 135 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, two field artillery guns, to include one U.S.-made 155mm Paladin self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces launched strikes at manpower and hardware of one mountain assault brigade and three coastal defence brigades of the AFU close to Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region), Dneprovskoye, Yantarnoye, and Nikolskoye (Kherson region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 45 troops, two motor vehicles, and one uncrewed surface vehicle.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged the infrastructure of military airfields, storage and training sites for the launch of unmanned aerial vehicles as well as clusters of manpower and hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 142 areas.
Air defence systems have shot down two French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, ten U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 106 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 653 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 42,569 unmanned aerial vehicles, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 21,047 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,513 MLRS combat vehicles, 21,292 field artillery guns and mortars, and 31,239 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
On the morning of 6 February, Ukrainian armed formations attempted to counterattack in the direction of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok in Kursk Region. For this purpose, the AFU used up to two mechanised battalions on armoured vehicles. Assault groups of the enemy launched several waves of attacks in the designated direction.
The Sever Group of Forces' units detected the enemy in time, and the Group's units supported by aviation inflicted fire damage on the AFU assault groups.
As of 14:00, the attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been repelled and the settlements are under the control of the Russian troops.
The AFU losses amounted to six tanks, three counterobstacle vehicles, three infantry fighting vehicles, and 14 armoured fighting vehicles. The neutralisation of the AFU units is in progress.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
Over the past 24 hours, units of the Sever Group of Forces during the offensive actions inflicted fire damage on formations of one heavy mechanised brigade, six mechanised brigades, three air assault brigades, one naval infantry brigade, four territorial defence brigades of the AFU, and one national guard brigade of Ukraine close to Bogdanovka, Viktorovka, Gogolevka, Guyevo, Daryino, Zazulevka, Kazachya Loknya, Kolmakov, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Nikolayevka, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Pogrebki, Rubanshchina, Sverdlikovo, Staraya Sorochina, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, and Yuzhny.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the enemy near Basovka, Belovody, Veselovka, Zhuravka, Ivolzhanskoye, Iskriskovshchina, Mirlogi, Miropolye, Mogritsa, Sadki, Stetskovka, Yunakovka, and Yablonovka in Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to up to 205 troops, three tanks, one armoured personnel carrier, 15 armoured fighting vehicles, and 17 motor vehicles were neutralised.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 57,860 troops, 337 tanks, 244 infantry fighting vehicles, 194 armoured personnel carriers, 1,759 armoured fighting vehicles, 1,844 motor vehicles, 409 artillery guns, 45 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and six of MLRS made by the USA, 17 anti-aircraft missile launchers, eight transport-loading vehicles, 106 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, five air defence radars, 33 units of engineering and other materiel, including 14 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, nine armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 23:59 Official summary of the Office for Documentation of War Crimes of Ukraine from 00:00 06.02.2025 to 00:00 07.02.2025.
Nine facts of armed attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
There were no reports of civilian casualties.
DAMAGED:
Two residential buildings,
Six cars,
Five civil infrastructure facilities.
Nine armed attacks in the Gorlovka direction.
A total of 21 units of various ammunition were fired.
21:25 Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense
On February 6, 2025, units of the North group of forces thwarted an attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to conduct counteroffensive actions in the direction of the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok in the Kursk region.
All attacks were repelled. In this direction, since the morning of February 6, the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with forces of up to two mechanized battalions on infantry fighting vehicles and combat armored vehicles, supported by tanks and obstacle clearing vehicles, launched eight waves of attacks.
The Ukrainian assault units were stopped and defeated by servicemen of the 11th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade, the 810th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade, the Veterans and ArBat volunteer formations, as well as UAV operators of the Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies, the 40th separate marine brigade and the 177th Separate Naval Infantry Regiment, with the support of aviation and artillery.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 200 people and about 50 units of weapons and military equipment, including: eight tanks, five infantry fighting vehicles, an armored personnel carrier and 30 armored combat vehicles, as well as three engineering obstacle clearing vehicles, a bridge layer and other equipment.
20:50 UAV crews from the Rubicon center destroy enemy armored vehicles while repelling an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, –video
19:50 Russian troops are expanding offensive bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskol River in the Dvurechnaya area.
18:30 Repelling an attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, –video
17:25 Servicemen of the "West" group of forces destroyed two 82mm mortars of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at camouflaged firing positions in the DPR, –video
17:05 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS crews of the army corps of the North group of forces provided support to attack aircraft and destroyed UAV launch points, fortified positions with Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower in the Khar'kov direction, –video
15:30 Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to defeat of Ukrainian Armed Forces formations in the Kursk region
Over the past 24 hours, units of the North group of forces, during offensive operations, inflicted defeat on formations of a heavy mechanized, six mechanized, three airborne assault brigades, a naval infantry brigade, four territorial defense brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in the areas of the populated areas of Bogdanovka, Viktorovka, Gogolevka, Guevo, Dar'ino, Zazulevka, Kazachya Loknya, Kolmakov, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Maryevka, Makhnovka, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Pogrebki, Rubanshchina, Sverdlikovo, Staraya Sorochina, Sudzha, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Yuzhny.
Strikes by operational-tactical and army aviation and artillery fire hit enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Basovka, Belovody, Veselovka, Zhuravka, Ivolzhanskoye, Iskriskovshchina, Mirlogi, Miropolye, Mogritsa, Sadki, Stetskovka, Yunakovka and Yablonovka in the Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 205 servicemen, three tanks, an armored personnel carrier, 15 armored combat vehicles, and 17 cars were destroyed.
15:25 Russian Defense Ministry on the progress of repelling the attempted invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into the territory of the Russian Federation in the Kursk region
On the morning of February 6, Ukrainian armed formations attempted counter-offensive actions in the direction of the settlements of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Ulanok in the Kursk region. For this, the Ukrainian Armed Forces deployed up to two mechanized battalions on armored vehicles. The enemy's assault groups launched several waves of attacks in the specified direction.
The enemy was promptly attacked by the North group of troops, the group's units, with the support of aviation, inflict fire damage on the assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Attacks by Ukrainian armed forces have been repelled, and populated areas are under the control of Russian troops.
The enemy's losses amounted to six tanks, three obstacle clearance vehicles, three infantry fighting vehicles and 14 armored combat vehicles. The destruction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces formations continues.
14:20 177th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Regiment of the Caspian Flotilla stopped counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk border region.
Fighting continues in the Ulanka area. The settlement is under the full control of the Russian Armed Forces.
13:05 The Armed Forces of Ukraine againwentin the assault in the Kursk region. At the moment, active military operations are taking place in the vicinity of the villages of Makhnovka, Cherkasskaya Konopelka, Ulanok and the nearby village of Fanaseyevka, seven kilometers from Sudzha, Severny Veter reports.
11:50 At the moment they are fighting in the Kursk direction near the settlement of Ulanok, the Russian Armed Forces are burning enemy equipment, up to nine armored fighting vehicles have been spotted.
10:50 Calculation of the Strela-10 air defense missile system of the Center group of forces destroyed reconnaissance UAV "Shark" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
9:10 AFU again attacked Krasnodar region
The Ukrainian Armed Forces' target was a military airfield in the Primorsko-Akhtarsk area, where an aviation regiment is listed. Shot reported on the fall of debris from a downed drone and a fire in one of the areas near the airfield.
8:35 Russian Ministry of Defense:
Crews of the 220mm BM-27 Uragan MLRS of the Airborne Forces artillery brigade from Novorossiysk destroyed strongholds with Ukrainian Armed Forces manpower in the Kursk border area.
7:15 Russian Ministry of Defense:
During the past night, air defense systems on dutydestroyed28 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles: 13 UAVs over the waters of the Sea of ??Azov, eight UAVs over the territory of the Rostov region, six UAVs over the territory of the Krasnodar region and one over the territory of the Astrakhan region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Ol'ga Borisova
[REGNUM] Two snipers, having worked on targets as part of a sabotage and reconnaissance group, were returning to their own. They went deep into the enemy's rear - they had to walk about five kilometers to their positions. The path lay along a narrow path, which the soldiers called "the run."
There is no way to turn left or right - everything around is mined. The path is covered by enemy mortars and machine guns. You can only run.
"I came up, crossed myself and ran - whether I would be lucky or not. I was unlucky. First, a mortar, a shot threw me back, and then a machine gun caught up with me," sniper Ivan Ivankov, call sign Django, tells IA Regnum.
The wound was serious, the bullet entered the abdominal cavity. But the man and his partner decided not to call an evacuation team - it would have to move along the same "run".
Ivankov knew that even two fighters would immediately become a target for Ukrainian drones, so he told his partner to go forward, letting him go twenty to thirty meters away from him. He himself went behind. Or rather, first he walked, and then simply crawled towards his own.
TO THE FRONT AFTER PRISON
Ivan Ivankov is 49 years old. He was born and raised in Irkutsk, and served in the border troops of the KGB of the USSR. He received an education as a psychologist, but never worked in his profession. He got a job as a security guard, then as a bodyguard.
And then, recalls the interlocutor of IA Regnum, “I met some comrades and decided to organize my own organized crime group.”
"We got involved in banditry. Of course, there's nothing good about it... We had episodes from 2012 to 2015. I was convicted of armed robbery of ATMs in Irkutsk," Ivankov says.
In 2015, he was arrested, spent two and a half years in a pretrial detention center, and in 2017, was sent to a penal colony — a prison for former employees of the internal affairs agencies. In the colony, especially in the pretrial detention center, it was harder than at the front, says Ivankov. Although, he admits, it is a “special experience.”
"Places of imprisonment teach you everything, it's a serious training, " says Ivankov. "For me, at least, it was quite comfortable later, both in the forest hole where I had to sleep, and in other situations."
In the pretrial detention center, the man's education as a psychologist came in handy. Firstly, to help himself - "with meditation and relaxation." Secondly, Ivankov was appointed senior in the cell, and had to resolve conflicts among aggressively minded men.
He was released from prison in March 2023 on parole.
" Many of my friends went to the front directly from the colony - both through Wagner and through the Ministry of Defense. Many friends left, and many stayed there: they died during the capture of Soledar, Bakhmut. I had a patriotic desire to punish that scum that was there..." - the man recalls.
After returning from the colony, he underwent basic military training at the Rokot organization in Irkutsk. There, they taught him fire training and tactical medicine. Then Ivankov signed a contract with the Redut PMC, where he "began to prepare more professionally."
The skills of handling weapons and marksmanship, developed during his military service, came in very handy. At the training ground, all recruits took a test: they had to hit a target, an A4 sheet of paper, from a distance of 100 meters to get a group of four even "holes". Ivankov passed the test successfully and received the sniper specialization.
When asked how his relatives reacted to his decision to go to the North Military District, the Regnum news agency’s interlocutor answered confidently:
"Nobody tried to talk me out of it, and it wouldn't have helped. My ex-wife said that I should think about it, but she is patriotic, and she understood that I was already determined to do it, and I couldn't be swayed. My mother also took it well. Of course, she was worried in her heart, but nevertheless... My friends and brother raised money for me, bought me equipment, helped with everything."
It took two months to prepare, then to the SVO zone. And three months later that same sortie into the enemy's rear, the wounding and the return on a "run" happened.
"When I crawled to my own people, they immediately sent me to the medical unit. There they found out that the wound was serious, they took me to Artemovsk for surgery. And a day later - to the hospital in St. Petersburg," recalls the interlocutor of IA Regnum.
Then began a long process of rehabilitation, returning to Irkutsk, and again trips to St. Petersburg for new operations. Ivankov himself admits that he was lucky: they allocated a quota to a military hospital, although by that time the contract had ended and the man was listed as a "civilian". Despite this, the doctors literally got Ivankov back on his feet: "they did everything perfectly, stitched everything up."
He was especially worried about his physical fitness because he had always been involved in sports and did not want to quit.
"Last April, when I had my last operation, I was forbidden to lift objects heavier than five kilograms. The restriction was for six months, it was April then, but in May I had already signed up for a gym and started lifting weights little by little. I started with five, then ten... Now I lift 140 kilograms - I have fully recovered," Ivankov says.
"THEY MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE NEEDED IN PEACEFUL LIFE"
Already in the first days after the injury, the man realized what PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) was - he experienced an acute attack. In the hospital, the most ordinary sounds seemed unbearable.
"I remember it as if it were yesterday: someone turns on, for example, an electric razor, and you perceive it in your sleep as if a drone is flying over you. And such a burning, incredible desire to fall, hide under the bed. You perceive the slam of the door as an explosion or gunfire. Various methods of meditation and relaxation helped me, thanks to them I more or less coped with it," recalls the interlocutor of IA Regnum.
And just recently, when he went to Baikal with friends, he experienced similar feelings: someone decided to take pictures with drones, the man heard a characteristic buzzing - “it immediately gave me goosebumps.”
While still in the hospital in St. Petersburg, Ivankov realized that he wanted to help the soldiers who would return from the front - "they will experience the same thing as me." He began looking for courses to train military psychologists, and saw a program at the St. Petersburg training center "Kupol." In October, he left the hospital and immediately signed up for the course. He studied remotely from November 2023 to February 2024, and received a diploma in military psychology.
I posted an ad and started holding online consultations. I worked mainly with the wives and widows of fighters. Their main request was "help me cope with loss, bereavement."
MAY 9
And then Ivankov, as he says himself, "got into the flow." He saw a message from the Fatherland Defenders Fund that they were recruiting for training in entrepreneurship from the public organization "Business Russia." The man applied, talked to the organizers. He said that he wanted to help the fighters.
Through joint efforts, the concept of a non-profit Center for Psychological Rehabilitation of SVO Participants and Their Family Members was born. The Center has already been registered, and the start of work is scheduled for February 2025.
"It is very important that support is not only from family, but that there are organizations that help cope with everything. I would like our project to develop, to grow into an all-Russian network. I know this from my own experience: you can't drag a person who came from the front to a psychologist, he will twirl his finger at his temple and go drink some moonshine," Ivankov says.
All those who returned have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Ivan is convinced, but some people cope with it easier, while others have a really hard time. That is why, the man decided, the Center should become a real community - a club for veterans of the Fatherland.
"His activities will be aimed at maximum adaptation to peaceful life. Sooner or later, everything will end, the guys will come back - it will be hard for everyone. We all remember how the Afghan war ended, the Chechen wars: there were all sorts of organized crime groups, drug addiction, alcoholism, suicidal syndrome...
We need to be prepared and help the kids, involve them in social activities. They must understand that they are needed, that they are already in a peaceful life, the world is no longer divided into friends and foes, there are much more colors in it," Ivankov explains.
According to him, the Center will also employ child and family psychologists who will be able to help the children and wives of soldiers.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Azerbaijan has banned the activities of Rossotrudnichestvo and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the country. This was reported on February 6 by the Azerbaijani publication Report.
It is noted that Baku sent Moscow a notification via diplomatic channels about the termination of the Russian agency's activities. The press secretary of the republic's Foreign Ministry, Ayhan Hajizade, announced on February 6 that the American side had also been warned about the ban on USAID's work in the republic.
The publication, citing sources, stated that the reason for this decision was Baku's desire to be independent from external influence. The decision to close USAID was made even before US President Donald Trump ordered the agency to be liquidated.
“Our country itself has become a donor and does not need outside help,” the source told the publication.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on February 2, Trump called the USAID leadership radicals who needed to be removed. The following day, employees of the agency's headquarters received notices about the closure of the office in Washington.
American entrepreneur, head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk then announced the beginning of the liquidation of USAID. He emphasized that this organization cannot be restored.
Following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Baku in August 2024, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called the relations between the countries allied and friendly. He also noted the successful development of bilateral trade and economic relations.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The diesel-electric submarine Magadan of the Pacific Fleet (PF) performed a deep-sea dive (DSD) to a depth of 240 m in Avacha Bay off the coast of Kamchatka. This was reported on February 6 by the press service of the PF.
“During the GVP, the operation of all the submarine’s mechanisms and systems was tested, and an algorithm for operating the ship at great depths was worked out,” the statement said. Did it return?
The submarine crew, having successfully completed the underwater part of the exercise, surfaced and continued to operate within the framework of the fleet's combat training plan. The corvette Gremyashchiy and the rescue vessel Georgy Kozmin also provided support for the tasks, the press service specified.
As reported by Regnum News Agency, the newest Project 636.3 submarine Magadan was laid down in November 2019. It was launched in March 2021, and in October it joined the Russian Navy. The submarine's endurance is 45 days, maximum diving depth is 300 m, underwater speed is 18 knots, and the crew is 52 people.
The Magadan submarine is also equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles. It is capable of hitting targets at a distance of 1,000 km. The corresponding tests were conducted in the Sea of Japan.
Text taken from the Telegram channel of usaperiodical
Commentary from Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Allegedly leaking Trump's plan for Ukraine.
The Daily Mail claims that they have a leaked plan from Donald Trump to end the conflict in Ukraine. So, we're listening to the Mail now, Borya?
In brief:
1. The US President intends to convince Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire by Easter, and the final agreement will be published by May 9;
2. Russia's westward advance will be stopped, Ukraine will be banned from joining NATO, and Kiev will be obliged to recognize Russia's sovereignty over its new territories;
3. Ukrainian troops will be withdrawn from the Kursk region;
4. A European military contingent, which may include the British, will be used to guard the demilitarized zone, while the Americans will not be involved;
5. The EU will be asked to help Ukraine in its recovery efforts;
6. Negotiations will begin with a phone call between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in early February, a meeting in late February - early March, and an official announcement of a ceasefire by April 20.
7. Sanctions will be partially lifted from Russia, including on the oil sector. Western countries will impose a duty on Russian oil, the proceeds of which will be transferred to the restoration of Ukraine.
“In the West, there is a desire – when they see how the front in Ukraine is collapsing – to immediately freeze military actions, deploy their contingents there and begin rearming Ukrainian troops,” RIA Novosti quotes the head of the Russian diplomatic mission as saying.
Meshkov added that Russia sees the West’s intentions, but will not succumb to such tricks.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova stated at a briefing on February 6 that freezing the conflict in Ukraine or a temporary ceasefire is unacceptable for Russia. The diplomat noted that freezing or a temporary ceasefire would simply be used by the collective West to strengthen the military potential of the Kiev regime. Later, attempts to take armed military revenge may be made, she admitted. The representative of the Foreign Ministry noted that potential guarantees for possible agreements on Ukraine will be determined during possible negotiations.
On January 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Moscow is ready for negotiations on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, but the goal of this dialogue should be long-term peace, not a short-term truce. The head of the Russian state added that the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation must be taken into account.
In December, the head of state noted that Russia seeks to end the conflict in Ukraine, not freeze it. He recalled that in 2021, former US President Joe Biden had already proposed postponing Ukraine's admission to NATO for 10-20 years. However, in the context of historical distances and timeframes, this is one moment, after which the country would still be accepted into the alliance, the president emphasized.
Even more from regnum.ru Russian Ambassador Announces Readiness for Very Serious Negotiations on Ukraine
Russia is ready for a very serious dialogue on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict, but it stands on the previously announced position. This was stated by the Russian Ambassador to Great Britain Andrei Kelin.
"I will say that we are ready for a very serious discussion on this matter. We have stated our position, and we adhere to our position. I do not think it is necessary to repeat this," the ambassador said in an interview with the ITV channel.
He added that the Russian Armed Forces continue to successfully advance in the special operation zone, which makes the negotiating position advantageous for Moscow. According to the diplomat, much will depend on the events that will take place in the coming weeks and months. Kelin emphasized that Russia is ready to negotiate on Ukraine based on the draft Istanbul Agreements. At the same time, Moscow will insist on holding presidential elections in Ukraine due to the illegitimacy of the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky.
“As far as I understand, our positions with the Americans coincide on the issue of the need to hold elections,” the head of the diplomatic mission added.
#4
A great deal of damage has been done that cannot be undone. So the EU will help Ukraine rebuild but who will help Russia? Sorry, Vlad. It doesn't matter about Trump. After the Obama/Biden administrations, Russians will never trust the West again.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2025 11:57 Comments ||
Top||
#5
^They never did before - that's their principal strength.
#6
You're probably right, Grom. I guess what I'm trying to say is Western leaders like Trump should understand that the Russians don't trust us, they should understand why they don't trust us and negotiate accordingly.
I say it doesn't matter about Trump because if we have radical swings in policy it must look to the Russians and others like we are a bipolar people who are subject to radical mood swings. That makes us unworthy of trust.
One could argue that's just how democracy is. But if our democracy produces leaders like Joe Biden, it's sick and nobody knows how long it will take us to recover or if we ever will.
I don't think our leaders understand that but they should.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2025 13:40 Comments ||
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#7
^It's not the democracy, it's the Globalist ruling "elites".
#8
The Uke war needs to end, BUT, alienating Russia will further entwine China and Russia, especially if there is a mind to surrendering Russia's "traditional sphere of influence". Has anyone speculated on the outcome of the vaccum caused by USAID leaving strategic spaces? Sounds like something Belt and Road was made to fill.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Gevorg Mirzayan
[REGNUM] USAID, the independent US government agency that handles nearly 60% of American humanitarian aid, has fallen on hard times since Donald Trump came to power. Trump has said the organization is run by “radical lunatics” who need to be removed.
And billionaire Elon Musk, who headed the US Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE), called USAID a criminal organization that had to die. And on February 3, employees of the agency's headquarters received letters about the closure of the office in Washington.
Then, authorities around the world began to unveil the organization's activities. Tbilisi said the agency had spent millions of dollars on the "2024 Georgian elections" — the very same ones that resulted in the defeated pro-Western opposition attempting to stage a "Maidan."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has spoken out about the destructive influence of USAID in his country and throughout the European Union. “Apparently, USAID funded the ultra-progressive newspaper Politico in Brussels and virtually all left-wing media in Hungary under the previous US administration,” he said.
USAID was also active in Russia, not only on the “humanitarian” track, but also on the political one. “USAID proudly supports Russia’s oldest human rights organizations, which have played a key role in advancing support for democratic values throughout Russia,” the organization’s report stated.
In addition, the agency “provided support to citizen watchdog groups in Russia that provided impartial oversight of electoral processes, including through innovative use of technology.”
And the icing on the cake: “USAID-funded rule of law experts helped draft the Russian Constitution, Part I of the Russian Civil Code, and the Russian Tax Code.”
But the agency was most active in the human rights sphere. According to Nikita Mendkovich, head of the Eurasian Analytical Club, USAID's main projects in Russia for a long time were the Memorial Society* (liquidated by the Supreme Court for violating the law on foreign agents), the Helsinki Group (liquidated by the Moscow City Court) and, of course, the Voice* organization.
According to Mendkovich, the longest-running project was the Memorial* project. It received funding through various foreign intermediaries, but ultimately everything came from the US budget. "The organization was engaged in ideological processing of the Russian population and discrediting the Russian government. In essence, Memorial* was a key element of the system of rewriting history throughout the post-Soviet space, discrediting our past," the expert notes in a commentary to the Regnum news agency.
It is important to understand that the rewriting of our history and the discrediting of the Russian government were promoted not so much as part of a campaign of Russophobia, but rather as a foreign government organization fulfilling its direct functions.
"In the 1990s, certain political and economic reforms were lobbied for in the post-Soviet space through USAID. Their ultimate goal was to make it easier for the US to establish economic ties with these countries," Ulyana Artamonova, a candidate of political sciences and a research fellow at the Center for North American Studies at the IMEMO RAS, explains to Regnum.
The US-lobbied reforms, she continues, had two goals. First, to prevent the restoration of the Soviet system in any form, and second, to make the political system and culture of post-Soviet states similar to those of the US. "The Americans, with their messianism, sincerely believe that theirs is the best and universal. And they are also sure that it is easier to deal with a country that has the same model," Artamonova adds.
At the same time, Moscow did not consider USAID’s activities to be destructive for some time.
"The agency, for example, issued grants for internships and training programs in the US: even in the early 2010s, having an internship or grant on your resume was a plus for a job candidate. The fact is that American universities have a reputation as some of the most advanced in the world," notes the interlocutor of IA Regnum. And this concerned not only political scientists and journalists, but also representatives of the Russian judiciary.
“More than 5,000 Russian and American judicial officials participated in exchanges and events, resulting in the establishment of strong partnerships between Russian judicial authorities and their U.S. counterparts,” the organization’s report for 2012–2017 says.
But the agency's management was not satisfied with the results of work in Russia. The Americans felt that the Russian political elite was not ready to follow the path that USAID lobbied for. Moreover, this became clear back in the mid-90s, when the US began to gradually reduce the number of projects in Russia in favor of work in other post-Soviet republics. And this led to organizational decisions in the early 2010s.
“USAID activities in Russia ceased in 2012. After the protests on Bolotnaya and the presidential elections in which Vladimir Vladimirovich was re-elected, mutual disappointment finally took shape among the Russian political elite and the United States,” says Ulyana Artamonova.
Russian disappointment manifested itself in the fact that USAID began to be viewed not as a source of funding for civil projects (in attempts to “set Moscow on the right path”), but as an instrument for destabilizing the situation in the country.
But even after the official closure, USAID did not stop working in Russia and continued to finance various projects through legal “straws” — in particular, European human rights organizations. Funding continued even after 2022 and the introduction of numerous European sanctions.
For example, USAID has allocated almost $63 million for projects in our country for 2025–26. Among them are the project “strengthening local self-government in the North Caucasus,” promoting new media in Russia, creating a sustainable civil society, etc.
"All these projects under different names, through different "interlayers" continued to operate, and many are still operating. And their influence cannot be underestimated," Nikita Mendkovich is sure.
One should not underestimate the seemingly closing USAID. Obviously, the organization will be reformed and included in the State Department, after which it will continue to work in the interests of the United States. It will simply begin to implement more pragmatic programs.
"USAID will continue to pose a threat to Russia, after Trump's reform, only the methods of work will change. I believe that, for example, in the southern regions of the CIS, the Americans, including through USAID, will bet not on Western liberals, who have shown limited effectiveness, but on aggressive ethno-nationalists and Islamic radicals," predicts expert Mendkovich.
A similar bet can be made in Russia. Simply because, in the opinion of the Americans, what cannot be changed in their interests must be weakened as much as possible. Or even destroyed.
#1
In addition, the agency “provided support to citizen watchdog groups in Russia that provided impartial oversight of electoral processes, including through innovative use of technology.”
Yeah, we're all too familiar with some of those "innovations" in this country too.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
02/07/2025 12:01 Comments ||
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#2
Trump ruined a powerful weapon against Russia. Who else needs more proof he's working for Putin?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
