Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Victor Vasiliev
[REGNUM] On February 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin received Guinea-Bissau leader Oumarou Sisoka Embalo in the Kremlin, with whom he held lengthy talks. This is far from the first high-level contact in recent times. The small country on the coast of West Africa with a population of two million has become unexpectedly important for Russia.
It is enough to remember that it was the President of Guinea-Bissau who visited Russia on May 9 last year and became one of the few leaders of friendly states who saw the Victory Parade on Red Square.
Even earlier, during his first meeting with Embalo, the Russian leader devoted three hours to an informal conversation. This took place on October 25, 2022, when Russia was under maximum external pressure and attempts at complete international isolation.
Embalo came to Moscow representing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS, 15 countries), being at that time the chairman of the organization, and the topic of the Ukrainian crisis became the main one in the negotiations.
"You see that today the situation that exists in connection with the war between two fraternal states, Russia and Ukraine, and also in relation to grain and fertilizers, is blocking the development of the entire world..., " the President of Guinea-Bissau said in the Kremlin. "We think and hope that we can find a way to establish a dialogue between the two fraternal states."
Embalo then went on an official visit to Ukraine and, as was written at the time, conveyed “Putin’s message” to Zelensky, although the official Kremlin emphasized that no special message was conveyed in this way.
Having already returned home, the head of Guinea admitted that “thanks to this journey to the heart of warring Europe, Guinea-Bissau ended up on the world map.”
BISSAU MATTERS
In fact, Embalo was one of the first to offer Putin mediation.
And in June 2023, the African Peace Initiative for the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine took place, which consisted of 10 points and included a visit by a delegation of 7 African leaders led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Kiev and St. Petersburg.
This was the first serious voice from the “third world” about the need to achieve peace in Ukraine – not a voice of condemnation towards Moscow, but a voice of objective concern and an attempt to understand the situation.
The role of the Black Continent in resolving the Ukrainian crisis is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Vladimir Putin demonstrated the initialed draft agreement with Ukraine, prepared in March 2022 in Istanbul, precisely at a meeting with leaders and representatives of the peacekeeping mission of African countries on June 17, 2023.
The powerful anti-colonialist message contained in the historic speech of the Russian president on the occasion of the accession of the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions to Russia is especially relevant for Africa. The problem of resolving territorial disputes and the desire for genuine independence have now become an urgent need of the “humiliated and insulted” countries, among which Russia claims leadership.
As for Embalo, he not only visited Red Square on May 9, 2024, but also established relationships with political figures such as Rustam Minnikhanov and Ramzan Kadyrov, finding time for corresponding visits to Kazan and Grozny.
And already in January of this year, Putin had a telephone conversation with the leader of Guinea-Bissau, the circumstances of which once again emphasized the importance that the Russian leader attaches to relations with this African state.
Some experts were surprised that he even unexpectedly interrupted a meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives for the sake of an unplanned telephone conversation with Embalo, while other leaders often have to wait for Putin.
NEGOTIATIONS IN THE KREMLIN
As for the current negotiations, which took place in the Grand Kremlin Palace, they began with the traditional ceremony of meeting the leaders of the two states, continued with a conversation in a narrow format, then negotiations in an expanded format, and finally ended with a separate working lunch for the two presidents.
During the narrow-format meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who participated in the recent negotiations in Riyadh, and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin took part from the Russian side. Entrepreneur Oleg Deripaska also took part in the expanded format.
The Guinea-Bissau government has signed four cooperation agreements with Russia. Their details are not yet known, but conclusions can be drawn based on the parameters of the emerging cooperation.
Russia is interested in joint work on rare earth metals with Guinea-Bissau, this was stated shortly before the meeting by the press secretary of the Russian president Dmitry Peskov. Vladimir Putin noted in the introductory, public part of the negotiations that " many companies from Russia are showing interest in working on the Guinea-Bissau market."
In this context, Deripaska's presence at the negotiations is understandable. It is known that the company "RUSAL", of which he is the founder, has concluded a contract with the republic, within the framework of which Russian specialists are to begin exploration of bauxite in the Boe region. According to the government of the West African country, the reserves there exceed 113 million tons. A permanent representative office of "RUSAL" has recently opened in Bissau, and the project to build a port in the city of Buba and a railway that will lead to it will soon begin.
Other areas of cooperation could include projects in the fields of fishing, agriculture and especially tourism.
However, in addition to standard mutually beneficial projects, the leaders’ attention was also focused on current political issues – not only regional, but also international.
"PROVINCE" IN WEST AFRICA
The meeting of the Russian and Bisayan delegations is taking place against the backdrop of fairly intensive negotiations with the American side, when the dialogue between the two countries has only just resumed. At the same time, the Russian leader finds time for high-level negotiations with minor players in the form of a country that is small even by African standards.
If last time Embalo headed to Kiev after his visit to Moscow, this time he flew to Azerbaijan, a country whose relations with Russia have been complicated in recent months. Who knows, maybe he brought some message from the Kremlin to his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, as was said during his Kiev visit.
How can this phenomenon be explained?
We are witnessing Putin's special attention and favor to the leader of a little-known country on the coast of West Africa. The motives for such attention are actually understandable, even if not obvious to an outside observer: this is Embalo's role and merits in resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
The idea that Guinea-Bissau could be turned into a model "province" of Russia in West Africa is finding support in Russia. This can be considered the first and main informal result of the negotiations in the Kremlin.
Guinea-Bissau, with its unique climate, dozens of islands with pleasant beaches, and vibrant culture, could become a very attractive tourist destination for Russians.
Finally, we must not forget the close ties that have been established since the Soviet era. Many educated people in Guinea have a good command of Russian. They call themselves “Russians of West Africa,” referring to their openness, cheerfulness, honesty, and ability to drink. Perhaps the level of dialogue between the countries is so high thanks to this mental closeness.
And here we return to the Ukrainian context.
In a recent interview with Pavel Zarubin, a journalist from the Rossiya TV channel, the Russian president specifically emphasized: “ We are grateful to all our partners who strive to achieve peace,” meaning that not only European countries, but also other countries (undoubtedly including African ones) can play their role in solving the most difficult task currently facing Russia.
[GEO.TV] US President Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... has dismissed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's call for greater American military support for Ukraine, insisting instead that a minerals deal with Kyiv is the key to ensuring its security against Russia.
Starmer, who was meeting Trump at the White House for the first time since the US leader started his second term, turned on the charm, saying peace in Ukraine had only become possible because of Trump.
In the Oval Office, Starmer handed a letter of invitation from King Chuck ...King of England, Scotland, Ireland -- at least part of it -- Wales, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, and places like that. The first King Chuck had his head chopped off, the second one was Good Time Charlie. The third once wanted to be a tampon and thinks we'll all be extinct within the next seven years... for a state visit. Trump accepted. A date has not been set.
But underlying differences between the allies remained on the table for the private conversation that followed. They include transatlantic frictions over US-Russia talks aimed at ending the Ukraine war.
Before the meeting, Starmer had argued that there could be no long-term peace in Ukraine without firm US security guarantees — an argument Trump all but dismissed.
''We are a backstop because we'll be over there, we'll be working,'' as a result of the economic partnership, Trump said. ''We're going to have a lot of people over there.''
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Careful. Starmertrooper policy is to arrest people who make remarks unapproved by London even if they are visiting and made said remarks when in their home country.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22.55 On the evening of February 27, Russian troops launched more than 10 drones at the Kharkiv region. The energy system was massively attacked. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
22.17 Russian troops attacked Zaporizhia with attack drones. At least one person was injured. This was reported by the head of the Zaporizhia OVA Ivan Fedorov. According to him, the blast wave damaged residential apartments, private houses and garages, in addition, there was a fire in apartments on the upper floors of a multi-story building.
21.19 Russian troops carried out drone strikes on the suburbs of Kharkov on the evening of February 27. This was reported by the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. As a result of the strike, a private home in the Kharkov district was damaged by a "shahed" type UAV, two people were injured.
18:33 Ukrainian military attacked a Russian drone control center in the Zaporizhia region, which was used to control, store and service UAVs. This was reported by the press service of the General Staff on Thursday, February 27.
The specified military facility was used by the enemy to control, store and service UAVs of the Russian army.
17:50 Ukrainian fiber-optic modules Shelkopryad have been tested. This was reported on February 27 by the Unmanned Systems Forces. It is noted that the advanced technology opens up new possibilities for combat use. Shelkopryads can be installed not only on FPV drones, but also on ground robotic systems (GRS), and also provide control over surface and underwater unmanned systems.
15:57 Fifty men who went abroad thanks to letters of wishes from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy in 2024 have never returned. This was stated by the adviser to the Minister of Culture for strategic communications and international cooperation Dmitry Zolotukhin on his Facebook page.
15:39 In Ukraine, the deadline for passing the military medical commission for citizens with limited fitness has been extended. According to the document, the new deadline is set until June 5. The General Staff reminded about this on Thursday, February 27.
15:29 China remains the largest supplier of dual-use goods to the Russian Federation. Without such support, Russia would not be able to continue its aggressive war against Ukraine. China also supplies components or even ready-made combat drones to the Russians. This was stated by the European Commission spokesman Anouar El-Anuni during a briefing in Brussels.
15:28 The universal ground robotic complex Gulliver, designed to perform a wide range of tasks in difficult weather conditions, has been codified and approved for use in the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the Main Directorate for Support of the Life Cycle of Weapons and Military Equipment, the Ministry of Defense reports.
14:52 Soldiers of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense incinerated enemy howitzers near Pokrovsk with a heavy drone. The Main Intelligence Directorate reported this on its Facebook page.
14:37 A drone damaged a Russian air defense radar station in the temporarily occupied Crimea. This was reported in a message on the Telegram channel of the Russian publication Astra, which positions itself as independent.
13:53 The Security Service of Ukraine has announced in absentia suspicion of Yuriy Slyusar, the CEO of the Russian United Aircraft Corporation, which supplies the Russian army with combat aircraft for strikes on Ukraine. This was reported by the SBU press service on Thursday, February 27.
13:23 US President Donald Trump's statement on the return of Russian-occupied territories to Ukraine will not affect the negotiation process. But this issue will not be discussed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.
13:11 Law enforcement officers have identified four Russian commanders who organized the shelling of Kharkov on February 28, 2022. As a result of the attack from the Smerch MLRS, eight civilians were killed, a school was destroyed, and residential buildings were damaged, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Thursday, February 27.
12:26 Most of the developed countries of the world are involved in the Russian-Ukrainian war, which means that World War III is already ongoing. This was stated by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Kirill Budanov.
Answering the question of whether the current war can be considered World War III, Budanov replied: "This is a philosophical question, it depends on how you look at it. For me - yes, the absolute majority of the strongest and most developed countries in the world are involved, this is just a fact."
11:52 A serviceman, a resident of the Kherson region, collected and transmitted to the Russians data on the deployment, numbers, weapons, routes of movement of forces and assets of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as information on critical and civilian infrastructure facilities. Now he faces life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
11:11 Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has issued an order appointing Major General Andriy Gnatov as Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The minister reported this on Facebook . Andriy Gnatov has over 27 years of experience in the army, serving in key positions - from the commander of the Marine Brigade to the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
10:44 On the evening of February 26, Russians attacked an emergency medical vehicle in the Kherson region with a drone; medics were injured. This was reported by the head of the Kherson GVA Roman Mrochko in Telegram on Thursday, February 27.
10:35 A day of war in Ukraine costs Russia almost a billion dollars, and 41% of the country's budget goes to defense. This was stated by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, in an interview with Ukrinform .
10:17 The Security Service detained an FSB agent in Kropyvnytskyi who was preparing a series of arson attacks on key energy facilities in the region in order to cut off power to local military units and medical facilities.
The man was detained "red-handed" while conducting additional reconnaissance near an electrical substation that supplies power to a regional hospital and several units of the Defense Forces. The attacker planned to set fire to this power facility.
The agent turned out to be a 30-year-old local unemployed man who was looking for "quick money" in Telegram channels.
9:44 Russia does not have the ability to seize the entire Kherson, Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions by military means, so it seeks to achieve its goals diplomatically, using political pressure and negotiations. This is reported by the Institute for the Study of War in its daily report.
09:30 On the night of February 27, Russian troops launched 166 Shahed-type attack drones into Ukrainian territory. Air defense forces shot down 90 Russian drones, and 72 UAV simulators were lost. The attack affected the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions.
08:20 Over the past 24 hours, 110 combat clashes have been recorded at the front. Ukrainian troops repelled 33 enemy attacks in the Pokrovsk direction and 10 in the Toretsk direction.
Over the past 24 hours, the missile forces and artillery of the Defense Forces defeated one personnel concentration area, four command posts, a radio electronic station, an artillery asset, and one other important enemy target.
07:55 On the night of February 27, Russian military attacked the Kiev region with drones. Falling debris caused a fire at an industrial facility. The fire has already been extinguished. No casualties have been found.
07:35 As of February 27, 2025, the total combat losses of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine amounted to approximately 871,850 people (+1,150 per day).
07:20 North Korea has sent additional troops to the Kursk region of Russia. The exact number of military contingents remains unknown. This was reported by Reuters, citing South Korean intelligence.
04:26 The United States of America did not support the annual statement of the World Trade Organization members condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine. It is noted that this year the statement was signed by 44 WTO member countries and Ukraine, including the European Union, Great Britain, Canada and Australia. The WTO statement condemns the devastating impact of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the lives of people and the economy of the Ukrainian state .
03:15 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the most effective security guarantees for Ukraine are its membership in NATO. She noted that such guarantees "must be implemented in the context of the Atlantic Alliance." According to her, other solutions on security guarantees "seem to me more difficult and, frankly, less effective."
02:00 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer repeated his call for security guarantees from the United States for Ukraine to prevent a repeat invasion by Russia - he said this before a meeting with US President Donald Trump. Starmer is convinced that Ukraine and Europe need "sustainable peace, not a ceasefire," and for this they need security guarantees.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian Armed Forces Contain Russian Attacks in Eastern and Southern Ukraine.
In the Pokrovsky direction, Russian troops organized 35 assaults in the areas of 14 populated areas.
Since the beginning of the day, 88 combat clashes have occurred on the front, most of them in the Pokrovsk direction. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report on Thursday, February 27.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, two enemy assaults were repelled in the direction of Volchanskaya and Kondrashovka.
In the Liman direction, the enemy attacked the areas of the settlements of Yampolevka, Torskoye and Kolodtsy. In total, there have already been four combat clashes in this direction, which have been successfully repelled.
In the Seversky direction, one assault was repelled in the Belogorovka area.
In the Kramatorsk direction, our military is repelling an enemy assault near Vasyukovka.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy attacked eight times in the areas of Krymskoye and Toretsk. Four combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy attacked our defenders' positions 35 times in the areas of the settlements of Berezovka, Mirnoye, Promin, Lisovka, Pokrovsk, Novoukrainka, Zverevo, Kotlino, Udachnoye, Nadeyevka, Uspenovka, Preobrazhenka, Zaporozhye and Bogdanovka. Ten combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, our defenders repelled five attacks in the areas of the settlements of Konstantinopol and Burlatskoye.
In the Gulyai-Polye direction, the enemy has become active in the areas of Novopol and Volshebny. Our defenders have successfully repelled four attacks on our positions, and two more clashes are still ongoing.
In the Orekhov direction, the enemy attacked our defenders seven times in the areas of Stepnoye, Pyatikhatki, Novoandreyevka and Kamenskoye.
Four military clashes took place in the Kursk direction.
Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on February 26, Russia lost more than 1,100 soldiers at the front. The total losses of the aggressor country are approaching 880,000 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 inflicted fire damage on formations of two territorial defence brigades close to Volchansk and Liptsy (Kharkov region).
The AFU losses were up to 60 troops and one motor vehicle. Two artillery guns and two ammunition depots were neutralised.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of two mechanised brigades, one airborne brigade of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, and one National Guard brigade close to Golubovka, Kupyansk, Borovaya, Stepovaya Novosyolovka, Lozovaya, Kondrashovka (Kharkov region), and Yampol (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses were more than 180 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, and seven field artillery guns, including three Western-made ones. Two electronic warfare stations and two ammunition depots were eliminated.
Units of the Yug Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Russian troops hit formations of two mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, and one mountain assault brigade of the AFU near Novomarkovo, Stupochki, Vasyukovka, Verkhnekamenskoye, Minkovka, and Chasov Yar (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses were more than 150 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, three pickup trucks, and two field artillery guns.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units improved the situation along the front line. Russian troops eliminated manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the AFU, and one National Guard brigade near Andreyevka, Peschanoye, Uspenovka, Kotlino, Yelizavetovka, Sribnoye, and Udachnoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses were up to 310 troops, one German-made Leopard tank, and seven armoured fighting vehicles, including one U.S.-made HMMWV combat vehicle. One pickup truck and three artillery guns were neutralised.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Russian troops inflicted fire damage on formations of one mechanised brigade and two territorial defence brigades near Konstantinopol, Dneproenergiya, Razliv, Skudnoye, and Burlatskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses were more than 215 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, one motor vehicle, and three field artillery guns, including one Polish-made 155mm Krab self-propelled artillery system.
Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces engaged manpower and hardware of three coastal defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and two territorial defence brigades close to Shirokoye, Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region), Antonovka, Pridneprovskoye, Sadovoye, and Veletenskoye (Kherson region).
The AFU losses were over 150 troops, ten motor vehicles, and one artillery gun. One electronic warfare station and two ammunition depots were neutralised.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces engaged the infrastructure of military airfields, training sites for drone operators as well as clusters of Ukrainian manpower and hardware in 142 areas.
Air defence systems shot down seven U.S.-made JDAM guided aerial bombs and 104 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 656 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 44,720 unmanned aerial vehicles, 597 anti-aircraft missile systems, 21,756 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,522 MLRS combat vehicles, 22,060 field artillery guns and mortars, and 32,139 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
In the course of offensive actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces liberated Nikolsky.
Russian units hit formations of one heavy mechanised brigade, one motorised infantry brigade, five mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, two air assault brigades, two territorial defence brigades, and two assault regiments of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Goncharovka, Guyevo, Zaoleshenka, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Rubanshchina, and Sudzha. Two counter-attacks launched by enemy units were repelled.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and Artillery engaged AFU manpower and hardware close to Bogdanovka, Bondarevka, Gornal, Guyevo, Zamostye, Zaoleshenka, Kazachya Loknya, Pervy Knyazhy, Kositsa, Kurilovka, Lebedevka, Loknya, Malaya Loknya, Martynovka, Makhnovka, Melovoy, Mirny, Nikolayevka, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, Oleshnya, Staraya Sorochina, Sudzha, Cherkasskaya Konopelka, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye as well as Basovka, Belovody, Belopolye, Zhuravka, Krovnoye, Miropolye, Novaya Sech, Novenkoye, and Yunakovka in Sumy region.
During the day, the AFU losses were more than 240 troops, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, four armoured personnel carriers, 17 armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, six artillery guns, including one U.S.-made Paladin self-propelled artillery system, one mortar, two S-300 and Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system launchers, one S-300 anti-aircraft missile system radar station, and one engineering vehicle as well as eight UAV command posts and one ammunition depot.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 63,835 troops, 382 tanks, 290 infantry fighting vehicles, 247 armoured personnel carriers, 2,072 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,229 motor vehicles, 491 artillery guns, 52 MLRS launchers, including 13 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 25 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft system, ten transport-loading vehicles, 116 EW stations, 15 counter-battery warfare radars, nine air defence radars, 51 units of engineering and other materiel, including 19 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 14 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] 21:41 Attack aircraft under cover of tanks captured a major stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Aleksandro-Kalinovsky direction
The Ukrainian Armed Forces organized a large stronghold on the territory of the mine, which impeded the advance of our attack aircraft.
The UAV crew identified the enemy firing positions and transmitted the coordinates to the tank crews. The T-72 tank crew destroyed the identified enemy firing points from a closed firing position.
20:06 Fearless released Nikolsky in the Sudzhan borderland
Having overcome the enemy's stubborn resistance, the Northerners drove out the remnants of enemy formations from the outskirts of Nikolskoye, as well as nearby territories.
18:46 Operator of a combat UAV with a system for dropping ammunition of the 44th Army Corps of the North group destroyed ATV of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Khar'kov region.
18:37 Around 17:10 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region.
17:13 Ixovods of the Vostok group of the Russian Armed Forces did not leave chances for the American 155mm howitzer M198 in the South Donetsk direction.
17:10 RF Armed Forces lead fighting near the border of Zaporizhia region
Our troops entered the settlement of Burlatskoye near the border of the DPR and Zaporizhzhya region, Vladimir Rogov reported. 59.9K17:10
17:00 In the South Donetsk direction, the crew of the T-80BV tank of the 5th Tank Brigade of the Vostok group delivered a direct hit and destroyed a disguised warehouse of NATO ammunition. Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel were also destroyed along with the ammunition.
16:58 RF Armed Forces are expanding bridgehead on the right bank of the Zherebets
– The Russian Armed Forces have penetrated the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ defense on the western bank of the Zherebets;
- Northern flank: fighting in Kolesnikovka and Zagryzovo. In the Zagryzovo area, possible advancement of the Russian Armed Forces, but the data is contradictory;
🟥- To the south, Russian troops have expanded their zone of control. After several days of fighting, half of the fortified area between Novy and Kolodezi has been taken;
🟥– North of Ivanovka, the Russian Armed Forces have established themselves in forest belts and on the heights west of Novosadovye;
🟥– In the area of Yampolovka and Mirny, Russian forces are advancing along both banks of the Zherebets.
15:20 From 11:35 to 12:10 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
15:18 The reconnaissance unit of the North group of forces used UAVs to reveal an armored combat vehicle of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Khar'kov region.
The detected target was quickly destroyed by the crew of the FPV drone on fiber optics.
14:41 The Russian Armed Forces continue to clear out strongholds northwest of Velikaya Novosyolka –MAP
14:21 Russian Armed Forces units are advancing in the direction of Kotlyarovka –MAP
14:10 Russian Armed Forces units liberated the settlement of Nikolsky in Kursk Oblast –MAP
14:13 Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed command post of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kramatorsk
As a result of our air strike on the industrial zone of the Starokramatorsky Machine-Building Plant, the command post of the 81st Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hit.
13:33 Units of the North group of forces during offensive operations released the settlement Nikolsky.
13:32 In the Khar'kov direction, the FPV crew of the Antagonist group of the North Group wasdestroyedone self-propelled anti-aircraft gun "BOV-3", however, during further reconnaissance it became clear that the same gun had arrived for its evacuation, accompanied by a Ural.
12:38 Attack aircraft of the 242nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "Southern" group captured an important stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kurakhovsky direction
Having stealthily approached the enemy stronghold, our servicemen entered into close combat.
The Russian attack aircraft were subjected to heavy mortar fire and drone drops, but this did not prevent our fighters from capturing the stronghold.
12:34 After the capture of Lebedivka and Novaya Sorochina by the Russian Armed Forces took the Sudzha-Korenevo highway under fire control.
12:33 Drone operators of the 14th Guards Special Forces Brigade of the Vostok group continue the destruction of equipment, disruption of rotations and delivery of ammunition to the enemy in the South Donetsk direction.
11:42 Crews of T-90M Proryv tanks of the 25th Combined Arms Army of the West group of forces destroy identified dugouts, observation posts, armored vehicles and manpower of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This allows our assault units to advance deep into the enemy's defenses.
12:02 "Ixovody" VDV figured ou rotation of the enemy and successfully disrupted it.
11:11 During the liberation of the settlement of Novoandreyevka, assault units of the Center group of forces, supported by fire from barrel artillery crews and strike UAVs destroyed the main enemy firing points are in the forest belts adjacent to the settlement.
11:01 Pokrovskoe (Krasnoarmeyskoye) direction. Right flank
Our units continued fighting to capture Tarasovka and advanced towards Alexandropol.
At the same time, our units restored the situation and advanced west of Leonidovka.
Fighting continues in the area of the highway near Malinovka and Vodyanoy Vtoroy – Berezovka.
11:00 Zaporizhzhya direction
Fighting continues in the Pyatikhatki area, where our units have advanced west and are reaching Lobkovo, and are also attacking in the direction of Stepnoye (Stepovoye).
In the Rabotino-Verbovoye area, our units continue to push the enemy in the direction of Orekhovo.
Our assaults are gradually clearing out the enemy's identified positions north of Rabotino.
The enemy in the village of Shcherbaki is being defeated using artillery, aviation and UAVs.
10:42 Footage released of the destruction of Ukrainian T-64BV tank by a strike from a fiber-optic FPV drone "KVN" in the area of the settlement Vodyanoye Vtoroye, DPR
09:54 In the Volchansk direction, the FPV operator GV "Sever" during aerial patrol of the area discovered a group of Ukrainian soldiers parked near the house. As soon as all the targets got out of the car, he carried out a precise strike on them with a kamikaze drone.
09:45 At 8:35 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle over the Black Sea off the coast of the Republic of Crimea.
09:37 As a result of a blow by the Iskander operational-tactical missile system, destroyed the following at a camouflaged launch point for Ukrainian Armed Forces drones: – several enemy vehicles with equipment;
– about 14 units of long-range kamikaze UAVs of the Cobra type;
– more than 20 specialists from UAV crews.
09:29 RF Armed Forces tonight inflicted a strike on industrial facility near Kyiv
This information was confirmed by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. According to the agency, a strong fire broke out on the territory of the facility.
09:12 FPV drone calculations at Rubicon Center struck armored vehicles, cars and personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border area of the Kursk region.
08:58 Russian Armed Forces for the past 24 hours inflicted three concentrated strikes on the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kupyansk, Khar,kov Oblast, and nearby populated areas
The enemy lost five strongholds, two armored vehicles and about 50 militants.
08:42 FPV Operator GV "North" discovered Ukrainian soldiers' relay station, allowing Ukrainian drones to fly longer distances, and launched a suicide drone attack on fiber optics.
08:11 FPV drone operators of the 58th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Dnepr group discover and neutralize the Ukrainian Armed Forces' manpower hiding in dugouts and trenches. 58 Guards Army was formally the primary component for Russian operations in Chechnya
08:03 Lightning-2 drone strikes on enemy positions in multi-story buildings in Chasov Yar, –MAP.
07:18 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 19 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles:
12 UAVs over the territory of the Oryol region,
three UAVs over the territory of the Kursk region,
three UAVs over the territory of the Belgorod region and
one UAV over the territory of the Republic of Crimea.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] While the fighting in Donbass has calmed down, a number of other sections of the front have become active. In particular, sources on both sides of the conflict are reporting fierce fighting in the Khar'kov region.
The front here can be divided into two separate sections. The first is located at the junction of the borders of the Khar'kov region and the LPR, between the Oskol, Zherebets and Seversky Donets rivers. The second is further north, in the area of the city of Kupyansk.
The situation in the "interfluve" is developing extremely negatively for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The enemy formations based here are pressed against the Oskol River and the Oskol Reservoir. Previously, all the bridges across the river were destroyed by Russian aviation, so the group is supplied via pontoon crossings - they also become targets for strikes.
The enemy control zone was cut into two parts after Russian troops liberated the settlement of Kruglyakovka in late 2024. As a result of the successful offensive, communications were disrupted between enemy forces in Kupyansk and Kovsharovka and Ukrainian Armed Forces units further south, in the Borovaya area.
For Russian troops, this success could acquire strategic significance. Ukrainian sources write about attempts by Russian troops to build pontoon crossings in this area in order to force the river and reach the southern outskirts of Kupyansk, a strategically important defense hub for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
At the same time, the enemy is aware of the scale of the threat and is trying to prevent the river from being crossed, front-line sources tell IA Regnum.
“Their bombers are flying in from the Kupyansk direction, which means they understand that things are not going well, so they are ready to risk their planes,” the source noted.
Meanwhile, north of the city, the situation for the enemy is becoming even more difficult.
BRIDGEHEAD ON THE RIGHT BANK
The city of Kupyansk is divided by the Oskol River into two unequal parts. On the left bank (in Zaoskolye) are located the city's industrial zone, the private sector and a few residential areas. Most of the city, including urban development and administrative buildings, is located on the right bank.
A frontal assault from the east is fraught with heavy losses, since the Ukrainian Armed Forces can use high-rise buildings on the right bank to adjust fire. They also have the ability to place artillery in city blocks and constantly maneuver, firing at the left bank.
In addition, the enemy seriously strengthened the buildings of local enterprises - the Sugar Factory and the Dairy Plant, the assault on which could also lead to large losses for the Russian Armed Forces. Even despite the fact that Russian aviation destroyed all the bridges in Kupyansk, the enemy was able to establish communication between troops located in different parts of the city.
Therefore, the command of the Russian troops decided to force the Oskol River not in the city, but to the north, where the enemy positions were significantly weaker. Thus, by the end of February, a bridgehead had emerged on the right bank of the river near the settlement of Dvurechnaya. According to reports from the field, by February 27, Russian troops had reached the outskirts of the settlement of Golubovka north of Kupyansk and, presumably, were able to dislodge the enemy from this settlement.
The Russian army's assault units also managed to advance up to a kilometer from Dvurechnaya in the direction of the village of Kutkovka, thereby further expanding the bridgehead on the right bank of the Oskol. Ukrainian sources report military actions in the area of the village of Topoli, the northernmost point of the Ukrainian defense in the Khar'kov-Kupyansk direction.
The current situation creates preconditions for a possible encirclement of Kupyansk from the north, military expert Alexander Mikhailovsky notes in a commentary for IA Regnum. But additional efforts may be required to solve this ambitious task.
"The enemy obviously did not prepare the city for defense from the northern direction. If the encirclement of Kupyansk really succeeds, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will have to abandon the city. But let's not forget that the pace of the offensive here is still low, including due to enemy resistance. In addition, Kupyansk is a large city, it cannot be taken by storm," the expert adds.
THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES ARE WAITING FOR AN ASSAULT
As of early 2022, more than one hundred thousand people lived in the Kupyansk district, of which about thirty thousand lived in Kupyansk itself. By early 2024, according to local authorities, only 1.6 thousand civilians remained in the city, living on both sides of the Oskol River.
According to the Ukrainian district administration, the most tense situation is developing in the area of the village of Kondrashovka north of Kupyansk.
“The most threatening situation is now in the direction of Kondrashovka, the fighting is already taking place along the right bank, the enemy has managed to advance and gain a foothold here,” administration representative Andrei Besedin told Ukrainian media.
According to the official, Russian troops plan to encircle the city, which is of strategic importance to Ukrainian defense.
At the same time, sources from the field report that the enemy is not planning to conduct urban combat in Kupyansk for now. No additional fortified areas are being created in the city, presumably because the Ukrainian Armed Forces command may try to slow down the advance of Russian troops north of the city.
For this purpose, additional reserves from among newly formed units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces undergoing training in Europe may be used.
"Now Kiev can count on additional supplies and, based on this, plan operations both in Donbass and in the Kupyansk region. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces may try to prolong the military actions as much as possible, not giving Russian troops the opportunity to develop a quick success. The question is who will seize the initiative and take advantage of it as quickly as possible," says expert Mikhailovsky.
The day before, a number of European countries confirmed their readiness to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces if the United States curtails military aid programs to Kyiv. The Canadian authorities recently announced the transfer of another batch of LAV-3 armored personnel carriers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will begin arriving at NATO training grounds in Germany. It is assumed that the armored vehicles will be mastered by Ukrainian crews, who will then go into battle on them.
France, Great Britain, Germany and other European countries also announced new aid packages. Therefore, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not threatened with a “starvation ration” in the near future.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Novgorod Region Prosecutor's Office has filed a lawsuit demanding that the crimes committed by the Nazis in the region during the Great Patriotic War be recognized as genocide of the peoples of the USSR. This was reported on February 27 by the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office.
The lawsuit also calls for the Nazis' actions to be recognized as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
"During the Great Patriotic War, punitive battalions formed by the invaders operated in these territories, which massacred civilians and prisoners of war. The Red Army soldiers who were captured were kept in concentration camps in inhumane conditions, subjected to torture and torment," the statement said.
During the occupation, more than 202,000 residents of the region died, and more than 166,000 people were taken into slavery. The Nazis almost completely destroyed the cities of Malaya Vishera, Novgorod, Soltsy, Staraya Russa and Chudovo, and destroyed numerous monuments. The total amount of damage in current prices is about 48 trillion rubles, the report says. The prosecutor's office provided the court with numerous pieces of evidence collected with the support of law enforcement officers, scientists and volunteers.
“The application was filed with the Novgorod Regional Court in order to protect the national interests of the Russian Federation, the legal rights and interests of the relatives of the deceased, as well as the subsequent dissemination to the world community of information about the victims of the invaders during the Great Patriotic War, the restoration of historical justice,” the press service added.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, similar lawsuits were previously filed in courts by prosecutors in a number of other regions of Russia. In particular, the prosecutor's office of North Ossetia in its lawsuit, filed earlier in February, noted that more than 2.3 thousand people fell victim to Nazi crimes in the region, and more than 1.6 thousand people were forcibly deported to Germany.
The Murmansk Region Prosecutor's Office filed a similar claim with the court on February 7. During the Great Patriotic War, the region was partially occupied by Wehrmacht troops. As a result of massive bombing, over 1,500 houses were destroyed. The total number of Nazi victims in the Murmansk Region was over 15,000 people.
[IsraelTimes] US State Department says Ukraine war not on agenda at meetings, which will instead focus on staffing levels at embassies, visas and diplomatic banking
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