Listed below are the important thing developments on the 1,093rd day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Right here is the state of affairs on Friday, February 21:
Combating
- Russian forces took again greater than 800 sq. kilometres (309 sq. miles) from Ukrainian troops in western Russia’s Kursk area, the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported, quoting Colonel Basic Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian Basic Workers’s essential operational directorate. The realm is about 64 p.c of the land initially seized by Kyiv, the newspaper claimed.
- Moscow’s forces attacked Ukraine’s vitality infrastructure within the southern Odesa area for a second time, Kyiv’s vitality agency DTEK mentioned. The primary assault left certainly one of Odesa’s districts with out heating and energy.
- Ukraine’s army mentioned Russian forces launched 161 drones in an in a single day assault on Ukraine, out of which 80 have been shot down and 78 have been “misplaced”. Moscow additionally attacked the northeastern Kharkiv area with 14 missiles.
Politics & Diplomacy
- Russian Central Financial institution’s Governor Elvira Nabiullina mentioned the financial institution was not concerned within the talks with america on lifting sanctions or the freeze on Russia’s overseas nation reserves.
- Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned any plans by the UK to ship troops to Ukraine as a part of a possible peacekeeping mission could be unacceptable. Such a transfer would contain forces from a NATO member state, which might have mandatory ramifications for Russia’s safety, Peskov mentioned. Russia’s overseas minister has branded such plans a “direct menace”.
- Peskov mentioned that Russia had agreed to renew dialogue with the US on “all parameters” relating to the battle on Ukraine, together with prisoner exchanges.
- He additionally slammed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his “inadmissible” and “unacceptable” remarks about different heads of state, after Zelenskyy accused US President Donald Trump of dwelling in a Russian-fuelled “disinformation bubble” when it got here to Ukraine.
- White Home Nationwide Safety Adviser Mike Waltz additionally criticised Zelenskyy’s feedback, saying Ukraine must “tone it down and take a tough look and signal that deal”, referring to the rare earth minerals that the US now needs for serving to Kyiv’s battle effort.
- Ukraine started talks with the Worldwide Financial Fund’s group engaged on the nation’s newest mortgage programme evaluate, which might unlock about $917m in new funds.
- Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s army intelligence company chief, mentioned he believes a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv might occur this yr. “How lengthy it will likely be, how efficient it will likely be – is one other query,” Budanov added.
- The Related Press information company reported that Zelenskyy and Trump’s particular envoy to Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg had a gathering in Ukraine, however {that a} joint information convention scheduled for afterwards was cancelled on the US’s request. Nevertheless, Zelenskyy mentioned the “detailed” assembly with Kellogg was “good” and “restore[d] hope.”
- NATO chief Mark Rutte mentioned any European safety ensures for Ukraine beneath a future peace deal would must be backed by the US, “not with boots on the bottom”, however backup to make sure that the deterrence is there, he mentioned.
- Regardless of pressure with the US, Zelenskyy mentioned Kyiv was able to work with Washington to provide a “sturdy, efficient funding and safety settlement” when coping with Russia and a peace deal.
- “Now we have proposed the quickest and most constructive solution to obtain outcomes. Our group is able to work 24/7,” Zelenskyy mentioned.
