Russia Ukraine War
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Overnight, Russia launched a series of drone attacks on seven Ukrainian cities. The Kremlin’s defense ministry released footage showing the city of Avdiivka, which had recently been occupied, completely destroyed after five months of intense bombing.
The Ukrainian military reported through Telegram that they successfully eliminated all 23 drones launched by Russia during their overnight attack. These drones were shot down in various regions, including Kharkiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv.
It comes as television footage released by Russia’s defence ministry showed that almost every house in Avdiivka was branded with war. In the footage, the cupola of a church was seen in pieces, roads were strewn with the detritus of war and whole apartment blocks hung broken.
Over the course of five months, a total of 17,000 Russian soldiers lost their lives in the battle for Avdiivka, which concluded this past weekend, as reported by a representative of the Ukrainian military. The spokesperson also stated that another 30,000 were injured.
If this is accurate, it would indicate that Russia suffered a greater loss of personnel during the battle for Avdiivka than in the ten-year period of occupying Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989.
The Prime Minister of Sweden will be visiting Hungary prior to the vote on their bid to join NATO.
On Friday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will visit Budapest to meet with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban. This meeting will take place before Hungary’s parliament votes on Sweden’s request to join NATO on Monday.
Hungary is the sole Nato nation that has not yet approved the Nordic country’s membership, as Mr Orban’s nationalist party has consistently postponed voting, citing issues with Sweden’s criticism of Hungary’s adherence to rule-of-law principles.
On Tuesday, Mr. Orban expressed his delight in hosting Mr. Kristersson in Budapest.
“We are planning to discuss how to strengthen the defence and security policy cooperation between Hungary and Sweden, as well as our plans for the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the EU’s Strategic Agenda,” Orban said in a post on X/Twitter.
On Tuesday, the Fidesz party, led by Mr. Orban, suggested that the Hungarian parliament should cast a vote to approve Sweden’s request for membership in Nato.
Video footage reveals a major city in eastern Ukraine, located on the front lines, devastated by the effects of war.
The Russian ministry of defence recently released footage showing the city of Avdiivka, which has been newly occupied, completely devastated by the effects of war.
In the footage, posted below, the cityscape is seen bombed out and wholly, with a church cupola broken in pieces and the roads ahead strewn with burn out tanks and armoured personnel carriers (APCs).
The Russian military has seized control of the city after a five-month-long attack, beginning with tanks and later infantry. This may serve as a launching point for further Russian aggression in Donetsk Oblast.
According to Western calculations, Russia has suffered significant losses in terms of both vehicles and personnel over the past six months. However, the conflict truly started ten years ago during the Donbas war.
In the last weeks of Russia’s attack on the city, numerous videos were shared showing numerous glide bombs being released and causing destruction in Avdiivka. Yuri Butusov, a Ukrainian journalist who visited the city before its fall, approximated that 600 bombs were dropped in Avdiivka during the month of January.
Authorities believe that no structures are left standing.
The city of Avdiivka in Ukraine was entirely devastated by conflict.
Finland reports that there is a large number of migrants attempting to enter the country through Russia.
Finland alleges that there are “thousands” of migrants from third countries waiting to cross into its territory from Russia.
Finland closed all crossings on its 830-mile border with Russia late last year amid a growing number of arrivals who lacked valid documents to enter the European Union. Helsinki accuses Moscow of funnelling migrants to the border, a claim the Kremlin has denied.
During a news conference, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen stated that there is intelligence indicating that a large number of individuals from Russia are attempting to enter Finland, posing a potential danger to society.
Rantanen refused to disclose the method by which Finnish officials obtained the information.
As winter turns to spring and temperatures begin to rise in the forested border regions of Finland, Rantanen predicts that there may be an increase in illegal crossings by migrants who are seeking refuge.
According to Rantanen, the current legislation of the EU does not provide solutions for dealing with circumstances similar to the one Finland is currently facing.
Between August and December of last year, the Finnish border authority reported over 1,300 asylum seekers, mainly from Yemen, Somalia, and Syria, entering Finland from Russia. In November alone, 900 individuals arrived, a significant increase compared to the average of one person per day before August.
The immigration authority of Finland informed Reuters in January that they were unable to locate approximately 160 migrants and it is likely that they have moved on to another European country.
The relationship between Russia and Finland, which used to be friendly, has significantly worsened since Helsinki’s choice to become a member of NATO after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022.
On Monday, the Finnish Interior Ministry announced plans to quickly create new laws to reinforce border protection and address efforts by Moscow to use migration as a means of pressuring Finland.
Next month, the government plans to present its proposal to parliament.
According to TASS, Russia has added American senator Graham to their list of “terrorists and extremists.”
According to the Russian state-owned TASS news agency, Rosfinmonitoring, Russia’s financial monitoring agency, has added Lindsey Graham, a US Senator, to its list of individuals considered terrorists and extremists.
Senator Lindsey Graham, representing the United States, is present at a hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building located on Capitol Hill.
Ukraine reported that five individuals were killed and an industrial facility was damaged by drones launched from Russia.
According to local officials, a family of five was killed and an industrial facility was damaged in Ukraine’s northern and central regions on Tuesday due to drone strikes carried out by Russia.
A Lancet drone struck a home in the northern Sumy region this morning, resulting in the deaths of a mother, her two sons, and two other family members, according to a statement from the regional military administration on the Telegram messaging app.
Earlier today, the Ukrainian military reported that Russia had deployed 23 Shahed drones during the night. However, all of them were successfully intercepted and destroyed by Ukraine’s air defense system, including those flying over the central Poltava region.
The leader of the local military authority reported that a manufacturing plant experienced a fire due to a drone strike during the night in the Kremenchuk district, where an oil refinery is situated.
He did not mention the specific drones utilized or if the fire was a result of debris from the destroyed weapon.
The country of Ukraine is currently looking into allegations that Russia carried out the execution of prisoners of war following the withdrawal from Avdiivka.
According to reports, six Ukrainian soldiers who were unarmed and waiting to be evacuated were shot in Avdiivka. Additionally, two more soldiers were shot in the village of Vesele on the outskirts of the town.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine stated in Tokyo that his nation requires missiles and is anticipating receiving additional aid from the US.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, stated on Tuesday that his nation requires missiles with long-range capabilities and other types of ammunition in order to put an end to the invasion by Russia. He also expressed his hopes for the approval of a U.S. aid package by Congress, while speaking at a press conference following his attendance at a conference in Tokyo focused on rebuilding Ukraine.
According to Shmyhal, Ukraine is equipped with modern technology and trains its soldiers to meet NATO standards. Additionally, they receive support from European countries and the United States.
Three major takeaways from the two-year conflict in Ukraine (that provide insight into potential future developments).
Two years ago, on February 24th, when Russia attacked Ukraine, the outcome was uncertain. In this piece, Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russia, examines the aftermath of the violent dispute for any indications of future events.
Three major takeaways from two years of conflict in Ukraine
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24th two years ago, the outcome was uncertain. However, Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russia, analyzes the aftermath of the violent conflict in search of insights into future events.
Canada is providing over 800 drones to Ukraine in order to assist in their efforts against Russia.
On Monday, the Canadian government announced plans to send over 800 drones to Ukraine, with deployment potentially beginning in the upcoming spring season.
The Department of National Defence released a statement stating that drones have become an essential asset for Ukraine in their conflict with Russia. The statement emphasized the significance of these drones for surveillance and gathering intelligence, as well as their ability to transport necessary supplies, such as ammunition.
The total cost for these items will exceed $95 million in Canadian currency, which is equivalent to $70 million. These expenses are included in the overall $500 million in military aid that has already been declared for Ukraine.
Kim Jong Un adds latest to his exotic car collection – a Putin limousine
According to the official KCNA news agency, the Russian government provided a car made in Russia to Kim’s senior advisors on February 18.
According to Russian state media, the gift was intended for personal use and may potentially violate a United Nations ban that Moscow had previously agreed to enforce against Pyongyang.
Source: independent.co.uk
