Past 24 hours in the war zone
- Russian proxies launch 66 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors, incl heavy artillery and weapons banned by Minsk. Many civilian structures targeted and destroyed.
- Altogether, as of 11 AM, JFO reported 25 incidents of ceasefire violations by the Russian occupation forces, including 23 incidents with weapons prohibited by the Minsk Agreements; also, a “DNR” Drone crossed into Ukrainian territory 1 Ukrainian servicemen KIA from shrapnel wound
- As well, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation reports that 204 pieces of equipment violating Minsk agreements on weapons withdrawal were recorded in “LDNR,” OSCE SMM was banned from accessing 2 “LDNR” positions & SMM drone was jammed
- As of 19:30 Feb 17, OSCE SMM recorded 222 violations, incl 135 explosion in Donetsk Obl; 648 violations, incl 519 explosions in Luhansk Obl.
- A Ukrainian parliamentary delegation found itself under shelling near Svitlodarsk, Donetsk oblast and had to hide in shelter. Journalists, including foreign ones, were in the group.
- The Russian proxy Luhansk and Donetsk “People’s Republics” announce a general mobilization of men 18-55 years old;
- About 11:30, Russian-hybrid forces attacked the Ukrainian checkpoint Schastia (Luhansk obl) and reportedly the town itself. The area of another Ukrainian checkpoint in the Luhansk area – near Stanytsia Luhanska – also came under fire
- According to Ukrainian Intel, Wagner mercenaries have arrived to Donbas and are planning a series of terrorist acts together with the Russian special services to accuse Ukraine of an escalation
- “DNR” shelled their own territory to appear as an Ukrainian assault at 4 AM 19 Feb: explosions in the settlement of “DNR”-controlled Pikuzy were seen before Ukrainian positions in Vodiane were shelled from Zaichenko, East Tactical Department of the Ukrainian army reports
- Russia accuses Ukraine of shelling Russian territory.
RIA Novosti claimed citing an unnamed source that a shell blew up 1 km into Russia near Mityakinskaya in Rostov Oblast’s Tarasovskiy raion facing across the border Ukraine-held Stanytsia Luhanska. Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched an investigation into the shell that landed in Mityakinskaya ~9 km from Ukraine-controlled territory and ~1 km from the border with Russia’s proxy “DNR.”Russian media later reported a second shell, an alleged GRAD projectile in that landed Patronovka. No damage reported.
The third shell allegedly destroyed a roof in Manotskiy. Russia’s investigative committee launched another probe into the supposed shelling by “Ukrainian militarized groups.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister refutes any reports of Ukrainian shelling of Russian territory, calls for international investigation into Russian media reports: “We resolutely refute all accusations of any alleged Ukrainian shells falling on the Russian territory. Ukraine has never opened any such fire. We call for an immediate and impartial international investigation of the incidents reported by Russian media.”Meanwhile, Ukrainian Army Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi says reports of Ukraine shelling Russian territory are fakes identical to those shared by Russian propaganda in 2014. Says all Ukrainian Grads and 122mm guns are withdrawn 21 kilometers from frontline according to the Minsk agreements, which puts them outside of shooting range.
- Russian and Russian-proxy media are pushing the narrative of an impending Ukrainian assault. “DNR deputy police chief” Basurin reports of an alleged plan of Ukrainian forces to “cleanse” Russia’s proxy statelets of “Russian-speaking” population in 5 days, publishing this “plan.”
Ukraine news flash
- Netherlands to supply military equipment to Ukraine, namely sniper rifles, helmets, body armour, radars and metal detectors.
- Lufthansa is suspending flights to and from Kyiv, from 21 until 28 February.
- US officials reportedly obtained intelligence that Russia will conduct an arrest and assassination campaign targeting well-known opposition members, anti-corruption activists, and Belarusian and Russian dissidents living in exile in Ukraine if it invades
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Post-Soviet military bloc says it could send peacekeepers to Donbas if needed. The head of a Russia-dominated military alliance that is sometimes called Moscow’s answer to NATO has said his organisation could send peacekeepers to territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed rebels if needed.
Virgin founder Richard Branson invokes Budapest Memorandum in the case for defending Ukraine from Russia:
“World must support Ukraine. We mustn’t abandon a country that voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons in return for peace&is now on the verge of being invaded by the very country that persuaded it to do so”
Second batch of military aid from Canada arrives to Ukraine
Arriving to Lviv, it includes sniper rifles, automatic rifles, machine guns with optical aiming devices, pistols, night vision and surveillance devices and military equipment
Zelenskyy delivers impassioned speech at Munich Security Conference
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on 19 February, President of Ukraine Zelenskyy stated he is for the fourth time demanding to convene consultations in the framework of the Budapest Memorandum. If they fail to guarantee Ukraine’s security, “Ukraine will have every right to believe that the Budapest Memorandum is not working and all the package decisions of 1994 are in doubt,” Zelenskyy said.
As well, he requested a concrete NATO and EU perspective for Ukraine to help repel Russian aggression.
Ukraine now has neither weapons nor security: Zelenskyy demands Budapest Memorandum consultations
A “Stockholm syndrome” with long roots: experts explain how to counter Russian influence in Germany
The “special relationship” with Russia runs deep in Germany, manifesting itself in everything from Russian financial and media influence to a refusal to deliver weapons to Ukraine or recognize the Holodomor as genocide. Four German experts dig into the real motives of “Russia-understanders” and give advice on how Ukraine can build the cultural and political bridges needed to win the heart of the “locomotive of the EU.”
A “Stockholm syndrome” with long roots: experts explain how to counter Russian influence in Germany
Amid growing threat of Russian aggression, Macron is asked to open negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to EU
An open appeal to the President of the Council of the European Union is demanding the immediate opening of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
63% of Ukrainians want revision of Minsk accords amid record-high support for EU & NATO membership: poll
An opinion poll by one of Ukrainian major pollsters, Rating Group, showed that 63% of Ukrainians want a revision of the Minsk accords, which were signed in 2014 with Russia with the stated aim of bringing a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the region. Meanwhile, only 11% of Ukrainians believe that Ukraine should fully comply with the deal. The same poll shows that support for NATO and EU membership in Ukraine is at a record high.
Ancient Ukrainian church brotherhoods as forerunner of nation’s civil society today, Horyevoy says
Many are investigating why civil societies have emerged in some countries but not in others; but their research, Dmytro Horyevoy says, has given insufficient attention to religious groups like the Orthodox brotherhoods which arose among Ukrainians and explains why that country has a vibrant civil society unlike Russia where they didn’t exist.
Ancient Ukrainian church brotherhoods as forerunner of nation’s civil society today, Horyevoy says
The (busted) info-ops driving Russia’s false-flag pretexts for invading Ukraine
Behind the recent escalation in eastern Ukraine are info-ops driving false-flag operations that aim to create a pretext for Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine. A number of them were busted by OSINT experts.
The (busted) info-ops driving Russia’s false-flag pretexts for invading Ukraine
