Friday, March 1

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Mechanics of the 24th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces perform maintenance on a BMP-2 Soviet tank on Feb. 29. (Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)

European Parliament calls on EU to ‘give Ukraine whatever it needs to defeat Russia.’ The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Feb. 29 calling on EU member states to support Ukraine with “whatever is needed for Kyiv to win its war against Russia,” including long-range weapons.

Finnish Defense Minister: Ukraine can use Finnish-provided weapons to strike Russia. Ukraine can use Finnish-provided weapons to strike Russian territory, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told the Finnish Broadcasting Company on Feb. 29.

Lecornu: Air bombs more useful for Ukraine than fighter jets. France will focus on providing Ukraine with air bombs and not Mirage fighters, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu reportedly said at a meeting of the country’s Defense Committee of the National Assembly on Feb. 26.

Zelensky replaces Logistics Forces commander. President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleh Huliak from the position of commander of Ukraine’s Logistics Forces, replacing him with Volodymyr Karpenko, according to his decrees published on Feb. 29.

General Staff: Ukraine hit Russian troops clustered in Olenivka, 19 soldiers killed. Ukrainian forces killed 19 Russian soldiers, including the deputy commander of a military unit. Also, 12 people, including the commander of that unit, were injured.

Russia says it’s ready to transfer bodies of POWs killed in Il-76 plane crash. Russia is ready to hand over to Ukraine the bodies of those killed in an Il-76 plane crash on Jan. 24, Russia’s state-owned RIA Novosti reported on March 1 citing the country’s human rights official.

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Putin threatens NATO, says nuclear weapons use possible. There will be “tragic consequences” if NATO troops are sent to Ukraine, and the West’s support for Kyiv “risks a conflict using nuclear weapons,” Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed during a two-hour State of the Nation address on Feb. 29.

British MP says Scholz revealed sensitive information on UK military support to Ukraine. British MP Tobias Ellwood accused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of a “flagrant abuse of intelligence” when he mentioned to journalists that the British and French support Ukraine with missile guidance, the Telegraph reported on Feb. 28.

Conscript dies at military recruitment center following medical examination. The Special Prosecutor’s Office in Ternopil is investigating the death of a 49-year-old man who died at a military enlistment center in Ternopil Oblast following a many-day stay at the center. The man was reportedly found to be epileptic, with bruises all over his body.

Netherlands holds Russia liable for $180 million in costs related to MH17 downing. The Netherlands has spent at least 166 million euros ($179.8 million) on costs related to the downing of MH17, for which it holds Russia liable, according to a report by the Dutch General Audit Chamber (ARK) published on Feb. 29.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine downs 3 Russian Su-34 jets in 1 day

Ukrainian forces shot down three Russian Su-34 attack planes on Feb. 29, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed to the Kyiv Independent. Russia has lost almost a dozen Su-34 aircraft in February alone.

Photo: Mihail Tokmakov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

‘Shock therapy:’ War tourism in Ukraine attracts foreigners to see scars of Russia’s invasion

Ukraine’s tourism industry plummeted after Russia’s invasion. The initial flurry of journalists and political delegations who came to the country following the invasion have migrated elsewhere. As tourists gradually begin to return, the sector has adapted by offering war tourism opportunities.

Photo: Dominic Culverwell/The Kyiv Independent

They mourned loss of apartment. Then, Russia destroyed their whole city

Russia’s invasion of Donbas, a region comprising Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, which started in 2014, has displaced over a million Ukrainians, while Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country that started in early 2022 drastically worsened the situation.

Photo: National Police

Human cost of war

Official: Over 270 Ukrainians killed by mines, explosives during full-scale invasion. Over 270 Ukrainians, including 14 children, have been killed by mines and other explosives since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, an official within Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Feb. 29.

Russia shells 10 communities in Sumy Oblast, injuring 1. Russian forces struck 10 communities along the Sumy Oblast border in 27 separate attacks on Feb. 29, injuring one person, the regional military administration reported.

Russian attack on Kherson Oblast’s Beryslav injures 2. A Russian drone dropped explosives on a house in Kherson Oblast’s town of Beryslav on Feb. 29, wounding two residents, the regional administration reported.

Prosecutor’s Office: Russian airstrike in Donetsk Oblast injures 3. Russian forces launched an airstrike on the village of Shcherbynivka in Donetsk Oblast, wounding three people and damaging multiple houses, the regional prosecutor’s office reported on Feb. 29.

Governor: Russian attack in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injures man. Russian forces struck the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast multiple times on Feb. 29, wounding a 72-year-old man, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.

International response

Johnson says House will consider Ukraine aid ‘as soon as government is funded.’ U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Voice of America (VoA) on Feb. 29 that his chamber would consider $60 billion in aid for Ukraine “as soon as the government is funded.”

France will order 100 drones for Ukraine. France will order 100 drones from the French company Delair that will arrive in Ukraine this summer, French Minister of the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu announced on Feb. 29.

Denmark announces additional $1.4 million for Ukraine’s reconstruction. Denmark is allocating an additional 10 million Danish kroner (around $1.4 million) to support Danish-Ukrainian municipal cooperation on the reconstruction of Ukraine, the Danish Foreign Ministry announced on Feb. 29.

Biden, Italian PM Meloni to hold talks amid Ukraine concerns. U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni at the White House on March 1, amid challenges faced by the Democratic administration in garnering support from House Republicans for legislation aimed at providing assistance to Ukraine.

Poland to consider banning Russian food imports. Poland will consider banning food imports from Russia after it “analyzes” the results of Latvia’s decision to do so, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 29, citing Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

European Parliament adopts resolution on Navalny’s death. Russian President Vladimir Putin must be held responsible for the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the European Parliament said in a resolution adopted on Feb. 29.

In other news

Ukraine, Turkey agree to extend permit-free movement of cargo trucks. Ukraine and Turkey agreed to extend the liberalization of rules for two-way cargo transportation and transit of cargo trucks “at least until the end of the war,” the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry reported on Feb. 29.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleksiy Sorokin, Elsa Court, Kateryna Hodunova, Teah Pelechaty, Dinara Khalilova, Rachel Amran, Brad LaFoy, and Olena Goncharova.

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