Saturday, February 11

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Residents take shelter in a metro station during an air strike alarm in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Feb. 10, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

Zelensky: ‘Today’s missile strike is a challenge to NATO, collective security.’ Following Moscow’s 14th mass missile attack across Ukraine on Feb. 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address that “this terror can and must be stopped by the world.”

Russia launches new mass missile strike across Ukraine. According to Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim, around 20 missiles were launched in the first wave on Feb. 10. Over the morning, explosions were heard in cities across Ukraine, with details on potential hits still to be confirmed.

Energy minister: Russia’s Feb. 10 mass strike hits energy infrastructure in 6 oblasts. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that thermal and hydroelectric power plants, as well as other high-voltage infrastructure in six regions have been impacted. Halushchenko added that the most difficult situation in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts.

IAEA: Russian mass attack on Ukraine causes shutdown of nuclear reactor. The instability in Ukraine’s power grid, caused by Russia’s large-scale missile strike on Feb. 10, led to the shutdown of one of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant’s reactor units, according to Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Air Force: Ukraine downs 61 out of 71 missiles launched on Feb. 10. Russia launched Kh-101 and Kh-555 missiles using eight Tu-95 strategic bombers, the military said. Also, it attacked Ukraine with Kalibr cruise missiles launched from the Black Sea.

Ukraine’s military intercepts 11 drones in south. Ukraine’s Air Command “South” reported late on Feb. 10 that they shot down five Shahed-136 drones over Mykolaiv Oblast, four over Odesa Oblast, and two over Kherson Oblast.

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Ukraine’s Air Force insists Russian missiles entered Romania’s airspace. Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat repeated Commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s claim that two Russian missiles launched at Ukraine on Feb. 10 had entered NATO member Romania’s airspace. Romania’s Defense Ministry earlier denied the Ukrainian commander-in-chief’s allegations.

Danilov: Russia may launch massive cyberattack ahead of renewed offensive. “A precursor and component of a new wave of large-scale aggression by Russia, like a year ago, may be offensive in cyberspace, and we must be ready to fight back,” National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov.

White House: Biden to visit Poland before Ukraine war anniversary. U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Poland from Feb. 20-22 to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to the White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

Putin to address Russian parliament before one-year anniversary of invasion of Ukraine. Putin will allegedly speak about the invasion, economy, and social welfare. The announcement comes after Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov expressed concern last week that Russia may renew its offensive to mark the one-year anniversary of the all-out war.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine insists Russia violated NATO airspace during Feb. 10 mass missile strike.

Russia unleashed its 14th mass missile strike targeting Ukraine’s critical infrastructure on the morning of Feb. 10. Dozens of air- and sea-launched cruise missiles were launched at targets across Ukraine. As the day went on, air raid alerts sounded two more times across Ukraine.

Photo: Oleksii Chumachenko/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Ukrainian filmmakers center resilience, horrors of war at Sundance Film Festival.

The first Russian bomb hit the outskirts of Mariupol an hour after video journalist Mstyslav Chernov arrived to the city on Feb. 24, the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. For 20 days that followed, Chernov’s team captured Russian blows strangling the city block by block.

Photo: mstyslav.com

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The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: 7 injured in Kharkiv Oblast by Russian missiles as part of country-wide attack. Of the seven casualties, two are in serious condition, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

Russian attacks kill 1, injure 4 in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 10. Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast killed one civilian and wounded four others over the past day, Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Feb. 11.

Ukraine retrieves bodies of 61 fallen soldiers on Feb. 10. Before that, in mid-January, Ukraine returned the bodies of 54 fallen defenders of Olenivka in Donetsk Oblast in a transfer organized with the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

International response

Media: Slovakia to consider delivering MiG-29 jets to Ukraine. Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Slovakia for MiG-29 fighter jets, Slovak newspaper SME reported. Heger added that negotiations will begin now.

White House: Countries can make their own decision on giving Ukraine fighter jets. Any country can independently decide to transfer Western fighter jets to Ukraine, John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the U.S. National Security Council, said on Feb. 10.

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Switzerland rejects Spain’s request to re-export anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. The Swiss government has not allowed Spain to transfer Swiss-made anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Feb. 10. Madrid asked Switzerland to permit the re-export of its two 35-mm anti-aircraft guns to Kyiv in January.

Romania claims Russian missile didn’t enter its airspace, Moldova summons ambassador over incursion. In a statement posted on its website, the Romanian defense ministry acknowledged that the missile did enter the airspace of Moldova, reportedly passing just 35 kilometers past the Romanian border on its way to Ukraine.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Francis Farrell, Thaisa Semenova, Olga Rudenko, Dinara Khalilova, Oleg Sukhov, and Anastasiya Gordiychuk.

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