Tuesday, February 13

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian servicemen of the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade prepare for combat Challenger 2 tank in an undisclosed location near front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Feb. 12. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia used Zircon hypersonic missile for first time, experts say. Russia used a 3M22 Zircon anti-ship hypersonic cruise missile for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, Oleksandr Ruvin, director of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise said on Feb. 12.

Munich Security Index: Perception of Russia as threat decreases in G7 countries, Global South. The 2024 Munich Security Index showed that the perception of Russia as a threat in countries of the Group of Seven (G7) and BRICS (except Russia) has dropped significantly compared to last year’s survey.

Former police officer charged for allegedly directing Russian missile strike on Hroza. The former police officer was charged with treason in absentia, as he is thought to have fled to Russia in 2022.

Zelensky to visit several European countries to lobby for Ukraine aid. President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly planning a Western European tour which coincides with this week’s Munich Security Conference. This move comes as Zelensky hopes to garner military support amidst the ongoing funding dispute in Washington.

DTEK power plant damaged in overnight Russian attack. DTEK, Ukraine’s main private energy company, said on Feb. 13 that one of its thermal power plants was targeted in an overnight Russian attack. The shelling “severely damaged” the plant.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

Vice-president of German parliament arrives in Kyiv. “During my visit, I would also like to focus on the children who have been abducted and taken hostage in Russia,” said Katrin Goring-Eckhardt, the vice president of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament.

Minister: Ukraine to produce thousands of long-range drones in 2024. “The category of long-range kamikaze drones is growing, with a range of 300, 500, 700, and 1,000 kilometers. Two years ago, this category did not exist … at all,” said Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Russia announces sanctions against 18 UK citizens. “We are forced to state that Russophobically charged British representatives do not shy away trying to discredit the constitutional system and socio-political processes in our country,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Agriculture Ministry ‘strongly condemns deliberate destruction of Ukrainian grain by Polish protesters.’ “We understand when Polish farmers defend their interests in a civilized way. But this case of destruction of Ukrainian wheat has nothing to do with peaceful protests either from a legal or a moral point of view,” the Agriculture Ministry said.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Russia stops using ‘human wave’ attacks in Avdiivka, commander says

To probe Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk Oblast’s Avdiivka, Russia has stopped using its infamous “human wave” attacks, instead deploying small assault groups supported by aviation, says Dmytro Riumshyn, the commander of Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Photo: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images

Families of captive Azov fighters desperately wait as Russia obstructs prisoner swaps

A community of relatives of the Azov fighters who defended Mariupol, now has more than 400 members. The group collects data about prisoners of war and missing soldiers, supports their families, and serves as a bridge between the authorities and society. It also holds weekly silent rallies.

Photo: hurricanehank/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

International response

US Senate moves forward $95 billion Ukraine, Israel aid package. The U.S. Senate overcame a significant obstacle on Feb. 12 to propel a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill forward, which includes support for Ukraine and Israel. This progress sets the legislation on a trajectory towards imminent approval in the Senate this week, yet its prospects in the House remain uncertain.

Austria exploring how to end Russian gas import contract, energy minister says. “The market and the energy companies that are part of it are not fulfilling their responsibility to reduce the dependency on Russian gas sufficiently,” Austrian Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler said on Feb. 12.

Tusk warns economic disputes may spark ‘anti-Ukrainian sentiments.’ Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that economic disputes between Poland and Ukraine may cause “sudden emergence of anti-Ukrainian sentiments,” the Polish Press Agency (PAP) reported on Feb. 11.

EU agrees on new measures to isolate frozen Russian funds. The European Council said on Feb. 12 that central securities depositaries (CSDs) holding more than 1 million euros ($1.07 million) in assets from the Russian Central Bank must separate any profits generated from the primary accounts.

Russia, Belarus banned from ice hockey world championships for another year. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) decided that Russian and Belarusian national and club teams will not participate in the 2024/2025 championship season.

Opinions and insights

NBU Governor: Ukraine’s victory should be part of central banks’ mandates

“We made difficult yet necessary steps in 2022 to provide short-term assistance to the government’s financing for defense. The war has caused an unprecedented increase in Ukraine’s budget needs. The war cannot be put on hold,” Andriy Pyshnyy, National Bank of Ukraine Governor, said in a speech at the conference “Central Bank Independence in a Changing World.”

In other news

Court arrests ex-Defense Ministry official in connection with weapons procurement fraud. The Appeals Chamber of Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the arrest of Oleksandr Liyev, former head of the Defense Ministry’s department in charge of weapons procurement, the Anti-Corruption Action Center reported on Feb. 12.

Former lawmaker Pashynskyi charged with illegally appropriating state-owned oil. The total losses to the state’s budget from the scheme reportedly reached almost Hr 1 billion ($26.3 million), according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Dinara Khalilova, Nate Ostiller, Lili Bivings, Kateryna Denisova, Sonya Bandouil, and Olena Goncharova.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.