Ukraine news/Archive/2022-02
28 Feb. LPR forces have taken Schastie city.
DPR forces "started operation to liberate Kramatorsk"
Tragedy in Donetsk. When carrying out restoration work in the Kiev region of Donetsk, a Donbassgaz brigade came under Ukrainian fire. One locksmith was killed. Two were seriously injured. The guys were repairing damage caaused by previous shelling, which occurred an hour before
In the morning, "in Kharkov - a powerful rocket/missile attack", said to be Russian airstrikes on military targets.
27 Feb. Lukashenko about Ukrainian no-show at peace negotiations in Gomel, Belarus 1, 2, 3, 4. Suggesting that Zelesnkii is either not allowed to proceed, or, as his Ukrainian contact told him, is "inadequate, does not understand what is happening"
- Updated, Ukrainian delegation said to go to negotiations, now at Ukraine-Belarus border.
26 Feb. Pushilin warns about Ukrainian plans to shell Ukrainian-held cities in the Donbass.
25 Feb. In the early morning, missile strikes on military targets in Kiev. One Kalibr missile was shot down by Ukraine and fell in residential area. Ukrainian forces fired Tochka U missile on a military airport in Millerovo, Rostov region. Aircraft said to be in the air and undamaged, but there are wounded; casualties are being verified.
Gorlovka. st. Sokolovsky, 15, school number 50 - a direct hit by Ukrainian shell. Two women, both schoolteachers, are killed.
Ukraine fired Tochka U missile, Grads, artillery on Donetsk
24 Feb. День Z (Z Day): After much speculation Russian forces start an invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces offer little resistance.
DPR ombudsman, as of October, 2021: since the beginning of the armed conflict in the DPR, 5,022 people have died, including 91 children. The Ukrainian side is holding about 92 people. The list of missing persons includes 354 people.
"Putin decided to conduct an operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine"
"Explosions" reported. Kiev, Kharkov, Borispol airport mentioned.
Reports of forces landing in the Odessa region, a large landing ship (BDK) and helicopters are said to be involved. Ukraine denied landing reports.
CNN: An adviser for the Interior Minister of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, has told journalists on an official WhatsApp group that Russian troops have landed in the city Odessa and are crossing the border in the city of Kharkov.
Reports of two shells hitting Belgorod, Russia. Aparently minor damage.
LPR soldier Denis Ponomarev is killed by Ukrainian sniper near Zhelobok settlement.
In the past day, 4 DPR soldiers are wounded, 3 civilians killed.
LPR. At 23:35 on 22 Feb., the armed formations of Ukraine violated the ceasefire regime in the Zolotoe-4-Berezovskoye direction, using an anti-tank missile system (one guided missile). As a result of a direct hit in a car, two civilians were killed. Number of ceasefire violations on 21 Feb. increased to 65 (double the number on 17 and 18 Feb.) On 22 Feb, LPR shelled 114 times (1446 ammunitions: 297 shells, 554 mortar shells, 11 rockets and 584 grenades).
In the past several days, Ukraine continued to shell L/DPR in multiple locations.
Biden-Putin summit is off. Western sanctions are imposed.
Ukrainian PM Shmygal: fulfilling Putin's conditions (demilitarization, rejection of joining NATO, recognizing the decision of the inhabitants of the Crimean peninsula to reunite with Russia) is impossible.
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine decided on the state of emergency in Ukraine, except for Donetsk and Lugansk regions (needs Rada confirmation). There is special regime in Ukraine-held parts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014, with changes in 2018
21 Feb. After a lecture in history, Putin signed in a televised report recognizing independence and sovereignty of L/DPR, and friendship, cooperation and assistance treaties with those, together with Pushilin and Pasechnik. Decrees are published: DPR, LPR.
Friendship treaties by now are ratified; full text of the draft is here
Putin instructed MoD to ensure peacekeeping functions in the Republics until the conclusion of relevant agreements. Not fully confirmed: the first units of Russian troops are already entering the L/DPR.
Putin told Macron and Scholz that he would soon sign a decree recognizing the DPR and LPR (1,[2).
RU security council meeting is being broadcast live.Recognition of L/DPR requests, security guarantees, Minsk non-fulfillment by Ukraine on agenda.
It is claimed that Ukrainian RSG is destroyed on Russian territory by FSB and RU Souther district armed forces, alleged details here, as per the source. (Doubts noted). Earlier report gave location of the fight as Kuznetsy settlement (what's the point going there?), apparently near Novoazovsk, where RSG brekthrough was reported; but this report give location as Miatikinskaya settlement (where shelling was reported a day earlier), apparently 180 km nortwest, close to Lugansk. (Noted, small settlments with common names could be mismapped). Ukraine denies charges.
Non-regular Russian security council meeting will take place.
DPR: “At approximately 08:10 am in the Novoazovsky district of the DPR, an enemy sabotage group broke through.” According to the Ministry of State Security, Ukrainian militants tried to reach the Russian border. But they were met by the People's Militia units. A fight is ongoing. "As a result of the breakthrough, a warehouse of rocket and artillery weapons of the People's Militia Department of the DPR was blown up" (I'd be cautious here, background-based...).
Noted, Russia closed airspace over large part of Azov sea, 21-26 Feb. for firing exercises.
Social media: RU tanks with anti-Javelin roof, TOS-1A «Solntsepek", signed with Z, are shown and claimed to be near Ukrainian border.
RU FSB: On 21 Feb., at 09:50, an unidentified projectile fired from the territory of Ukraine completely destroyed the place of service of the border patrols of the border guards of the FSB of Russia in the Rostov region, located at a distance of about 150 meters from the Russian-Ukrainian border. There were no casualties, sappers are on the scene (TASS).
At about half past three in the morning in the Trudovskiye district of the city of Donetsk, at the intersection of Dunayevsky and Markin streets, as a result of mortar shelling by Ukrainian forces at a public transport stop, a civilian was killed - a miner who was going to the morning shift (photos/video), unblurred in this ([https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/7455688.html collection)].
20 Feb. Putin-Macron: Elysee Fr, En., Kremlin Ru, En
Macron proposed that a summit could be held between Biden and Putin, who have each accepted the principle of such a summit. Its content will be prepared by Blinken and Lavrov meeting on 24 Feb. It can only be held if Russia does not invade Ukraine.
Rada MP Kyva: The genocide of the Ukrainian people by the hands of the authorities and Nazi groups controlled by it!!! The authorities tried to kill the head of the Kharkov anti-fascist movement - "Patriots for Life"
Belarus DM: "Due to the increase in military activity near the external borders of the Union State and the aggravation of the situation in the Donbass, the Presidents of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation decided to continue checking the response forces of the Union State"
LPR (Filiponenko): "At around 5 am on February 20, the militants of the 79th Airborne Assault Brigade made an attempt to attack the positions of the People's Militia in the area of the settlement of Pionerskoye, forcing the Seversky Donets River. As a result of the clash, the enemy suffered losses and retreated." "The criminal actions of the Ukrainian armed formations led to the destruction of five residential buildings and casualties among the civilian population."
Water supply is cut to part of DPR and some Ukrainian-held areas after Ukrainian shelling or sabotage. More than 23,000 residents were left without water, over 50 social facilities - boiler houses, hospitals, kindergartens, schools.
19 Feb. DPR. "Special forces of the Ministry of State Security of the Donetsk People's Republic in the city of Donetsk blocked an enemy sabotage and terrorist group that planned to blow up electrical substations, gas pipelines and filter stations on the territory of the Republic." "Two special forces soldiers received gunshot wounds". Video: 1, 2, pro-Ukr doubts.
Russian media: two exploded Ukrainian Grad shells found on Russian territory, stanitsa (settlement) Mitiakinskaya, Tarasovskii district, Rostov region. Another report says that a house is hit in hutor (settlement) Patronovka in the same area/district. Some visuals are claimed here. Russian investigation committee-signed video here. Ukrainian sources try to make a case that this is an incident from August 1 (or 11) of 2014; however visuals found so far differ.
Heads of LPR and DPR signed decrees declaring general mobilization
Rada MP Ilya Kyva: "massacre and genocide are being prepared" (1, 2). Yesterday, many witnessed how the journalist and editor-in-chief of Censor.net Yuri Butusov (minion of Yatsenyuk, a friend and financial partner of Akhmetov), vilely, from the back, hit MP Nestor Shufrich, head of the Committee on Freedom of Speech of the Supreme Council of Ukraine.
18 Feb. Tatyana Montian makes a powerful presentation at UNSC meeting (Eng., Rus), accusing the West in arranging the coup and pushing for war; being a defense lawyer points out grave human rights violations in Ukraine. Oleg Tsarev warns that a terror campaign against non-supporters may be waged in Ukraine as Zelenskii is getting ready to start the war.
L/DPR evacuations: only children, women and the elderly can enter Russia through the checkpoints; military-age men remain in Donbass - they are asked to join the militia (see also; in another report, men aged 18-65 are not allowed to leave at Uspenka border crossing to Russia).
Several large explosions in Lugansk on gas pipeline and pumping station reported, with a video of a large fire.
DPR. "The car blown up in the center of Donetsk belongs to Denis Sinenkov, head of the People's Militia Department".
LPR. Red Cross convoy came under fire near Lugansk. Ukraine accused LPR forces; LPR denied any role calling it a provocation. Heavy fighting is reported later in the evening near Ukrainian-held Schastie.
DPR. Pushilin announced evacuation of civilians (video)
LPR head Pasechnik calls for civilians to evacuate to Russia.
Putin comments on situation in Ukraine during joint press conference with Lukashenko.
Basurin: according to information received from the DPR Ministry of State Security, at about 4:00 am in Gorlovka, a group of Ukrainian saboteurs attempted to blow up an ammonia storage tank at the Stirol plant. During the attack, a security guard who discovered the group of saboteurs was wounded.
Basurin: tonight, a sabotage group from the Vostok Special Purpose Center (the former 3rd Special Forces Regiment of the SOF) tried to penetrate the territory of the oil depot in the Yelenovka area blow up the tanks, believing that fuel and oil were stored in them. Large-scale catastrophy was avoided due to law enforcement agencies immediate response to the call of the security guard, preventing the attack.
"Death online", video. Ukrainian sources claim that video is staged.
Ukrainian source: "Tonight, on the communication lines of the Vodafone operator in the cities of Lisichansk (Shakhterskaya St.) and Slavyansk (Vokzalnaya St.), unknown people cut fiber-optic cables - the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports a sabotage."
17 Feb. The morning after hoax Russian invasion day, serious deterioration of security situation, due to intense Ukrainian shelling, on all the separation line. L/DPR forces are returning fire. (Meanwhile, Ukrainian sources are publishing mirrror-imaged reports).
There are two (unconfirmed) opolchenie reports on evacuation of state workers, families and childcare facilities, from Donetsk and Dokuchaevsk (DPR) and Alexandrovka (LPR). However, Konstantin Chalyi, head of Alexandrovka administration, said that there is currently no evacuation order.
In the afternoon, opolchenie reported intense, targeted shelling of LPR positions under Bahmutka,one of possible directions of Ukrainian attack (mentioning without providing details some casualties and positions destruction).
Russian FM published reaction to American response on security guarantees
In the morning, a video is said to show smoke rising over the Russian embassy building in Kiev.
13 Feb. Opolchenie: According to reports from the front line, Ukrainian forces in the Sakhanka-Kominternovo area this afternoon and evening repeatedly cleared minefields in front of DPR forces front line using UR-77 "Zmei (Snake) Gorynych" mine clearing vehicles (as it is expensive, probably for a reason).
Ukraine received Stinger missiles and other equipment from Lithuania, two more planeloads of weapons from the US (said to be 17 in total so far).
11 Feb. More "Russia's attack dates", Feb 16, denied, and no publiclly available evidence (links in Talk)
Pushilin (1,2): Highly publicized in the Western media, stories about the “Russian offensive against Ukraine” were developed in 2017 by Kiev as a military exercise legend.
9 Feb. DPR : the source materials of not yet edited fake Ukrainian videos fell into the hands of the DPR forces. The video shows the positions of the Ukrainian military near Avdeevka. A DPR sniper allegedly "killed" a soldier there who was allegedly standing in a trench (video).
7 Feb. Macron-Putin talks in Moscow. Press conference.
2-7 Feb. DPR. Large number of false reports of explosive devices planted in schools, government buildings, after a confirmed explosive device in a government building in Donetsk. Almost 500 buildings had to be checked. Around New Year, similar false reports in Ukraine.
6 Feb. DPR soldier is killed by Ukrainian sniper fire.
2 Feb. Croatian president Zoran Milanovic accuses Britain of pushing Ukraine to war.
1 Feb. DPR soldier is killed by an explosive device dropped by Ukrainian drone.