Listed here are the important thing developments on the 1,092nd day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Right here is the scenario on Thursday, February 20:
Preventing
- A person was killed in a Ukrainian drone assault in Russia’s Belgorod area, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov mentioned.
- A “huge” Russian assault on the port metropolis of Odesa in southwestern Ukraine left 4 folks hospitalised and a big residential space – protecting 14 colleges and about 160,000 residents – with out warmth, water or electrical energy, Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov mentioned.
- A Russian guided bomb killed at the very least one particular person in Ukraine’s northeastern metropolis of Kupiansk, in keeping with Kharkiv area’s Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
- Ukraine mentioned Russia launched 167 drones and two missiles in in a single day assaults. Ukrainian forces shot down 106 of these drones, whereas 56 extra failed to succeed in their targets. They didn’t specify what occurred to the remaining 5.
- Ukraine’s army additionally mentioned they destroyed a North Korean self-propelled M-1978 Koksan howitzer within the Luhansk area, marking the primary time a weapon of this nature has been hit.
- South Korean newspaper, The Chosun Ilbo, has interviewed two North Korean troopers detained in Ukraine. The pair revealed they had been informed they had been being despatched to Russia for coaching by the Reconnaissance Basic Bureau, North Korea’s clandestine operations intelligence company.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced that fighters from the 810th brigade crossed into Ukrainian territory within the Sumy area in a single day. Kyiv has denied the declare.
- Putin additionally recommended a Ukrainian drone assault on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in southern Russia might have been coordinated with European powers, saying Kyiv couldn’t have carried out such an assault with out Western intelligence.
- Kremlin forces are a bit greater than 4 miles (6.4km) from the Shevchenko lithium deposit in Ukraine’s jap Donetsk area, and are advancing on it from three angles, the Reuters information company reported, citing open-source knowledge from Ukrainian army weblog DeepState.
Politics and diplomacy
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Kyiv’s exclusion from latest talks between Russia and america as he spoke to reporters at Esenboga airport in Ankara, Turkiye following his assembly with Turkish chief Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- Putin assured Ukraine it will not be omitted of ceasefire talks, however mentioned their success would hinge on resetting bilateral relations between Moscow and Washington, which reached “under zero” underneath the Biden administration.
- Zelenskyy took to social media to model Russia’s leaders “pathological liars” and warned that “they can’t be trusted and have to be pressured – for the sake of peace”.
- Trump hit back at Zelenskyy over his complaints about being excluded from peace talks, as he additionally blamed the Ukrainian chief for Russia’s invasion in 2022. “You’ve been there for 3 years,” Trump mentioned. “You must have by no means began it. You may have made a deal.”
- Zelenskyy has additionally slammed the rare earth elements deal proposed by Trump, saying he’s open to the US investing in Ukraine’s pure sources, however Kyiv must also obtain safety ensures.
- He mentioned Trump’s demand for $500bn of uncommon earths for earlier US support is “not a severe dialog”, claiming Washington has equipped Ukraine with solely $67bn in weapons and $31.5bn in different monetary assist.
- Zelenskyy additionally rejected Trump’s claims about his approval rankings being at 4 %, dismissing it as Russian disinformation and saying the US president is trapped in a “disinformation bubble”.
- Trump referred to as Zelenskyy a “dictator with out elections” and warned that the Ukrainian chief “higher transfer quick or he’s not going to have a rustic left”.
- Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has confirmed that Putin and Trump might meet in particular person earlier than the top of February, in keeping with Russian state media.
- After talking with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, French Overseas Minister Jean-Noel Barrot informed European international ministers he believes Washington needs a long-lasting peace deal for Ukraine. Barrot mentioned the White Home’s “goal was not a fragile ceasefire or a transitional pause that will permit Russia to rebuild their forces, however a long-lasting peace”.
- Kazakhstan’s first Deputy Overseas Minister Akan Rakhmetullin mentioned Astana has contacted Ukraine after a drone assault in Russia this week which hit a Kazakh oil pipeline.
- Trump’s particular envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, travelled to Kyiv earlier than deliberate conferences with Zelenskyy and different Ukrainian officers. “We’re very clear that [security guarantees are] essential within the sovereignty of this nation,” Kellogg mentioned, in keeping with Ukrainian outlet Suspilne.
- The European Union has agreed on a brand new bundle of sanctions which might place a ban on importing Russian aluminium, the bloc’s diplomats mentioned. The choice is but to be formally permitted by EU international ministers.
