Exclusives

Military

Frontline report: Ukraine reinforces Avdiivka direction, countering Russian encirclement attempts. Facing Russian fire control over key logistics route, Ukraine reinforces its positions in Avdiivka likely preparing a comprehensive operation to push Russians back to their initial positions.

Russia attacked Kyiv with new Zircon “hypersonic” missile, Ukraine confirms. Markings on the missile fragments suggest the components were manufactured between late 2023 and 2024, indicating the weapon’s recent assembly.

ISW: Russia constructing 30-km wall of train cars in occupied Donetsk Oblast. The so-called “”tsar train”” may serve for the Russian military as a defensive line against future Ukrainian assaults, according to the ISW.

Ukraine’s Air Forces destroy 14 of 17 Russian drones, one guided missile overnight. Russian night attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk oblast hit the power supply, leaving about 29,000 consumers without electricity and about 10,000 customers without water supply.

As of 12 Feb 2024, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• • • Personnel: 395990 (+790)
    • Tanks: 6416 (+10)
    • APV: 11977 (+21)
    • Artillery systems: 9481 (+6)
    • MLRS: 981
    • Anti-aircraft systems: 666
    • Aircraft: 332
    • Helicopters: 325
    • UAV: 7302 (+45)
    • Cruise missiles : 1882 (+1)
    • Warships/boats: 24
    • Submarines: 1
    • Vehicles and fuel tanks: 12599 (+7)

Intelligence and Technology

Digital Minister: Ukraine ramps up thousands of drones with deep strike capability in 2024. Ukraine’s digital minister says Ukraine now has around ten private companies producing drones that can reach Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Ukraine intel: Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah train Russian drone operators in Syria. Iran and Lebanon militant groups train Russian and Syrian drone operators for deployment in Ukraine.

International

France exposes Russian propaganda network undermining Ukraine support. French agency Viginum uncovers network of propaganda websites spreading Russian lies about its invasion of Ukraine, aiming to weaken international support for Ukraine.

EU adopts new measures to isolate frozen Russian funds. The European Council’s recent decision opens up the possibility of using profits from more than $250 billion in frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank to fund Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

Bloomberg: EU to consider sanctions on three Chinese firms over Russia support. For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU aims to impose sanctions on mainland Chinese firms accused of aiding Russia.

Humanitarian and Social Impact

Russian attack injures 63-year-old woman, children aged 10, 17 in Donetsk Oblast. Russian night attack also damaged 15 private residential buildings and the power lines.

17-year-old Ukrainian basketball player killed in attack in Germany. The young basketball players were attacked with knives in the street “simply because they were Ukrainians,”” the Kyiv Basketball Federation said. One player died in the hospital, his fellow remains in intensive care.

Political and Legal Developments

Russia to hold presidential vote in occupied Ukraine, violating Ukrainian Constitution. Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets called on world to condemn the illegal elections, Russia is preparing in four Ukrainian oblasts occupied by Russian forces

German police detained suspected murderer of Ukrainian basketball player. The alleged 15-year-old attacker was detained Sunday after stabbing two Ukrainian athletes and killing one of them, German police and media reports.

New Developments

Munich Security Index: Global perception of Russia as threat decreases. Perceptions of Russia’s war in Ukraine as a global threat have decreased since 2022, with only the UK and Japan still rating it as the top risk.

Newly appointed Finland president says he sees no point in meeting with Putin. Stubb won the presidential election in Finland on 11 February, the first one since the country joined NATO on 4 April 2023.

Polish farmers resume blockade at Medyka-Shenyni, expand to 2 more checkpoints. Polish farmers initiated protests at two additional border crossings with Ukraine, the Zosin-Ustyluh and Dolhobychuv-Uhryniv, intending to allow two to three cars per hour to pass in both directions.

Read our earlier daily review here.

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