The second year of Russia’s invasion has started much as the first year ended: air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine on Saturday morning after a fighter jet reportedly took off in Russia took off that may be carrying ballistic missiles. No incidents have been reported so far.
(Bloomberg) —
The second year of Russia’s invasion has started much as the first year ended: air raid alerts sounded across Ukraine on Saturday morning after a fighter jet reportedly took off in Russia took off that may be carrying ballistic missiles. No incidents have been reported so far.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said yesterday that his country will secure victory if allies maintain their support, possibly this year. “I am sure that there will be victory,” Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.
US President Joe Biden said he’s ruling out Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets “for now,” even as Zelenskiy dials up pressure on Western allies to provide aircraft.
Russia’s War in Ukraine: Key Events and How It’s Unfolding
You can follow all our special coverage of the one year mark of Russia’s invasion via our website, on Twitter and on Bloomberg Television, including live broadcasts from Kyiv. You can also read our biggest pieces from the past week on Flipboard.
(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)
Listen to our special conversations from this week, including our Twitter Space yesterday analyzing Zelenskiy’s press conference as it happened. We also discussed the military strategies of the war, the impact on energy and the environment, the effect of sanctions including on the wealth of Russia’s oligarchs and what the future holds for Ukrainian refugees.
Big Take Podcast: How Does Ukraine Continue to Beat Back Russia?
Key Developments
- More Ukrainians Are Settling Abroad as War Grinds On
- Biden Rules Out Giving Ukraine F-16s ‘For Now’
- Biden Does Not Anticipate China Giving Russia Major Weapons Aid
- EU Hits Russia With More Sanctions One Year After Invasion
- The UN Couldn’t Even Agree to Hold Minute of Silence for Ukraine
- Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: A Political Year in Photos
On the Ground:
Russia’s main efforts continue to be focused on conducting offensive operations on the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtars’ke axes, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Facebook. Russia carried out 27 airstrikes and 75 attacks from MLRS. Around Bakhmut, Kremlin troops are actively conducting aerial reconnaissance to adjust artillery fire. Russian troops shelled towns in Dnipropetrovsk region with heavy artillery, damaging three schools, 10 apartment buildings, 11 private houses, electricity lines and local gas transportation pipelines.
(All times CET)
More Ukrainians Are Settling Abroad (9:30 a.m.)
More than 8 million Ukrainians, mostly women and children, fled the country after Russia’s invasion a year ago – and many are staying away.
The United Nations has called it Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II, and Ukraine has been tipped into a spiral of demographic decline that’s likely to damage its post-war growth prospects as well.
On Friday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy implored Ukrainians to return once it’s safe to do so.
Read more: More Ukrainians Are Settling Abroad as War Grinds On
Russia is Running Low on Iranian Drones, UK Says (9 a.m.)
Consistent with this week’s reporting from Bloomberg, the UK defense ministry said Russia has depleted its stock of Iranian-made drones and will likely seek a new batch.
There’ve been no reports of Iranian one-way-attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA-UAVs) being used in Ukraine since about Feb. 15, the ministry said on Twitter.
“Although the weapons do not have a good record in destroying their intended targets, Russia likely sees them as useful decoys which can divert Ukrainian air defences from more effective Russian cruise missiles.”
Read more: Russia May Be Running Low on Iranian Drones, Awaits New Supplies
UK Nears Deal on More Defense Spending (8 a.m.)
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is close to a deal with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on extra funding, the Telegraph reported.
The ministry is said to be seeking an extra £10 billion ($11.9 billion) and said a deal was “not very far away” ahead of the UK budget that’s due in March. The funds are badly needed, and “the Prime Minister gets it,” Wallce told Times Radio.
“We are hollowing out our forces. Our allies and partners are all investing in defense. Every single previous prime minister I can think of would have responded to that,” Wallace said.
Russia, China Naval Drills Under Way Off South Africa (7:30 a.m.)
Joint naval exercises involving China, Russia and South Africa are under way as planned, TASS reported, citing the African nation’s defense ministry. The operation is expected to run through Monday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said in a statement on Friday that Ukraine was “deeply concerned” about the drills and said South Africa was “adopting the experience of the Russian war machine.”
“We call on the Republic of South Africa not to encourage further Russian aggression and its sense of impunity,” he said.
Read more: Russia, South Africa, China to Simulate Air Attacks in Exercise
Belarus President to Visit China From Tuesday (7 a.m.)
Alexander Lukashenko will make a state visit to China Feb. 28-March 2, including a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Global Times reported, citing Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
Biden Rules Out Giving Ukraine F-16s ‘For Now’ (4:10 a.m.)
President Joe Biden said he is ruling out Ukraine’s request for F-16 fighter jets at this time, despite increased pressure from Zelenskiy.
“He doesn’t need F-16s now,” Biden said in an interview with ABC News broadcast Friday evening. “I am ruling it out for now.”
The US has resisted sending Ukraine F-16 warplanes over concerns their delivery could further escalate the war, which is entering its second year.
Biden Doesn’t Anticipate China Giving Russia Weapons Aid (4:10 a.m.)
Biden said he doesn’t expect China will provide significant assistance to Russia in the form of weapons to aid Moscow in its war against Ukraine, but warned any such action would draw a US response.
“I don’t anticipate — we haven’t seen it yet — but I don’t anticipate a major initiative on the part of China providing weaponry to Russia,” Biden said in the ABC News interview.
EU Slaps Russia With 10th Package of Sanctions (11:10 p.m.)
European Union member states backed a 10th package of sanctions on Russia including tighter export restrictions and technology controls, as well as requiring banks to report information on Russian Central Bank and other sanctioned assets they hold.
The bloc’s envoys signed off on the measures Friday, the Swedish presidency of the EU said in a tweet as it sought to advance the latest restrictions one year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Poland Gives Conditional Backing to New EU Sanctions (10:08 p.m.)
Poland agreed to conditionally back the European Union’s latest planned package of sanctions against Russia, according to the country’s ambassador to the bloc.
Poland set six conditions for its support, including a monitoring mechanism to end imports of Russian rubber and starting work on sanctions against Belarus. Discussions continued among member states.
World Bank Announces $2.5 Billion in New Ukraine Aid (7:45 p.m.)
The World Bank announced $2.5 billion in grant financing for Ukraine to provide budget support for essential services and core government functions, bringing funding it has mobilized to help the country to almost $21 billion.
The new funds, which will come from the US Agency for International Development, will help with key areas including health care, schools, payment of pensions, payments for displaced people, social assistance programs and wages for public employees.
The Washington-based World Bank gives the money to Ukraine after verifying eligible expenses, rather than transferring it upfront, to help minimize the risk of corruption.
Zelenskiy Casts Doubt on Chinese Weapon Supplies to Russia (6:27 p.m.)
Ukraine’s president said he hopes China will stand with Ukraine, on the side of “just peace” – and lauded Beijing for beginning to address Ukraine. He expressed optimism that China embraces the principle of territorial integrity.
“I strongly believe that China will not supply weapons to the Russian Federation – for me it is important, for me it is the No. 1 point,” Zelenskiy said. “I’ll do everything to prevent this.”
The US has begun to issue warnings that China is weighing deliveries of lethal weapons to Russia. Beijing denies any such considerations even as its top diplomat this week called relations with Moscow “solid as a mountain.” Zelenskiy said the task is to “gather all to isolate one,” adding that “we should work with China.”
Iran-Russia Cooperation Is Expanding, Kirby Says (6:06 p.m.)
The US believes that defense cooperation between Iran and Russia is intensifying, and that Moscow may offer Tehran fighter jets in addition to the existing flows of missiles, electronics and air-defense systems, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Iran is also seeking to purchase billions of dollars in military equipment — including attack helicopters, combat trainer aircraft, and radar — from Russia, Kirby said. The US didn’t provide evidence for that finding or information about how that intelligence determination was reached.
Zelenskiy Again Rules Out Talks With Putin (5:51 p.m.)
President Zelenskiy reiterated that talks with his Russian counterpart are unacceptable.
“There is nobody there to speak with now,” he told reporters when asked if he would accept a hypothetical offer to meet with Putin in Turkey.
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