Political strategic level
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says it is "obvious" that Ukraine will not be the last stop in the invasion of Russian führer Vladimir Putin, and that it is therefore crucial that the West does not delay in supplying weapons to help repel Russian forces. On Friday, the Ukrainian leader told a Munich security conference by video link that while the West is negotiating the supply of tanks to Kyiv, the Kremlin is thinking about how to "strangle" the former Soviet republic of Moldova to the west of Ukraine.
"Obviously, Ukraine will not be his last stop," Mr Zelensky said. "He is going to continue his movement until the end, ... including all the other countries that were part of the Soviet bloc at one time."
Last week, Mr Zelensky said that his country had intercepted plans by the Russian security services to destroy Moldova, claims that were later confirmed by Moldovan intelligence officials. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this month that the West was considering turning Moldova into "another Ukraine", as if confirming the plans of the Russofascists.
We believe that the more often and more clearly we repeat to the leaders of Western countries the intentions of terrorist Russia, the sooner we will reach their enchanted minds. Yes, Putin may not have a plan to turn Paris tomorrow into a bloody mash of horror and violence, but he and millions of Russians around the world dream it every night in their perverse fantasies. Berlin and Paris can only be reached by going through Vilnius and Warsaw first.
At that time, the Kremlin's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, declared that the West is driven by a determination to destroy Russia. And one by one, like a Jakeliunas, he declared: 'We had no choice but to defend our country - to defend it against you, to defend our identity and our future'.
The ambassador of fascist Russia accused the Western powers, especially France and Germany, of 'obstructing' the implementation of the Minsk agreements, which they had brokered. The representative of the war criminals spewed threats and accusations, while the representatives of the other countries somehow listened to him. "You knew very well that the Minsk process was just a smokescreen for you to rearm the Kyiv regime for your geopolitical interests and to prepare it for war with Russia", Nebenzia told North Korea, Belarus and possibly Eswatini.
It would be very nice if, next time, ambassadors from all UN member states left the room when a terrorist representative appeared.
North Korea on Friday threatened to take "unprecedented" tough action after South Korea announced planned military exercises with the United States. The exercises are aimed at improving the overall response to the communist regime's growing nuclear threats.
"If the US and South Korea implement their already announced plan for military exercises, which we rightly regard as preparation for a war of aggression, they will face an unprecedentedly assertive and strong response," said a statement by North Korea's foreign ministry, which was carried by state media. It called South Korea and the United States "fierce criminals who are deliberately destroying" peace and stability in the region.
North Korea is a toy in China's hands. When we see only the war in Ukraine, the US sees the whole world's game of 'bad guys'. Unfortunately, the whole world is connected by visible and invisible links, and the forces of evil and darkness are working non-stop to destroy the good and the light.
Russian Führer Vladimir Putin yesterday discussed military and economic cooperation with Lukashenko, Chairman of the Potato Collective. Mr Putin noted that Belarus has preserved its Soviet-era industrial assets, adding that it offers good opportunities for joint production programmes. "We will create synergies by joining efforts", Putin said. "In some sectors, this can be very effective and bring good results for both Belarus and Russia".
Effective and good results are already clearly visible: both dictators are hated by the whole civilised world.
Seeing this, the Ukrainian President on Friday urged the Western allies to step up their military support to Ukraine and warned that, as the first anniversary of the invasion draws nearer, delays will benefit Russia. "There is no alternative to speed, because life depends on speed," Mr Zelensky told a Munich security conference in Germany. Asking for more Western arms, Mr Zelensky compared Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion to the biblical David and Goliath struggle, saying that his country has David's courage but needs help in getting the stun gun.
The three-day meeting brings together some 40 heads of state and government, as well as politicians and security experts from nearly 100 countries. Many of them fear most that the war in Ukraine could mean a new Cold War.
On one side of the scales, the Cold War. On the other, the destruction of Ukraine and the genocide of Ukrainians. The weighing process has been going on for a year.
Operational level
Russian mercenary company Wagner Group has suffered more than 30,000 casualties since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, including about 9,000 killed in battle, the White House said on Friday. The United States estimates that 90 percent of the Wagner Group soldiers killed in Ukraine since December were convicts, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Despite this, Prigozhin's marodier horde is completing its noose around Bakhmut. "Give us more military equipment, more weapons, and we will deal with the Russian occupiers, we will destroy them", said Dmytro, a soldier standing in the snow near Bakhmut, in a video broadcast at the Munich conference.
But weapons and equipment are not the only problem for the Ukrainian defenders. The thinning ranks and growing psychological tension, unlike ammunition and tanks, cannot be restored by Berlin or Brussels. We want to believe - for now.
Although the NATO countries are not sending their troops to defend European freedom and ensure the security of their citizens with weapons, they are providing the necessary training for Ukrainians. Yesterday, the first group of 635 Ukrainian fighters graduated from a five-week advanced US training course in Germany, where they learned sophisticated combat and armoured vehicle handling skills that will be crucial for the coming spring offensive against the Russians.
Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon's press secretary, said that additional training is already under way at the Grafenwoehr training ground, which will be attended by around 1 600 more Ukrainian troops. The first group of Ukrainian troops arrived at the base on 15 January and underwent an intensive course to train them to operate Bradleys and M109 Paladins. "The Bradley is an infantry fighting vehicle, while the Paladin is a self-propelled howitzer that rides on tracks instead of wheels.
Following the events of the last few days, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that Russia should lose the war it launched against Ukraine. He said that Europe should not be naive, but should show unity and determination and support dialogue whenever possible.
"But the time for dialogue has not yet come because Russia has chosen war. Russia has chosen to destroy civilian infrastructure and commit war crimes. In the short term, the solution is simple: Russia must not and cannot win this war. Russia's offensive must be defeated", stressed Mr Macron.
At the same time, the French President added that the use of force cannot be allowed to become the norm, as it would call into question the stability of the world.
The French President's stammering is an accurate reflection of the impotence of a Europe that is treading on the toes. That is why the use of force has become the norm and has 'called into question the stability of the world' since the wars in Georgia and Chechnya and the unrestrained slaughter carried out by Russia in those countries.
Tactical level
This morning, Russia again attacked Ukraine with missiles. At least 6 Kalibr cruise missiles appear to have been fired.
The Russian Federation continues to pursue its large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine. The enemy has continued to destroy Ukraine's critical infrastructure and to carry out strikes and artillery attacks against civilian infrastructure and population centres.
During the day of 17 February, the enemy launched 10 rocket and 29 air strikes, as well as 69 shelling attacks with rocket artillery systems.
The threat of further Russian air and missile strikes across Ukraine remains very high.
The enemy is concentrating its efforts on offensive operations on the Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk axes.
During the day, the Ukrainian Defence Forces launched 5 air strikes against enemy concentrations and an air strike against an anti-aircraft missile system position.
The air defence forces shot down 6 enemy UAVs. Preliminary data indicate that these included 5 Lancet UAVs and a Zala UAV.
Rocket and artillery units struck 3 enemy concentrations of live fire and an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system firing position.
In Šiauliai, a volunteer welds a heating stove from old car rims. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to say what we really think. Legal entities are welcome to enter into support agreements. Special thanks to DT Artelė, UAB. Daily Reviews is part of the "Getting to Know Russia" project, supported by the Foundation for the Support of Press, Radio and Television. Would you like to invite us for a discussion or training? Contact: info@visagentura.com
Public Information Security Agency, Account No LT447300010172065624
