Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 02-24-2024

February to March 2022 – the full-scale invasion starts and the horror begins

FEBRUARY 2022

Feb. 24 President Vladimir Putin announces the “special military operation.” Full-scale invasion begins – with artillery, cluster munition and missile strikes in the Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kyiv regions.

Polish farmers have temporarily suspended the border blockade on the Zosin-Ustyluh highway west of Lutsk on the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Polish farmers have temporarily suspended the border blockade on the Zosin-Ustyluh checkpoint, located approximately 88 kilometers (54.6 miles) from the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk, on the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Western Regional Department of the State Border Service of Ukraine-Western Border’s announcement on Facebook, the blockade was lifted at 03:00 where passengers and cargo were able to pass through with no hindrance.

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• Russia originally deployed approximately 130 Battalion Tactical Groups for its invasion of Ukraine. This likely included approximately 1,300 tanks, over 5,000 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and armoured personnel carriers (IAPCs), and at least 100,000 personnel.
• In two years of conflict, Russian losses match - and in many cases surpass - those that comprised its original force. Confirmed Russian losses include over 2,700 tanks and 5,000 IFVs and APCs. Russia's killed and wounded are likely approximately 350,000 personnel.
• Mobilisation and recruitment, production and refurbishment of existing stockpiles means that losses have been replaced. Russian forces in Ukraine are now larger in number than at the start of the war. It is now able to maintain attacks along the front line and pursue a strategy of attrition against Ukrainian forces.

A former deputy defense minister who helped secure loyal troops from Crimea in 2014 told Kyiv Post the troubling times and subsequent developments as the war in Ukraine reached its 10-year mark.

War came to Ukraine in 2014, but it was very different then.

After the Euromaidan, Russia saw its chance in Ukraine amidst the chaos and proceeded to occupy Crimea and instigate a separatist war in the eastern regions that would linger for years to come.

British sovereign once again expresses his support for Ukraine.

King Charles III on Saturday praised the "determination and strength" of the Ukrainian people in a message to mark the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

"The determination and strength of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire, as the unprovoked attack on their land, their lives and livelihoods enters a third, tragic, year," he wrote.

The scale and number of outrages and war crimes committed by Russia on a daily basis since the Feb. 24, 2022 full-scale invasion have shocked the whole world.

Once the war ends, an international tribunal must surely await Putin, his government and those who committed some of the most appalling acts against the people of Ukraine in his name.

This second anniversary of the launch of Putin’s so-called “special military operation” is as good (or bad) a time as ever to remind Kyiv Post’s readers of the horrors Russia has inflicted, using some of the most visible war crimes perpetrated on behalf of the leadership and people of the Russian Federation.

2024 will be another year of war because Ukraine is determined to keep on fighting to recapture territory, while Putin will only be satisfied with Kyiv's full surrender, analysts and diplomats say.

After two years of war in Ukraine, there is no prospect of negotiations to find a breakthrough as Russian President Vladimir Putin, emboldened by the erosion of Western support for Kyiv, girds for a long conflict.

2024 will be another year of war because Ukraine is determined to keep on fighting to recapture territory, while Putin will only be satisfied with Kyiv's full surrender, analysts and diplomats say.

Trump’s pronouncement, inviting Russia to attack NATO, poses an immediate threat to NATO, the U.S., and American troops, and the damage cannot easily be undone.

Few missed Trump’s invitation to Putin to attack a NATO ally. Unfortunately, too many considered it to be inconsequential political demagoguery and pandering rhetoric for an isolationist base. Some national security experts have sounded alarms warning of a seemingly distant threat of the collapse of the NATO alliance, but these predictions are framed as being contingent on Trump winning a second presidential election ten months from now. The reality is far more grave. Trump’s pronouncement, inviting Russia to attack NATO, poses an immediate threat to NATO, the U.S., and American troops. And the damage cannot easily be undone.

The domestic political turmoil in the U.S. and the paralysis in the Euro-Atlantic alliance in conceiving and implementing a strategy for the Russia-Ukraine war resembles some of the key conditions that propelled Putin to launch the 2022 war. Prior to the invasion, Putin perceived American society and the United States’ political decision-making structure to be in disarray. The January 6th insurrection reflected the depth of American political division and throughout 2021 Trump hammered away at his personal narratives that Putin wasn’t a menace, Russia was a potential ally, and Ukraine was the culprit behind tension in Eastern Europe and an enemy. Trump was a former president but remained the leader of a Republican party that was increasingly pliant to whatever extreme position he wished to pursue. For Putin, this capture of the Republican establishment signaled that a swift and successful Russian victory would result in no significant western backlash.

During his video address at the Hostomel airfield, a symbolic location that marked Russia’s full-scale invasion, President Zelensky thanked the people and Kyiv’s allies for their support.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation at the Hostomel airfield that witnessed the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on this day two years ago, and he thanked the people and Kyiv’s allies for their unwavering support throughout the war.

“Great people of a great country! I am incredibly proud of everyone. I admire everyone. I believe in everyone. Any normal person wants the war to end. But none of us will allow Ukraine to end,” said Zelensky at the beginning of his address.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Just a day ahead of the second year mark of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a fresh package of more than 500 sanctions against Russia for its war on Ukraine and for the death of Kremlin opponent Aleksei Navalny, while urging the House of Representatives to pass a desperately needed aid package for Kyiv. Meanwhile, the European Union announced a fresh package of sanctions against Russia on February 23, on the eve of the second anniversary of its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine - RFE/RL

There has been no official reaction from Moscow to the claims that Ukraine has shot down a Russian A-50 spy plane. Yesterday Russian media said that “an unidentified aircraft has crashed in the Krasnodar region” but didn’t specify the type of the plane and causes of the crash. Ukrainian military intelligence agency GUR has provided an audio of what they claim is the conversation of a Su-35 crew that was accompanying the A-50 in order to shield it from attacks. In the alleged intercepted call, the pilot says that he was watching the work of the air defence while “Bayan (the code name of the A-50 plane) was away [from me] and then explosions [occurred]. After that I had to manoeuvre…” The BBC cannot verify the authenticity of the audio. Russian military bloggers, however, claim that the plane crashed because of “friendly fire”, that Russian air defence systems shot down that plane by mistake. Interestingly, they made the same claim last month when Russia lost another A-50 plane along with an airborne command centre Il-22. The loss of an A-50 plane is a massive blow for Russian forces. Its purpose is to detect airborne targets at long distances and coordinate aerial attacks and air defence operations - BBC

A rare protest in Moscow by military wives that called for their husbands' return from Ukraine has led to the arrests of at least four people, including reporters.

Russian police on Saturday detained at least four people, including reporters, at a weekly protest outside the Kremlin by the wives of mobilised soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

The wives of mobilised soldiers have staged rare protests in Moscow demanding their spouses be brought home from Ukraine.

Serhiy Kolyada on two years of shame and failure for the Rasszists, and of courage, resilience and pride for heroic Ukraine.

The UK has announced a fresh aid package that includes munition supplies and humanitarian aid for Kyiv on the two-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Britain announced on Saturday a new £245 million ($311 million) defence package to help boost the production of "urgently needed artillery ammunition" for Ukraine, two years after war broke out with Russia.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said Ukraine's armed forces "against all odds" had recaptured large parts of the land seized by Russia in its 2022 invasion.

The experts say the tanks numbers game show that Russia can replace its tank losses with refurbished older vehicles, but, that data is from a war with a lot fewer drones.

At the end of two years of conventional war, the fact that the Ukrainian army is able to shoot the Kremlin’s museum pieces to bits is not exactly the worst news, for what was once the biggest and most intimidating fleet of armored combat vehicles on Earth. The real problem is the drones.

During a Feb. 17 attack, about 20 Cold War era Russian T-55 and T-62 tanks rumbled north as the steel spear tip of massed assault against the village of Robotyne, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) front-line position in the southern Kherson sector. What followed was witnessed on geo-located drone video and subsequent “after action reports.”

In the course of two years, Ukraine has managed to neutralize Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and reopen its shipping lanes. All achieved practically without a navy.

Since the Kremlin launch its full-blown attack two years ago, Ukraine has destroyed or damaged 28 ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF). The list of destroyed targets includes ships of various classes, from small tugboats and corvettes to the Fleet’s flagship, the cruiser Moskva.

Although Ukraine has no powerful navy, it is fighting an extremely successful “sea war” against Russia. To counter Russian warships, Ukraine uses MAGURA V5 kamikaze sea drones of its own development.

Two years after Russia launched its full-scale attack to annul any remnant of an independent Ukraine, Putin’s genocidal intent is now impossible to deny.

Feb. 24, 2024 marks two years since Russia’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The Ukrainian people remain steadfast – a recent poll found 84 percent of Ukrainians firmly reject surrendering any territory to Russia as a means for peace.

The unifying power of the war effort combined with the country’s military success has elevated Ukrainian national pride sky high, spurring their resistance. The crux of the matter, however, is pure survival. A vast majority of Ukrainians got their fierce determination to fight from the perception that they have no choice but to resist Russia’s intended genocide. This is a battle for the right to exist as a nation.

Two years on into the full-scale war launched against it by Russia, Ukraine, helped by its Western supporters, remains determined to persevere and win.

Ukraine on Saturday vowed to triumph over Russian "darkness" as it entered a new year of war weakened by a lack of Western aid and with Moscow emboldened by fresh gains.

To mark the second anniversary, a virtual summit of G7 leaders was due to take place at Kyiv's Saint Sophia Cathedral later Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attending.

A Ukrainian security services drone attack on what Russia bills as the 17th largest iron and steel works may impact Moscow’s weapons production as flames engulf the plant.

Reports on social media, including video footage, showed powerful explosions taking place at a metallurgical plant in Novolipetsk believed to have been caused by drones in an operation organized by Ukrainian special services.

However, it is still unclear which of the three main agencies – the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the State Security Service (SSU) or the Military Intelligence Directorate, were involved.

Of almost 350 statements on Ukraine made by the UN press center since February 2022, almost half refer to attacks on civilian targets or other breaches of humanitarian law by Moscow’s forces.

The UN’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, set up in March 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion, gave its latest report on the situation in Ukraine to the General Assembly on Oct. 19, 2023.

It prefaced its findings with censure of the Russian Federation for a lack of cooperation, having ignored 19 separate formal requests for meetings, access and information.

The European Commission President and other Western leaders, have arrived in Kyiv to mark Saturday’s second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Canada’s Justin Trudeau, Belgium’s Alexander De Croo and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv after having traveled to the Ukrainian capital together overnight by train from Poland.

Her visit is connected with the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. “More than ever, we firmly stand by Ukraine. Financially, economically, militarily, morally. Until the country finally becomes free,” she wrote on her X channel, formerly Twitter.

Millions of Ukrainians need help to face the psychological difficulties caused by Russia’s war against their country and the long-term effects.

At a time when global challenges are overlapping, creating unprecedented pressure on humanity, the issue of mental health comes to the fore. It becomes not just an individual need, but a key component of global development. In particular, in the context of Ukraine, where war leaves deep invisible wounds, mental health support becomes vital for the future of the nation. And it is us, Ukrainians, who must look for new approaches in this area.

Today, the issue of mental health is one of the top global challenges of our planet, along with inflation, climate change, poverty, health deterioration and war. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by Alligator Digital in September 2023. Experts estimate that 40–50% of the population needs or will need help with mental health. Among combatants, this number is even higher. According to an anonymous survey of veterans conducted by the Ukrainian Veterans Fund, two-thirds of those who return from there face psychological difficulties in civilian life.

Eminent historian Timothy Snyder shares his thoughts from the Munich Security Conference on the paradoxical weakness of leaders who ostensibly wield enormous power.

Who is the weak man? You shall know him by his itinerary. The weak man knows that Ukraine is what matters, so he goes to Texas. The weak man of Congress buys some casual clothes, has a staffer write a speech about the border, and recites it word-for-word. A real invasion is replaced by a pretend one. The weak man invites us to fear phantoms rather than face issues. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson did this, as did other American legislators seeking excuses not to help Ukraine. While I was in Munich, Elon Musk put on a cowboy hat and took his turn. In fall 2022, when Ukraine might have won the war, Musk cut the Ukrainians off from Starlink. Rather than going to Ukraine and learning, he made a profoundly bad decision on the basis of personal fear.

While some of the Kremlin’s claims for the Ukraine invasion appear justified at first glance, they were part of a meticulously planned disinformation campaign years in the making.

For many in Ukraine, Russia’s invasion started in 2014, and it was an act years in the making.

Understanding Moscow’s true intention behind the invasion of Ukraine is no easy task as it sits masqueraded behind a complex web of deception and disinformation founded on both facts and fiction, creating a myriad of justifications that bear some merit on the surface level.

Ukraine’s military intelligence and Air Force brought down another high value Beriev A-50 command aircraft over the Azov Sea on Friday in a “combined operation.”

Shortly after 7 p.m. last night Ukrainian social media began to light up with rumors that another one of Russia’s $350 million Beriev A-50 (NATO: Mainstay) airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft had been shot down.

The A-50 is used by Russia to monitor Ukraine’s air defenses and airborne activity. The aircraft typically fly with a crew of up to 15 personnel and are vital to providing guidance to its own aircraft on the disposition of the enemy, allowing them to intercept and engage adversary aircraft.

As the war in Ukraine reached its three-year mark, Ukrainians stand defiant as the country is now on the defensive with looming concerns waiting to be addressed by its government and Western partners.

Ukraine on Saturday marked two years since Russia's invasion, entering a new year of war weakened by a lack of western aid while Russia is emboldened by fresh gains.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" at dawn on February 24, 2022, many expected Moscow's victory within days, but Ukraine fought back, forcing Russian troops into humiliating retreats.

Two years on, leading Belarusian and Russian political figures, an economist. and a famous writer, comment on what Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine signifies for them.

From the editors:

In connection with the second anniversary of Russia launching its all-out war against Ukraine, we have invited a number of prominent political, business and military people, analysts and journalists, to share their thoughts on what this somber date means for them and for all of us.