The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine

Russia has confirmed receiving a list from Ukraine for the exchange of prisoners in the format "1000 for 1000". Earlier, Zelensky said that Ukraine is preparing an exchange of prisoners of war, checking information for each surname.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine have evacuated a Ukrainian woman and her two children who had been held in a camp in Syria for 6 years. In total, Ukraine has evacuated 14 women and 41 children from the "Roj" camp.

Japanese operator Q-shu University Institute will transfer geolocation images from satellites, including SAR radar images, to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. This is the first step of such a level of cooperation between Ukraine and Japan.

Ukraine appealed to the International Ski Mountaineering Federation with a demand to review the admission of Russian Varvara Prokhorova. According to open sources, the athlete is a servicewoman of the Russian Federation, which contradicts IOC recommendations.

Near Sakhalin, another spill of oil products occurred from the Russian tanker "Oleksandr Kashchuk". The Center for Countering Disinformation states that these are systemic incidents due to Russia's inability to properly maintain ships because of the war and sanctions.

A representative of the GUR reported on the preparation of the next operations to return prisoners. Over 5 thousand have already been returned through exchanges and 500 outside of them, there are positive developments regarding the inclusion of the seriously wounded.

HUR representative Andriy Yusov said that the large pre-Easter exchange was prepared for a long time, deadlines were postponed. This was the 63rd exchange, 246 soldiers and 31 persons outside of it were returned; the condition is different, there are seriously ill.

Starting in 2025, Russia increased the excise tax on alcohol by 15% to finance the war. This led to a 22.7% drop in vodka production and a 25% drop in brandy production in the first quarter.

Head of the GUR Budanov released a video of how soldiers released from captivity react to returning to Ukraine. Ombudsman Lubinets showed the conversation of a soldier with his mother: "Mom, I endured everything".

The first public GRU platform for the selection of intelligence officers has been opened. Candidates will undergo testing and consultations, and the average passing rate is only 1 in 100.

The Defense Forces advanced in the Belgorod region, and the Russians near Toretsk and Kurakhovo. Fighting continues in eastern and southern Ukraine, the enemy has intensified attacks in the Pokrovsky direction.

In temporarily occupied Skadovsk, a Nissan car with two officers of the Russian occupation army exploded. Only a pile of metal remained of the car.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed strikes on the production facilities of the Moscow Oil Refinery and explosions in the area of the "Steel Horse" station in the Oryol region of the Russian Federation.

GUR special forces carried out a successful operation in Voronezh, damaging a locomotive that was transporting weapons from military enterprises of the Russian Federation. This is already the second similar sabotage after the incident in Orekhovo-Zuyevo in February.

A Dacia SuperNova car used by the Russian occupier exploded in occupied Mariupol at about 1:30 am. According to preliminary data, the invader is in intensive care.

The Cabinet of Ministers has allocated UAH 1. 1 billion to pay the families of fallen DIU servicemen. The one-time assistance to the families of those killed in action is at least UAH 15 million.

DIU intelligence officers successfully attacked the forward command post of the 14th Army Corps of the Russian Federation in Ivanivka. The strike was carried out by means of an explosive drop from a UAV on February 26 at about 22:00.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces confirm successful strikes on the Saki and Kacha military airfields in Crimea and the Tuapse oil refinery in the Krasnodar region of Russia. At least 40 explosions were recorded in the area of the refinery.

On the night of February 26, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, together with other units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, struck at the Tuapse Oil Refinery in Tuapse.

The DIU chief believes that a ceasefire is possible in 2025, but doubts that a sustainable peace will be achieved. According to him, Russia's strategic goal for Ukraine remains unchanged.

The head of the GUR, Kyrylo Budanov, said that attempts on his life were normal and did not need to be dramatized. Over the three years of war, the SBU has identified 102 enemy intelligence networks that planned assassinations of Ukraine's leadership.

The head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine said that Russia sees itself as an empire and will not stop trying to absorb Ukraine. According to him, Russia needs a pause to recuperate and destabilize the situation in Ukraine.

In the temporarily occupied Primorsk, an explosion occurred in the office of Roman Podsudevsky, head of the MFC. The Russian Federal Security Service organized the explosion because of an internal struggle for financial flows in the occupied territories.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirms the strikes on the Ryazan oil refinery and oil depot in the Tula region of Russia. At least 5 explosions were recorded at the refinery and a fire in the area of the AT-6 ELOU installation.

In the evening of February 23, movement of enemy UAVs and air defense operations were spotted in Kyiv. Drones are approaching the city center from the south and northeast.

North Korea has begun large-scale arms shipments, including 170-mm howitzers and 240-mm MLRS.

The head of the GUR, Kirill Budanov, said that Russia continues its offensive, but does not achieve its goals. The situation at the front remains under control, despite the problems on both sides.

Over three years, the SBU identified 102 hostile intelligence networks that planned to assassinate Zelensky, Budanov, and Malyuk. One of the plans involved a terrorist attack in a Kyiv hypermarket using explosive devices.

The GUR reports on Putin's attempts to involve Belarus in direct aggression against Ukraine. According to Zelenskyy, Russia is preparing 15 divisions to strengthen the Belarusian direction in 2024.

The head of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, answered whether to expect a new massive Russian attack before the anniversary of the invasion. As previously reported by the intelligence service, Russia launched more than 1,150 drones, 1,400 bombs and 35 missiles at Ukraine over the past week.