Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment for attempting to impose martial law in 2024. The court found him guilty of organizing a rebellion and seeking to paralyze the work of parliament.
The German Chancellor believes that the war will end when one of the two sides is exhausted - either militarily or economically.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is actively building anti-corruption infrastructure and combating instances of corruption. He emphasized that Russia will use the issue of corruption for disinformation and to divide society.
Holding elections in Ukraine requires several months, not weeks, as the Russians believe. President Zelenskyy is ready to discuss this issue with parliament if there is a two-month ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the results of the negotiations in Geneva are insufficient. He emphasized the need for further meetings, preferably in February, with the participation of European countries.
Four South Africans, deceptively recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine, have been repatriated. They were recruited by the daughter of a former South African president, who promised them jobs as security guards.
Additional autonomous power generation equipment and diesel buses have been sent to Odesa. Individual houses are already being powered by generators, and repair crews are working around the clock.
Talks between Ukraine and Russia in Geneva brought no breakthrough, with Zelenskyy accusing Russia of stalling for time. Expert Zhelikhovsky believes that Moscow is using the negotiations to gain time on the battlefield.
In Zaporizhzhia, a 56-year-old man died on February 17 as a result of a grenade explosion in an apartment building. Police are investigating the incident and establishing the origin of the ammunition.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs service centers have updated the routes for practical driving tests in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Cherkasy regions. This was done to adapt to changes in traffic organization and improve candidate safety.
EU Commissioner Glen Micallef refused to attend the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games due to the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus under national flags. He called this unacceptable against the backdrop of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine.
FC Kolos forward Danylo Kolesnyk explained the incident with the TCC, stating that he defended himself against aggression and stood up for a citizen. Police detained him and are preparing charges.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi stated that Russia is trying to sabotage the progress achieved in Abu Dhabi on military-political issues. Details of the negotiations are not being disclosed; Volodymyr Zelenskyy will present a full report.
Russia has classified key economic data, concealing the real level of poverty and the state of the economy. 168 tables were removed from statistical compilations, and 115 indicators stopped being updated in the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System (EMISS).
The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced its readiness to host a new round of talks on Ukraine. This followed the third round of negotiations in Geneva on February 17-18.
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi spoke about the failure of the 2023 counteroffensive due to a lack of resources and the SBU searches in 2022, which he regarded as an act of intimidation. He warned the President's Office about his readiness to call in military personnel to protect the command center.
A special legal regime, Defence City, has been launched in Ukraine to scale up defense production. However, the requirements for residents, particularly regarding the absence of criminal proceedings, raise questions and may hinder the industry's development.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha responded to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó's statement, emphasizing that Budapest's position ignores the real price Ukraine is paying for Europe's security. Sybiha stressed that Ukraine is deterring Russian aggression, preventing it from spreading to other European countries.
The heads of two defense state enterprises organized a scheme of fictitious employment to secure mobilization deferrals. They demanded $12,000 for processing and deferral.
SBU counterintelligence exposed a 17-year-old Kharkiv resident who, on FSB's instructions, was manufacturing explosives for terrorist attacks in crowded places. She was detained while transporting a bomb, with ready-made devices and components seized.
An explosion occurred at the Kolomyia District TCC at 01:15, classified by the SBU as a terrorist act. There were no casualties, and the building was damaged.
The President of Ukraine reported significant progress in the military aspect of the negotiations on ending the war. The military agreed on approaches to monitoring the ceasefire, provided there is political will.
The SBU detained a Russian agent who was preparing new missile strikes on thermal power plants in the capital region. The perpetrator was collecting information on the technical condition of the thermal power plants after the previous shelling.
Russian occupiers continue their offensive on Hryshyne, but the Defense Forces are detecting and destroying the enemy. The eastern part of the settlement has been cleared, and about 10 occupiers have been eliminated.
After 24-year-old "Kolos-2" forward Danylo Kolesnyk found himself at the center of a scandal for assaulting a TCC employee, police detained the now ex-footballer.
As a result of the enemy attack on Zaporizhzhia, seven people were injured, including a six-year-old girl with a head injury and a one-and-a-half-year-old child in critical condition. One woman died, and residential buildings were damaged.
The Prosecutor General announced the notification of suspicion to a supplier of substandard ballistic glasses for the military, totaling UAH 154. 8 million. The suspect fled abroad after a similar suspicion was issued to another entrepreneur; both companies are controlled by the same individual.
Over the past day, 160 combat engagements took place at the front, with 31 attacks occurring in the Huliaipole direction. The enemy launched missile and air strikes, using kamikaze drones and MLRS.
On the night of February 18, Russia launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 126 attack UAVs at Ukraine. Air defense forces shot down or suppressed 100 enemy drones.
Ihor Zhovkva met with NATO Assistant Secretary General Boris Ruge. New defense support packages, which Ukraine expects to receive by February 24, were discussed.
