War in Ukraine
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced the cessation of diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine. This decision followed the suspension of oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline.
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.
Hungary and Slovakia have approached the European Commission regarding the possibility of purchasing Russian oil via sea routes. The Hungarian company MOL has already ordered the first batches, which are expected to arrive in early March.
The Slovak government has declared an emergency in the oil sector. This happened due to damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine, which led to the cessation of oil supplies.
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.
Adviser to the President of Ukraine Dmytro Lytvyn denied information about disagreements or internal influence within the Ukrainian negotiating team. The President's Office noted that the negotiating team is united, and talk of "divisions" or "influences" is untrue.
The European Commission has confirmed contacts with Ukraine regarding the repair of the "Druzhba" oil pipeline, which is hindering the supply of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. These countries have 90-day reserve stocks, which eliminates short-term risks to supply security.
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.
Another round of trilateral Ukraine-US-f negotiations took place in Geneva, described as intensive and substantive. The next stage is to coordinate decisions for consideration by the presidents, which should be real, not formal.
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.
The President of Ukraine reported that the political component of the negotiations on ending the war remains difficult. The parties agreed to continue the dialogue, but without significant progress on the political front.
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.
Odesa and the region are without electricity, heat, and water after a devastating shelling of the energy system. Energy workers are working around the clock to gradually restore power supply; 60.5 thousand families already have electricity.
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.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he expects a detailed report on the results of all meetings in Geneva. The priority is security guarantees for Ukraine, and Ukrainian representatives have clear directives.
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.
Negotiations involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia in Geneva have concluded. The work of the political and military groups lasted approximately two hours.
The talks in Geneva involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia lasted about two hours. The head of the Russian delegation called them "difficult but businesslike," and a new meeting will take place "in the near future."
President Zelenskyy held a meeting with Ukrainian negotiators before the second day of talks in Geneva. He noted that Russia is trying to prolong the negotiations and set the task of making them productive.
The relevant ministry believes that the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Paralympic Games under national flags is outrageous and effectively contributes to the "normalization" of Russia's war against Ukraine.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed concern about the war in Ukraine. He noted that from both sides, there does not seem to be real progress towards peace.
As a result of enemy attacks and bad weather, consumers in four regions of Ukraine have been left without power. In Odesa region, almost 100,000 subscribers are without electricity due to equipment damage and difficult weather conditions.
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.
The second day of trilateral talks has begun in Geneva. Consultations are taking place in groups by direction within the political and military blocs to clarify the parameters of decisions.
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.
Ukraine has imposed sanctions against Lukashenka for his assistance in Russian aggression. Zelenskyy stated that Belarus is helping Russia circumvent sanctions and supplies components for missiles.
Sweden has recognized Russia as the main military threat to itself and NATO. A military intelligence report points to airspace violations and cyber operations as examples of aggressive actions.
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.
Georgia's "friendliness" rating towards Russia increased from 15 to 19. 4 points over the year, according to a study by a Russian institute. The country is now in the category of "Relatively friendly/unfriendly communication regimes."