14.02.2023, Moscow.
We publish a summary of events concerning the situation around Ukraine as of 10 p.m., February 14.
Political situation
The USA is planning to send militants to Russia and member-states of the Commonwealth of Independent States to carry out terrorist attacks against diplomats, government officials, security service, and military officers, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service said. The agency specified that in January, the USA selected 60 militants for terrorist attacks in Russia and the member-states of the Commonwealth of Independent States – they are being trained at the Et-Tanf base in Syria.
The decision was made to withdraw the group sent by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations from Syria and Turkey in connection with the end of the search and rescue operation – the head of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The Belorussian media report that Lukashenko’s meeting with Putin may take place before the Russian president’s address to the Federal Assembly. The suggested date is February 17. The Kremlin has stated that such a meeting is quite possible, but there is no exact information. What will be discussed at the meeting has not been disclosed.
Ukraine intends to accuse Russia of “embezzlement” of radioactive materials from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The Russian Interagency Coordinating Staff for Humanitarian Response announced this on February 14. “On the basis of fabricated ‘surveys’ of the Chernobyl NPP personnel, fake ‘evidence’ is being prepared for the alleged ‘plunder by Russian servicemen of radioactive materials, chemical solutions and radiation-contaminated equipment’ and removal by Russian troops of ‘items containing dangerous radionuclides’ outside the exclusion zone, which resulted in ‘irradiation of the temporarily occupied territories’,” the statement reads.
The participation of foreign mercenaries in combat actions on the side of the Kiev regime is not capable of changing the course of the war in Ukraine. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, told journalists.
Iran and China are determined to fully implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the press service of the Iranian foreign ministry informed. The Iranian foreign minister wrote a message on Twitter ahead of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi’s trip to China. “We are heading to China on an official visit with the president,” he wrote.
Ukraine
Zelensky named a mountain brigade of the Ukrainian army after a Nazi German unit. A decree on the assignment of the 10th separate mountain assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the name “Edelweiss,” was signed by the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, according to his official website. During World War II, the 1st Mountain Infantry Division “Edelweiss” was an elite formation of the Nazi Germany Wehrmacht. The division consisted of natives of the mountainous regions of Germany and Austria. The division was also known for committing war crimes. One of them was the mass execution of soldiers of the 33rd Italian Infantry Division in September 1943 on the Greek island of Kefalonia, after Italy had withdrawn from the war.
Ukraine needs $40 to $48 billions in financing to keep its economy functioning this year – the head of the International Monetary Fund.
Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov went to the 9th meeting at Ramstein Air Base. “I have the honor of leading for the ninth time a combined team of Defense, Intelligence, General Staff and our diplomats that will work intensively with partners in the coming days. The pace is very high,” Reznikov wrote on Facebook.
Reznikov listed the issues that will make up the agenda of the meeting:
- Protection of Ukrainian skies, including through the involvement of aviation;
- Development of a “tank coalition;
- Formation of an ammunition stockpile;
- training programs for the military;
- stability of support – logistics, maintenance, repair, practical implementation of the military Schengen area.
Balloons with angle reflectors were detected in the sky over Ukraine – the spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force. According to him, Russia uses them for reconnaissance. Air defense forces observe these objects, they hover in the air at low speed.
The National Bank has fulfilled the conditions of the IMF Monitoring Program and is ready to discuss the parameters of the new funding program, the head of the National Bank of Ukraine Andrey Pyshny said.
Western countries and their supporters
The meeting of NATO defense ministers begins in Brussels, where, according to media reports, they will discuss, among other things, the supply of fighter jets to Kiev.
Lloyd Austin’s statements at the contact group meeting in Ramstein:
- Eight countries will supply Ukraine with Leopard tanks – Germany, Poland, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands;
- The United States, Poland and the Czech Republic will also supply tanks in addition to those already shipped;
- The United States, Germany and the Netherlands will supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems, and France and Italy with SAMP/T;
- Several other countries are working on ammunition deliveries;
- Austin also stated that the USA would help Ukraine go on a counteroffensive in the spring.
The head of the UK Defense Ministry asked to increase the country’s defense budget by 11 billion pounds – The Times. The publication’s interlocutors said that the Defense Ministry’s request does not even include a list of new equipment or armament purchases. It is claimed that the increase in spending will only cover inflation. Moreover, it turned out that some defense projects did not receive sufficient financing. Among them were several multi-purpose ships and a frigate. London will also be unable to buy all the planned multiple rocket launchers and modernize all the existing tanks.
The USA will announce a new aid package for Ukraine as early as this week, Politico. There is no talk of planes or missiles yet – deliveries will focus on ammunition, air defense and spare parts for equipment.
Germany will deliver two more IRIS-T air defense systems to Kiev next month – the head of the German Defense Ministry.
Norway will transfer eight tanks, up to four support vehicles and ammunition to Ukraine, the country’s Defense Ministry said.
Poland plans to send Ukraine 60 upgraded T-72 and PT-91 Twardy tanks, as well as 14 German Leopard tanks. This was announced by Prime Minister Morawiecki.
Three German armored vehicles “Piranha” is coming to Moldova, the press service of the Defense Ministry wrote on its website. The message reads, “The National Army is expecting the arrival of three more Piranha armored personnel carriers from Germany on February 14.”
Tactical nuclear weapons appeared for the first time on ships of the Northern Fleet going to sea, the Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) said in its annual report. According to the intelligence, Russian ships began going to sea with tactical nuclear weapons on board for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Intelligence asserts that since the start of Russia’s special operation, “the importance of nuclear weapons to Russia has increased substantially.”
Russia is the main threat to Norway and the whole Europe, the defense minister of the kingdom Bjørn Arild Gram said, speaking at the report on the analysis of threats to national security. “Russia today is the biggest threat to Norwegian and European security,” the minister stressed. He added that the confrontation would be long-lasting.
The situation in Ukraine cannot stabilize quickly, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, as he arrived at a meeting of NATO military chiefs. According to him, the Ukrainian conflict will definitely not end in the near future. Moreover, the situation can only worsen in the future. “I don’t see an early victory either,” the minister added.
The defense ministers of NATO member states at a meeting in Brussels agreed to strengthen partnerships with countries such as Georgia. Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg announced this.
Many chemical and pharmaceutical companies in Baden-Württemberg in Germany are considering the possibility of migrating abroad, the Badische Zeitung newspaper reported. German companies in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry may move their businesses abroad because of high energy costs. Surviving in difficult conditions is hampered by the bureaucratic difficulties encountered in Germany.
