Key developments on Feb. 11:
- Ukraine might commerce territory in potential peace talks with Russia, Zelensky says
- Ukraine strikes Russia's Saratov oil refinery, navy confirms
- US gained't ship troops to Ukraine, Pentagon chief says
- North Korea has despatched 200 long-range artillery weapons to Russia, Seoul says
- Ukrainian drones destroy Russian Smerch-2 rocket launcher in Donetsk Oblast
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he deliberate to change territories if U.S. President Donald Trump succeeds in bringing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating desk, in accordance with an interview with The Guardian revealed on Feb. 11.
Ukraine launched a shock cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially capturing round 1,300 sq. kilometers (500 sq. miles) of territory. Whereas Ukrainian forces have since misplaced roughly half that space, they not too long ago superior 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) within the area in a brand new offensive.
The Ukrainian navy continues to carry Russian territory that would play "an necessary half" in future negotiations, Zelensky beforehand stated.
"We’ll swap one territory for one more," Zelensky instructed The Guardian, with out specifying which Russian-occupied land Ukraine would search in return.
"I don't know, we’ll see. However all our territories are necessary, there isn’t a precedence," he stated.
Speak of ending Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has elevated as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump took workplace on Jan. 20.
The brand new administration goals to finish Russia's conflict towards Ukraine 100 days from inauguration, Keith Kellogg, Trump's particular Ukraine peace envoy, stated on Jan. 8.
In response to sources in Ukraine's President's Workplace, cited by RBC-Ukraine, Kellogg will go to Ukraine on Feb. 20 after the Munich Safety Convention.
On Feb. 7, the U.S. president revealed he goals to fulfill Zelensky in Washington the next week. He additionally not too long ago stated that the U.S. needs entry to Ukraine's uncommon earth minerals in change for support. Zelensky has responded that Kyiv is open to mining offers with companions.
Trump has additionally allegedly spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the conflict. The U.S. president instructed the New York Publish he had a concrete plan to finish the conflict, including, "I hope it's quick. Every single day, individuals are dying. This conflict is so dangerous in Ukraine. I need to finish this rattling factor."
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
Ukraine strikes Russia's Saratov oil refinery, navy confirms
Ukrainian forces struck Russia's Saratov oil refinery in a strike in a single day on Feb. 11, the Basic Employees of Ukraine's Armed Forces stated after stories of drone assaults within the area.
Unverified movies posted to social media confirmed a big fireplace and search lights raking the sky reportedly within the neighborhood of the refinery.
"The refinery primarily produces gasoline, gas oil, and diesel gas. In complete, greater than 20 forms of oil merchandise (are being produced there)," the Basic Employees stated, including that the ability provides Russian occupation forces in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian navy reported a confirmed hit and a fireplace on the Rosneft facility. The complete extent of injury is being decided, it added.
The assault was carried out collectively by the Unmanned Methods Forces, the navy intelligence company (HUR), and the Particular Operations Forces, in addition to different models, in accordance with the assertion.
The affirmation of the assault on the Saratov oil refinery got here after earlier stories of a drone assault towards the oil refinery mendacity some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Ukraine's border.
The Russian Telegram information channel Shot additionally reported at the very least 11 explosions over Engels, a metropolis mendacity throughout the Volga River from Saratov.
The Russian strategic aviation airbase Engels-2, which has been repeatedly focused by Ukrainian long-range strikes, lies within the neighborhood.
The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima
US gained't ship troops to Ukraine, Pentagon chief says
The U.S. plans to evaluation the deployment of its troops all over the world however shouldn’t be going to ship them to Ukraine, U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth stated throughout a press convention on Feb. 11.
Hegseth's remarks come amid ongoing discussions amongst Western international locations concerning the attainable deployment of peacekeeping forces if a ceasefire is negotiated.
"We’re not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine," Hegseth instructed reporters in Stuttgart, Germany, throughout his go to to U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command headquarters.
Hegseth added that Washington at present has no plans to cut back the U.S. contingent overseas however will evaluation its deployment by President Donald Trump's strategic imaginative and prescient.
The U.S. Protection Secretary additionally expressed hope for a swift peace settlement in Ukraine, which Trump has pledged to conclude.
"With hopefully a fast peace deal in Ukraine, which the President (Donald Trump) is dedicated to delivering, we are able to then evaluation power posture and encourage as you're going to see tomorrow (on Feb. 12) … on the Ukraine contact group and the NATO ministerial, we're going to have straight discuss with our buddies," Hegseth stated.
Hegseth is anticipated to attend the Ukraine Protection Contact Group (UDCG), also referred to as the Ramstein summit, as a part of a tour of Germany, Belgium, and Poland, in accordance with a Pentagon assertion revealed Feb. 7.
On the summit, the protection secretary goals to "reiterate President Trump's dedication for a diplomatic finish to the conflict in Ukraine as shortly as attainable," the assertion learn.
Nevertheless, this time, Hegseth shouldn’t be prone to announce new navy support provides, which was a daily prevalence in the course of the Joe Biden administration, in accordance with the Washington Publish (WP).
The Pentagon chief won’t maintain separate conferences together with his Ukrainian counterparts however will relatively be a "listener" on the Ramstein and on the assembly of NATO protection ministers on Feb. 13, an unnamed U.S. official instructed WP on situation of anonymity.
The transition of energy in Washington and anticipated modifications in U.S. coverage on Ukraine solid doubt on the way forward for the Ramstein summit. In February, for the primary time because the institution of the Ramstein format, the assembly was convened by the U.Okay., not the U.S.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova
North Korea has despatched 200 long-range artillery weapons to Russia, Seoul says
North Korea has supplied Russia with round 200 long-range artillery items to spice up its conflict effort towards Ukraine, the Yonhap information company reported on Feb. 11, citing South Korea's Protection Ministry.
Seoul additional warned that Pyongyang is probably going making ready to ship extra troops and arms to again Russia's conflict, confirming earlier warnings by the Ukrainian intelligence.
North Korea has reportedly additionally equipped ballistic missiles, hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, and different arms to Moscow. As well as, the nation has deployed as much as 12,000 troops to Russia's Kursk Oblast to assist Russian forces in countering a Ukrainian cross-border incursion launched in early August 2024.
The South Korean Protection Ministry suspects that North Korea is receiving Russia's technological help with nuclear-powered submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in change for its navy assist, Yonhap reported.
Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us 
In response to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK, North Korea can also be anticipated to start drone manufacturing this 12 months with Russian technical help.
A minimum of 300 North Korean troopers have been killed and one other 2,700 wounded combating in Russia's Kursk Oblast, South Korea's Nationwide Intelligence Service (NIS) claimed in mid-January.
Ukraine positioned North Korean losses to as many as 4,000 killed and injured. Kyiv's navy intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov nonetheless predicted that North Korea may quickly ship reinforcements to Russia, specifically gun and rocket artillery models.
The New York Instances reported on Jan. 30 that North Korean troops had been pulled from the entrance, and a Particular Operations Forces spokesperson confirmed to the Kyiv Unbiased on the time that Ukraine's particular forces had not confronted Pyongyang's troopers for 3 weeks.
On Feb. 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky introduced that North Korean troopers have been "introduced in once more" to Kursk Oblast, a day after Russian media claimed Ukraine had launched a brand new offensive within the Russian area.
Ukrainian drones destroy Russian Smerch-2 rocket launcher in Donetsk Oblast
Troopers of the 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, a part of the Metal Lions unit, shared footage on Feb. 11 exhibiting a uncommon Russian Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcher being destroyed by drones within the Lyman sector of the entrance line in Donetsk Oblast.
Drones have performed a pivotal position for each Ukraine and Russia all through the full-scale invasion, used extensively for reconnaissance and fight operations.
In response to the brigade's assertion, Russian forces had mounted a Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocket launcher on a Ural automobile and hid it within the forests of the Lyman sector earlier than it was focused and destroyed.
Ukraine has developed and deployed a variety of aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for battlefield operations. Protection Minister Rustem Umerov stated Kyiv delivered greater than 200,000 domestically produced drones to front-line models in December alone.
The Smerch-2 is a Soviet-era rocket and bomb launcher designed to destroy submarines and assault torpedoes. It encompasses a stationary set up with 12 radially organized 213 mm caliber barrels and was adopted by the Soviet Navy in 1961.
Notice from the writer:
Ukraine Conflict Newest is put collectively by the Kyiv Unbiased information desk crew, who preserve you knowledgeable 24 hours a day, seven days per week. If you happen to worth our work and need to guarantee we now have the assets to proceed, join the Kyiv Independent community.
Leave a Reply