Last news • War in Ukraine
“We’ve got to behave now": Lithuanian President proposes a plan to assist Ukraine
Gitanas Nausėda offered a 5-step plan to assist Ukraine, together with accession to the EU and NATO, funding for the military-industrial advanced, and sanctions in opposition to Russia. Lithuania has already offered €1.5 billion in help to Ukraine.
Ukraine's Basic Employees refuted claims by President Vladimir Putin that Russian troops had launched an offensive into Ukraine from Kursk Oblast, spokesperson Dmytro Lykhovyi mentioned on Feb. 19.
Putin advised Russian media on Feb. 18 that Russian forces had crossed into Ukrainian territory from Kursk Oblast, a declare Lykhovyi has dismissed as a part of a disinformation marketing campaign.
"Because the starting of the day, 12 fight engagements have been recorded in Kursk Oblast, three of that are nonetheless ongoing, whereas the remaining have been repelled," Lykhovyi mentioned.
Throughout one of many assaults, Russian troops tried to advance towards Ukraine's state border, in line with Lykhovyi.
Ukraine launched a shock cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially capturing about 1,300 sq. kilometers (500 sq. miles) of Russian territory.
Whereas Ukrainian forces have misplaced roughly half of that space, they just lately superior 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) in a brand new offensive.
Over six months of preventing within the area, Russian casualties have reached practically 40,000 personnel, together with over 16,000 killed, Ukraine's Basic Employees reported on Feb. One other 909 have been taken as prisoners of conflict.
Ukraine is probably going wanting to make use of its foothold in Kursk Oblast as leverage in potential peace talks.
Russia's forces in Kursk Oblast have been bolstered by North Korean troops, deployed final fall to assist counter the Ukrainian incursion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky famous that the offensive disrupted Russia's means to hold out large-scale operations in northeastern and southern Ukraine.
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
Russian air strike on Kupyansk: no less than one particular person killed
Occupants attacked a residential sector of Kupyansk with a guided aerial bomb at round 15:40. Rescuers are unblocking the physique of a 59-year-old man from the rubble of the home.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured European allies that the U.S. would keep sanctions in opposition to Moscow a minimum of till an settlement is reached to finish the Russia-Ukraine struggle, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 19, citing its undisclosed sources.
Within the almost three years for the reason that full-scale invasion, the U.S. has applied a number of rounds of sanctions on Russia to undermine its efforts to proceed its struggle in Ukraine. Restrictions have been imposed on banks, the fuel and oil industries, and the supply of dual-use items, amongst different spheres.
Following talks between the U.S. and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, Rubio steered that lifting sanctions in opposition to Russia could be a part of any peace course of, saying that "concessions" must be made by "all sides" to deliver an finish to "any battle."
Rubio added that the EU would "need to be on the desk in some unspecified time in the future as a result of they’ve sanctions as nicely which have been imposed."
In keeping with Bloomberg, Rubio subsequently assured European colleagues in a telephone name that the sanctions wouldn’t be lifted a minimum of till a settlement may very well be reached.
The State Division's readout on Rubio's name with European allies doesn’t point out any sanctions however says that the nations "agreed to stay in shut contact" as they work to attain "a sturdy finish to the battle in Ukraine."
The position of European nations within the negotiations with Russia stays unclear. Trump's particular envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, beforehand stated that Europe wouldn’t be straight concerned within the talks however assured that its pursuits could be thought-about.
The Kyiv IndependentDmytro Basmat
Europe is united as by no means earlier than in supporting Ukraine: Shmyhal talks to Tusk
The Prime Minister of Ukraine had a productive dialog with the Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk. They mentioned navy logistics, European integration and assist for the sixteenth bundle of EU sanctions.
Ukraine's wartime navy prices have amounted to $320 billion, with the U.S. and the EU offering $200 billion of that sum in protection help, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Feb. 19.
"We, the folks of Ukraine, (coated) $120 billion, the U.S. and the EU — $200 billion. We’re speaking about arms, this can be a weapons bundle value $320 billion," Zelensky stated throughout a press convention in Kyiv.
The feedback got here following U.S. President Donald Trump's declare that Kyiv has "primarily" agreed to a deal on $500 billion in Ukraine's pure sources in trade for Washington's help.
Trump has additionally repeatedly made unsubstantiated and contradicting claims in regards to the worth of help the U.S. has offered to Ukraine since 2022, most lately placing the determine at $350 billion.
"In complete, the U.S. individually gave us about $67 billion in weapons, and we obtained $31.5 billion in price range help," Zelensky stated, including that Ukraine is grateful for the offered help.
"However one can not rely as much as $500 billion and say, 'give us again $500 billion in minerals,' that's not a critical dialogue."
Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine is able to talk about the U.S.-proposed deal on pure sources so long as Kyiv supplies safety ensures.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivered a draft of the settlement to Zelensky on Feb. 12, however Ukraine refused to signal except the doc included clear safety commitments.
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
Russia will not be doing something that might point out preparations to finish lively hostilities – CPJ
The pinnacle of the CPD stated that Russia will not be getting ready to finish hostilities, however quite is increase its army capabilities. This comes amid experiences of attainable agreements between the USA and Russia on a peace plan.
European overseas ministers and EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kallas stated on X on Feb. 18.
A U.S. delegation met with Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov and prime presidential aide Yuri Ushakov in Riyadh on Feb. 18 to provoke talks on ending the struggle, the primary official assembly between the 2 sides because the full-scale invasion started. Ukraine was excluded solely from the discussions.
"Russia will attempt to divide us. Let's not stroll into their traps. By working along with the U.S., we will obtain a simply and lasting peace — on Ukraine's phrases," Kallas wrote on X.
No concrete selections had been introduced following the U.S.-Russia talks, however Ukraine's exclusion from the assembly sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly harassed that no selections about Ukraine's future might be made with out Ukraine's participation.
Rubio claimed on Feb. 16 that the Riyadh talks had been an exploratory first step fairly than official negotiations and that Ukraine and Europe would take part as soon as the official discussions started.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York
Budanov: Russia has all the time tried and can proceed to attempt to quarrel Poland and Ukraine
The top of Ukraine's Protection Intelligence Service, Kyrylo Budanov, mentioned that Russia was making an attempt to set Ukraine and Poland at odds. He emphasised the significance of US assist and known as the Ukrainian military the most important in Europe.
Drones attacked the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast in a single day on Feb. 19, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev reported on his Telegram channel.
Residents posted movies on social media purportedly exhibiting a big blaze on the refinery. Sounds of explosions had been reported at round 2:45 a.m. native time.
The strike reportedly induced a hearth on the refinery. There have been no casualties, in accordance with Fedorishchev.
The Kyiv Unbiased couldn’t instantly confirm the claims.
The Syzran Oil Refinery, mendacity round 700 kilometers (430 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border, was opened in 1942 and belongs to the Russian state-owned oil firm Rosneft.
The ability "has a processing capability of 8.9 million tons of oil per 12 months," stated Andrii Kovalenko, the pinnacle of Ukraine's Middle for Countering Disinformation.
"Its merchandise embody gas, aviation kerosene, and bitumen," Kovalenko stated whereas reporting on the assault.
Ukraine considers Russian oil services to be legitimate army targets, as fossil gas earnings provide Moscow's struggle machine. The Ukrainian army has launched repeated assaults towards Russian refineries with long-range drones.
In lower than two months of 2025, a minimum of 17 Russian oil services had been attacked by drones, in accordance with the impartial Russian Telegram information channel Astra.
On Feb. 17, Ukrainian drones, operated by the Particular Operations Forces and Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU), hit the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai and the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station within the Kavkazsky district of Kuban.
The pumping station was taken out of operation because of the strike.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York