Russia flies airstrikes over the Sumy region.
The news ticker on the military developments in the Ukraine war.
Timing
of Expected
Major Offensive
: Military circles have guesses
The secret service
sees
Putin's offensives
as failing: Two factors are missing
Drones
in the
Ukraine war
: Russia and Iran are probably planning a joint factory
This
news ticker
on
military events in the Ukraine war
is constantly updated.
Update from February 8, 2:15 p.m .:
After a Russian air raid, there were several explosions in the Sumy region.
This is reported by the Ukrainian public broadcaster
Suspilne
and Serhii Lysak, head of the military administration of the Dnipropetrovsk region on Telegram.
According to Lysak, an anti-aircraft system was deployed near Kamianske.
So far there have been no reports of major damage or injuries or deaths.
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Houses destroyed by Russian shelling in the city of Sumy.
(archive photo)
© Anna Voitenko/Imago
Ukraine-News: Russia could start various diversionary maneuvers
Update from February 8, 12:11 p.m .:
The Ukrainian military colonel and politician Roman Kostenko assumes that Russia will launch various diversionary maneuvers in its shortly expected major offensive “to confuse the Ukrainian military”.
With Russian offensives in several directions at the same time, the Ukrainian army may not immediately understand where the main strike is taking place.
This is reported by the Ukrainian news agency
Unian
, referring to a radio interview Kostenko.
The Ukrainian military expert believes that Russian troops will be ready for their offensive by the end of February and then wait for the right weather.
He currently sees the Russian army as superior to the Ukrainian one.
"The enemy is resourceful, they have more resources than us, especially in terms of equipment," he is quoted as saying.
The colonel explained that Ukraine is currently having problems with the supply of ammunition.
Ukraine-News: Ukraine arrests suspected Russian spy
Update from February 8, 11:14 a.m .:
The Ukrainian authorities have apparently arrested a Russian spy who is said to have been involved in a heavy rocket attack on the city of Kharkiv a few days ago.
The National Security Council posted a photo of the arrested man on its website and on Twitter.
СБУ «по гарячих слідах» затримала агента рф, який коригував нещодавні ракетні удари по Харкову
➡️ twitter: https://t.co/Wj5mZGKM.com/Wj90KKM3
— СБ України (@ServiceSsu) February 8, 2023
According to the National Security Council report, the suspected Russian agent is a Kharkiv citizen who was cooperating with Russian intelligence.
He is said to have reported military locations, roadblocks and infrastructure facilities to the Russian military.
Russia then used these as "potential targets for missile attacks."
The Ukrainian secret service has followed the man's activities for a long time and has also identified his Russian superiors, it is said.
The man was then arrested in a special operation and handed over to the public prosecutor.
In the Russian attack on Kharkiv about a week ago, a hospital and other infrastructure were apparently also hit, with civilians also being killed, according to Ukraine.
Ukraine war: Kyiv fears another attack on the anniversary of the war
Update from February 8, 11 a.m.:
Ukraine has again expressed fears that Putin's army will launch a new, major offensive on the anniversary of the Ukraine war on February 24. "You need something to present to your people and you have it great desire to do something big from their point of view," Ukraine's National Security Council head Oleksiy Danilov said in an interview with Reuters.
Danilov believes the Russian army will not focus on the recently hotly contested Donzek region, but will instead attack Kharkiv oblast further north or Zaporizhia further south.
"How successful they will be depends on us," said the head of the Security Council.
Ukraine War: Kyiv and Moscow fight over Dnipro Delta
Update from February 8, 10:12 a.m
.: According to British intelligence, both the Russians and the Ukrainians do not want to give up the delta of the Ukrainian Dnipro River for strategic reasons.
Even after the Russian withdrawal from the west bank of the river in November, fighting continued there and both sides were still present, according to a report by the British Ministry of Defense.
The Russian army most likely uses small boats to be on the ground at the main islands in the region.
The Ukrainians again managed to hit some Russian outposts with long-range weapons.
Both sides allegedly wanted to control access to the strategically important river and prevent the opponent from launching a major attack across the Dnipro, it said.
However, British military experts say Russia is unlikely to attempt an attack across the river, as it would be very complex and costly.
Ukraine-News: Border guards prevent escape of Ukrainian conscripts
Update from February 7, 8:42 p.m .:
The Ukrainian border guard prevented a group of 13 conscripts from escaping.
The men from the Kyiv and Chernivtsi areas were traveling in two minibuses in the border area with Romania, according to a statement by the authority on Tuesday.
The Ukrainians, aged between 22 and 52, planned to walk over the mountains to Romania, sources said.
If you try to cross the border illegally, you could be fined or even imprisoned.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian parliament extended the martial law and mobilization imposed last February because of the Russian invasion until May.
Conscripts between the ages of 18 and 60 are only allowed to leave the country in exceptional cases.
Update from February 7, 6:13 p.m
.: Putin's troops are "successfully" advancing in the battle for Bakhmut.
This was announced by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after a meeting with army leaders.
The information could not be checked independently.
"The United States and its allies" would delay the conflict for as long as possible, Shoigu said.
“To this end, they have begun to supply heavy offensive weapons and openly encourage Ukraine to conquer our territories.
Such steps draw NATO countries into the conflict and could lead to an unpredictable escalation.”
Ukraine-News: Russians probably save ammunition because of major offensive
Update from February 7, 12:22 p.m .:
Putin’s troops are apparently preparing at full speed against a new major offensive in the Ukraine war.
According to CNN, Serhiy Hajdaj, governor of the Luhansk region, gave details in a television interview.
The Russian army would hoard ammunition and build up reserves in eastern Ukraine: "They are saving ammunition because they are preparing for the large-scale offensive," Hajdaj is quoted as saying.
In addition, the Russian military continues to mobilize masses of troops for the Ukraine war, according to the governor.
In his opinion, there are tens of thousands of newly mobilized people in the occupied Luhansk region alone.
"The biggest threat is the crowd," Hajdaj said, according to CNN.
"It's a huge monster at war with us, and it has immense resources.
There are too many of them.”
Update from February 7, 11:45 a.m
.: In Ukraine, martial law has been extended again by 90 days.
It is already the fifth extension.
According to media reports, 348 MPs voted for it.
226 votes would have been necessary.
General mobilization was also extended.
With a few exceptions, men of draft age between 18 and 60 are still subject to an exit ban.
The regulation is provisionally valid until May 20th.
Ukraine-News: Military circles estimate the timing of the expected major offensive
Update from February 7, 11:13 a.m .:
On the anniversary of the Ukraine war around February 24, Russian President Putin could plan a new major offensive.
But Putin may also strike earlier: As the
Financial Times
reports, citing Ukrainian military circles, the major Russian offensive could begin within the next ten days.
According to the US Institute for the Study on War, the Kremlin is in a hurry to launch an offensive before Western military aid arrives in Ukraine.
Russia also wants to forestall the spring thaw as it brings muddy soils that hamper rapid offensive moves.
Update from February 7, 10:33 a.m .:
Russia has continued to destroy Ukrainian infrastructure: According to Ukraine, the Russian army fired almost 40 projectiles at night in the city of Marhanets on the right bank of the Dnipro, hitting several power lines.
This is reported by Mykola Lukaschuk, the head of the regional council, according to the Ukrainian news portal
The Kyiv Independent
.
A pumping station was also without power due to the attack, which is why nine settlements are currently without a water supply.
The attack also hit four apartment buildings and a gas line, the official said.
There were no dead or injured.
In addition, Russian troops fired at the area around the city of Nikopol with heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers during the night.
Ukraine-News: Putin's offensives doomed to fail - because two key factors are missing
Update from February 7, 9.45 a.m .:
Russia is apparently not making any progress with its new offensives in the Ukraine war.
According to a statement by the British Ministry of Defence, the secret services came to this conclusion.
The Russian troops only managed to conquer "several hundred meters" per week.
"This is almost certainly because Russia now lacks the ammunition and maneuvering units needed for successful offensives."
British intelligence suspects that Russian commanders are pursuing unrealistic goals due to political pressure from the Kremlin, which they are unable to achieve with their undermanned and inexperienced units.
The Russian leadership will continue to demand progress, but it remains "unlikely that Russia will be able to build up the forces needed to significantly influence the outcome of the war in the coming weeks," it said.
Ukraine-News: Russians encircle Bachmut - Ukraine reoccupies the front
Update from February 7th, 6.34 a.m
.: The bloody struggle for Bachmut continues.
Russian troops have almost completely encircled the eastern Ukrainian city.
In view of the intensified attacks, the Ukrainian army is forced to move troops to the front that were actually intended for later offensive actions.
In his most recent video speech, Volodymyr Zelenskyj reported on new appointments.
These are people "who can defend themselves most effectively against the current threats," said the Ukrainian president.
In general, military experience should be combined with management work in local and central administration.
In addition, new brigades of the National Guard, the police and the border guard are being formed.
Ukraine-News: Wagner boss Prigozhin reports bombing of Bakhmut
Update from February 6, 8:30 p.m .:
Yevgeny Prigozhin publishes a video from a cockpit.
"We bombed Bachmut," says the Wagner boss into the camera - and demands a duel with Selenskyj.
"Volodymyr Oleksandrovych (Zelenskyj's middle name) we have landed," said Prigozhin, known as "Putin's cook", sitting in a cockpit at the camera.
“We bombed Bachmut.
Tomorrow I will fly a MiG-29.
If you want, we'll meet in the air."
Drones in the Ukraine war: Russia and Iran are probably planning a joint factory
First report from February 6:
Kiev/Washington - Iran is said to have sent drones to Russia as early as August 2022 - a few weeks later the armed forces attacked targets in Ukraine several times with Iranian kamikaze drones.
Now the country is apparently expanding its drone aid for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
Moscow and Tehran are planning a drone factory in Russia.
Up to 6,000 of the missiles for the attack on Ukraine are to be manufactured there.
This is reported by the US Institute for War Studies (ISW), citing statements by unnamed US officials.
The Russian military blogger Boris Rozhin (Telegram handle "Colonel Kassad" with a good 350,000 followers on the channel) posted that the Russian military group Lobaev Arms should take over production, the ISW status report of February 5 said.
The information could not be checked independently.
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Reports that Russia is using drones (symbol image) from Iran in the Ukraine war are piling up.
© Efrem Lukatsky/dpa
Moscow's helpers in the Ukraine war: weapons from Iran
Only on Friday (February 3) did the US government under President Joe Biden expand its sanctions against Iran in support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Specifically, the new measures are directed, among other things, against executives of the company Paravar Pars, which produces drones of the Shahed type, which are also supplied to Russia, according to an official statement.
Offensive in the Ukraine war: Selenskyj fears "symbolic action"
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian President is warning of a "symbolic action" by the Russian occupiers on February 24.
It would be the anniversary of the Russian invasion of his country.
There are already numerous reports and indications, said Volodymyr Zelenskyj in his most recent video speech.
Ukraine war: President Zelenskyj addresses the world via video
Ukraine war: President Zelenskyj addresses the world via video
Russia wants to take revenge for the defeats of the past year.
"We have noticed that the pressure on various front areas and also in the information area has increased." The situation in the Donetsk region is currently particularly difficult.
(frs with material from dpa and AFP)
List of rubrics: © Anna Voitenko/Imago
