Russian invasion of Ukraine: tanks and rocket attacks on the cities. Breaking news

Developments in Sumy Region this past night (according to Sumy Regional State Administration)

• Akhtyrka suffered the most. Over 70 troops perished under Grad shelling. Some civilians were also killed. The military base in Akhtyrka is in ruins, the wreckage is being cleared to rescue soldiers that may remain there. 
• Shostka and Hlukhiv actively build checkpoints and fortifications.
• The Kipti–Bachevsk highway is under Russian army’s control.
• Lebedyn is under siege.

Kyiv, Air raid alert!

6,472 people have been detained at anti-war rallies in Russia since 24 February. - OVD-Info Report .

Eight trials are expected in the coming week. The defendants face fines of between 2,000 and 300,000 roubles and up to 30 days imprisonment under various parts of the administrative offences.

Russian troops shell residential quarters and civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv. March 1 morning they struck at the Svobody Square located in the center of the city. 

Consequences of an air strike on the largest square in Europe.

Kharkiv residents are ready to defend their city: men have armed themselves with bats and swords and built barricades out of rubbish bins.
They say "orks (Russians) won't get through, this is our land".

Since the beginning of the day, the Russian occupiers have been regrouping troops, inflicting missile and bomb strikes from the air, and trying to carry out a tactical landing.

This is stated in the operational information of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 06:00.

The enemy widely uses sabotage and reconnaissance groups to attack civilian and military infrastructure.

Defensive battles continue to prevent the invader from advancing to the capital from the northeast direction.

In the suburbs of Chernigiv, there appeared individual enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups which, backed by armored vehicles, tried to break into the city. But they were destroyed by the Ukrainian defenders.

In other directions, tank and mechanized units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of aviation and artillery, continue defensive battles on the occupied lines. Fire destruction of the enemy is carried out by all available means.

In Slobozhanshchina region, mechanized brigades and armored personnel carriers of the Airborne Assault Forces from the operational group are destroying manpower and military equipment of Russian invaders who are trying to break in and restore positions along the first line of defense.

The Kyiv Defense Forces continue to defend the city, hold the outer defense lines and critical state infrastructure objects, preventing the occupation units from approaching the suburbs of the capital.

Active measures are being taken to identify and destroy sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the enemy, who, disregarding the norms of international humanitarian law, is disguising itself in the military uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard and the National Police of Ukraine in order to penetrate into Kyiv through the battle formations of our troops.

"The stable defense by our troops is rapidly reducing the morale of the enemy and his will to win," the General Staff notes.

Cases of desertion and voluntary surrender of entire units were recorded.

A video showing Ukrainians apprehending a saboteur in Cherkasy was posted on social media. (Video)

A special international tribunal should be set up in Kharkiv. This is the opinion of Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

"It was in Kharkiv in 1943 that the first trial was held in which Nazis were convicted of war crimes," says Reznikov.

Now, according to the defence minister, the "Kharkiv tribunal" should pass sentence on "the Kremlin's followers of Hitler, who have already 'surpassed' him".

The barbaric shelling of peaceful towns with rockets and MLRS is evidence that they are no longer capable of fighting armed Ukrainians. Only with civilians, like the last cowards. This is a war crime. Its direct perpetrators and organizers are doomed to carry the stigma of murder and hide for the rest of their existence. A tribunal awaits them," Reznikov wrote.

Ukraine calls on partner states to condemn the piracy acts of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea. – a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "As a result of the piracy actions by the Russian Navy, the following vessels were seized: search-and-rescue ship “Sapphire”, the ships “Athena” and “Princess Nicole”. In connection with the ongoing acts of piracy by the Russian Navy and its robbery actions at sea against civilian ships, Ukraine called on all national and foreign seafarers and shipowners to observe the utmost safety in the Black and Azov Seas," the statement said.
The corresponding "navigation report" was distributed through the channels of the international automated service for the transmission of navigational warnings to ships (NAVTEX).

Ukrainian Army has shown what has remained from Russian military equipment after the attack on Kharkiv

Vasylkiv mayor Natalya Balasinovich reported that two people were killed and three wounded as a result of rockets hit a five-storey building.

A shell hit the maternity hospital of the “Adonis” chain, which is located not far from Kyiv.

The damage is large, but the building is still standing, - Vitaly Hyrin, the general director, said on Facebook.

“Everyone has been evacuated. The main point is that nobody should go to pick up someone now. Everybody is safe in a secure place,” he wrote.

Hyrin also noted that "Adonis" is not raising funds for any kind of aid to the maternity hospital. Information to the contrary is fake.

According to the Ukrainian AFU Air Force, Russian troops suffered such losses on 28.02:

Two aircraft shot down by Ukrainian fighter pilots during a Russian air raid on Vasylkiv and Brovary.

Five fighters (preliminary reports suggest Su-30 and Su-35).
Cruise missile and helicopter shot down by Buk M-1 missile system near Kyiv

Ukrainian Su-25 attack aircraft have carried out several missile and bombing strikes against convoys of armoured vehicles and enemy troops in Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions.

The Air Force Su-24m has carried out at least four devastating bombing attacks on tank convoys, convoys of mechanised vehicles and a convoy carrying fuel and lubricants in Chernihiv region and near Berdyansk.

Bayraktar TB2 hit an enemy tank and two Buk anti-aircraft missile systems of the occupiers.

Ukraine's application for the EU membership has been handed over to Philippe Leglise-Costa, the EU permanent representative of France, which is presiding at the EU Council. This was announced by the representative of Ukraine to the European Union (EU) and the European Atomic Energy Community, Vsevolod Chentsov in his Twitter.

According to him, the review process has now started.

Вручив підписану Президентом України @ZelenskyyUa заявку України на членство в Європейському Союзі Постійному Представнику при ЄС головуючої в Раді ЄС Франції Філіпу Легліз-Коста.
Заявку зареєстровано. Процедуру розгляду розпочато. #UkraineIsEU #EUisUkraine

Kyiv, Air raid alert!

Ukraine will receive 70 aircrafts from EU, - Air Force Command of UA Armed Forces.
In particular, Bulgaria will provide 16 of MiG-29 and 14 of Su-25, Poland – 28 of MiG-29, Slovakia – 12 of MiG-29.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, Head of the Sumy Regional State Administration: On February 28, Russian invaders shelled a military unit in Okhtyrka. About 70 Ukrainian defenders were killed.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi: In five days of full-scale war the number of refugees from Ukraine has exceeded half a million people. The number grows exponentially every hour. People are mostly fleeing to Poland (280,000), Hungary (94,000), Moldova (40,000), Romania (34,000) and Slovakia (30,000). This is the largest outflow of people in Europe since the Balkan Wars. In the next days or weeks, the number of refugees could reach 4 million if the war does not stop.

STA: Slovenia has sent several planes with military aid to Ukraine. They are carrying rifles, ammunition supplies, and helmets.

The Mastercard payment system has blocked access to its network for several Russian financial institutions, Reuters reported. All because of the sanctions imposed for the invasion of Ukraine.

Walt Disney Studios will not show all of its future films in Russia. The reason is the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the creation of a humanitarian crisis. This also applies to Pixar's "Turning Red".

CNN: Netflix streaming platform in Russia will not broadcast Russian state channels despite the legislation requirements. It's connected with the "current situation" and happened against the background of Russian invasion of Ukraine.

CNN: The convoy of Russian materiel in the vicinity of Kyiv is 2.5 times longer than previously thought and is 64 km long, according to satellite photos by Maxar Technologies. This convoy stretches from the border town of Prybirsk (50 km from the border with Belarus) to the Antonov airbase (a suburb of Bucha). The convoy consists of armor, tanks, towed artillery, and other logistics materiel.

Film director David Lynch called on Russian President Putin to stop the war against Ukraine: "Mr. Putin, you are sowing death and destruction. The Ukrainians did not attack your country. You attacked their country. All that death and destruction is gonna come back and visit you. My advice is to save yourself, save Ukrainians, save this world. Start getting along with your neighbors. Start building friendship. There is no room for this kind of absurdity any more. Do it. Stop this attack."

Head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Vitalii Kim: One Russian convoy that was heading towards Mykolaiv turned around, the second one maneuvered and ringed Kherson.

Kyiv city: stand down to the air-raid alert.

An air-raid alert has been declared in Kyiv city! Take the nearest cover immediately!

State Special Communications Service of Ukraine: The Russian invaders began an attack on Kherson. According to eyewitnesses, the enemy advances from the side of Kherson airport to the Mykolaiv highway and the roundabout near the cold storage facility.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: We will supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons and modernized ammunition. We also want to ban the import of Russian crude oil, although Canada has not been importing it in recent years. We will also ask the TV and radio regulator authority to check the activities of Russia Today propagandists in Canada.

The State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection of Ukraine: Ukrainian cellular companies have blocked the access of Russian phone numbers to the Ukrainian network disconnecting invaders' phones. This means that the enemy will more often take away local residents' phones. If it has happened, inform your cellular company as soon as possible and ask to block the stolen phone. You should use your stationary phone or your neighbors' one to do it.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the situation at the front as of 00:00.

• The Russian occupiers are losing their offensive potential. However, they continue attacking military and civilian targets and conducting reconnaissance by aircraft, in particular, using the sky of Belarus.
• Russia's offensive potential is almost exhausted. Because of this, Russia plans to involve in the war the most capable military units of Belarus, standing along the Ukrainian border.
• The Armed Forces hold positions on the entire front thanks to artillery and Bayraktar TB2.
• The situation in Kyiv is tense. The enemy is trying to resume the attack on the capital from the Polissya region.
• Due to bad weather in the coming days, Russia will not be able to conduct a naval landing operation in the Black Sea. All ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation are at the base points.
• The enemy continues shelling the cities and infrastructure, violating international humanitarian law.

Musician Paul McCartney (The Beatles co-founder) spoke out in support of Ukraine against the backdrop of Russian aggression. He published a photo from his concert in Kyiv in 2008: "Remembering playing for our friends in Ukraine in Independence Square in 2008 and thinking of them in these difficult times. We send our love and support."

Remembering playing for our friends in Ukraine in Independence Square in 2008 and thinking of them in these difficult times. We send our love and support.

Journalist Yuriy Butusov posted a video compilation of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles Bayraktar destroying Russian military equipment.

Kyiv Defence Commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi: the situation is still tense in Kyiv. Invaders strike at civilian infrastructure, and enemy vehicles are chaotically moving in Kyiv suburbs. We inflict crippling damage on Russians, destroying their military hardware with NLAW and Javelin portable anti-tank missile launchers and Bayraktar drones. Enemies are abandoning much of their vehicles. They have nowhere to hide, whether during the day or at night.

Zelenskiy: Today I have signed the application for EU membership. It has already been delivered to Brussels and officially registered. We have been waiting for 30 years, the time has come.

Zelenskiy: Russia’s key objective is [to capture] Kyiv. Today, there were three missile and bombing raids. Our enemies’ sights are set on the CHP-6, they want to cut off electricity in the city. We did not let them break the city’s defences. Therefore, Russia is sending hundreds of its saboteurs to Kyiv, and all of them get eliminated.

Zelenskyy has signed a decree awarding the title of Hero of Ukraine to 12 defenders. 

Bulgaria fired its Defence Minister Stefan Yanev who refused to call Russia’s invasion in Ukraine a war. The decision was made by the country’s PM Kirill Petkov: “My defence minister cannot use the word ‘operation’ instead of the word ‘war’. You cannot call it an operation when thousands of soldiers from the one and the other side are already killed.”

“The Russians knew what exactly at they were shooting in Kharkiv. No one in the world will forgive Russia for killing civilians.” - President Volodymyr Zelenskyy‘s new address.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor has stated that he intends to open several investigations regarding the events in Ukraine as soon as possible.

Prosecutor-General Irina Venediktova says this is a big win because Vladimir Putin holds functional immunity. We cannot prosecute him in Ukraine but we can do so at the International Criminal Court.

ATTENTION! An air-raid alert has been declared in Kyiv! Kyiv City State Administration asks everyone to take cover immediately!

Today, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a decree on a temporary visa-free regime. In view of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, Zelenskyi decreed to introduce visa-free travel for foreign persons wishing to enlist into the International Ukraine Defence Legion (except Russians) starting March 1, 2022. To learn more about how to enlist, follow this link.

Thank you, Elon Musk! Starlink terminals have arrived in Ukraine. Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov shares their photo:

Look how they beg Russians to “liberate” them. Today’s reality—children in a bomb shelter are singing the anthem of Kyiv (“How can one not love you, Kyiv, my dear?”).

“How can one not love you,
Kyiv, my dear!
The cannas are gazing into my eyes
My heart I will pour into them
I hope, they will tell my beloved one…”

Stephen King: I don't usually post pictures of myself, but today is an exception.

The EU Ministers of Energy support fast-tracking the integration of Ukraine into the European energy system. The synchronization is expected to take up to two weeks.