European Union leaders will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in Kyiv on Friday, pledging new sanctions against Russia but likely dashing Ukraine’s hopes for quick EU membership. CIA Director William Burns says the next six months will be “critical” for Ukraine. Russia, determined to make progress before Ukraine receives promised Western battle tanks and armored vehicles, is building momentum on the eastern front and has announced advances north and south of Bakhmut, where fierce fighting has raged for months.

The latest on the war in Ukraine, day 345:

06:50The consequences of the war in Ukraine bring billions to the oil giants

The last quarter of 2022 ended with an abundance of revenues and profits. Shell, the world’s largest private oil company, said on Thursday that its profit for 2022 was $40 billion (36 billion euros), more than expected and double from a year ago, mainly due to strong revenue growth. associated with gas and liquefied gas (LNG), writes Il Fatto Quotidiano, which is quoted by Rador.

06:00As Russia approaches the one-year anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv is issuing an increasingly urgent warning: Vladimir Putin is preparing a major new offensive, has amassed significant forces, and an attack is imminent in the coming weeks, NBC News reports.

01:15Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his evening message on Thursday: “The enemy is at the stage when the strategic defeat of Russia is already obvious. But tactically, they still have the resources to try offensive actions.”

The President of Ukraine says that the aggressive actions of the Russian occupier will not go unanswered. “The enemy is at the stage when the strategic defeat of Russia is already obvious. But tactically, they still have the resources to try offensive actions,” says Zelensky. He also noted that Ukrainians should speak to the world with “one voice” about defense supplies and increase global pressure on Russia. “The adversary should come out of this phase much weaker than he expected in the worst case scenario.”

00:20 British Prime Minister: Sending planes to Ukraine will require “months” or “years” of preparation

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stressed on Thursday that it would take “months” or even “years” of pilot training to send fighter jets to Ukraine, stressing that he was looking for the most effective way to help Kyiv, writes AFP.

A brief summary of recent events:

• The European Union has promised to double its military aid program to Ukraine, training 15,000 more troops, confirming that it “will be with Ukraine in the long term.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the start of a two-day trip to Kyiv that the EU is seeking to introduce a tenth package of sanctions against Russia until February 24.
• Russia is “again” threatened by “German tanks”, – Putin / Warning to Western countries: “We are not sending tanks to their borders, but we have something to answer them.” Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was “once again” under threat from German tanks, referring to the Leopard 2 armored personnel carriers promised to Kiev by Berlin and Western countries, and drawing a fresh parallel between the war against Hitler and his military campaign in Ukraine.
• Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russian arms companies would “significantly” increase their supplies this year to help Russian forces inflict a “devastating defeat” on Ukraine.
• The Ukrainian army says that Russian troops are preparing a covert mobilization in Donetsk. Russian troops are preparing for a “covert mobilization” in the east of the Donetsk region, CNN reported on the official page of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Thursday.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Thursday accused Russia of preparing its armed forces to “take revenge” on Ukraine, as well as Europe, which supports Kyiv in the face of an invasion launched almost a year ago by Moscow.
• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stressed on Thursday that it would take “months” or even “years” of pilot training to send fighter jets to Ukraine, stressing that he was looking for the most effective way to help Kyiv, writes AFP.
• Long-range missiles: Ukraine pledges not to attack Russian territory and set targets with allies. The Minister of Defense of Ukraine said that the country will provide guarantees that it will not strike at Russia if it receives the long-range missiles it has been asking its allies for, CNN reports.
• In Ukraine, an investigation is underway on suspicion of corruption against high-ranking military personnel. Ukrainian authorities are investigating senior military officials in two separate cases of suspected corruption, AFP reported, as part of a crackdown on violations ahead of talks with European Union leaders.
• Bulgarian investigative journalist Kristo Grozev, the group’s chief investigator in Russia, says he has been forced to move from Austria, where he has lived for nearly 20 years, because of the threat posed by Russian intelligence in that country.
• The Russian military says its forces have destroyed M-270 multiple rocket launchers and M-142 KHIMARS multiple rocket launchers near the city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
• Russia has suspended applications for new passports valid for 10 years amid widespread rumors that Moscow is preparing a new wave of mobilization.

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• Events related to the war since day 344 were broadcast live on HotNews.ro