Russia has claimed it has breached two fortified defense lines in eastern Ukraine, a claim Ukrainian authorities deny, while Western allies have pledged to increase military aid to better arm Kiev as it prepares for a counteroffensive.

The latest on the war in Ukraine, day 358, LIVETEXT:

07:42 The Polish ambassador to Germany accuses Berlin of lack of communication regarding Ukraine.

01:18 Zelensky: We must make sure that this spring there is a real feeling that Ukraine is on its way to victory

00:57 Waiver of sanctions against Russia is not a reason to interrupt Serbia’s European path, said the European Commissioner for Enlargement

A quick morning recap of Thursday’s latest events:

• Russian troops are launching constant attacks on Ukrainian positions in the east and sending troops into the region, but Kyiv’s forces are holding on, senior Ukrainian officials said. The Ministry of Defense of Russia previously stated that Ukrainian troops retreated due to Russian attacks in the Luhansk region, without giving details.
• Ukrainian forces repelled some Russian attacks, but the situation remains difficult, President Zelenskyi’s Office reported on Wednesday. Near Bakhmut, Russian troops shelled more than 15 towns and villages, including the town itself, the Ukrainian military reported.
• Russian troops attacked several settlements, including Paraskoviivka north of Bakhmut and the villages of Opytne and Klishchiivka south of the city, Ukrainian military analysts said.
• Six Russian balloons were spotted over Kyiv, most of which were shot down after being spotted by air defense equipment, the capital’s military administration said.
• According to the research center, Russia lost half of its best tanks in the year since the invasion of Ukraine and is trying to replace them.
• The EU’s top diplomat called on countries to join Germany in sending tanks to Ukraine after the media reported that Denmark and the Netherlands had announced their refusal to supply Leopard 2 battle tanks. The Western allies will not be able to supply Ukraine with two battalions of Leopard 2 tanks. as promised earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
• NATO countries are ramping up production of artillery ammunition because Ukraine is consuming shells much faster than the West can produce them, the alliance said.
• Ukraine’s state-owned arms maker has announced it has begun joint production of projectiles with the central European NATO country and plans to develop and produce other weapons and military equipment with its allies.
• The Upper House of the Russian Parliament will hold an extraordinary meeting on February 22, at which the issue of adopting laws on the integration of four regions into the Russian Federation will be considered, RIA Novosti reports with reference to a high-ranking deputy.
• Yevhen Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, said on Wednesday that the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region may be surrounded in March-April. Prigozhin admitted that his group of mercenaries is experiencing difficulties in Ukraine and soon it will “decrease”.
• Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who visited Kyiv on Wednesday, did not rule out sending fighter jets to Ukraine, but warned that such an approach should be carried out through an international coalition.
• The European Union has published details of the tenth package of sanctions against Russia, which will concern industrial goods and technologies.
• NATO members renewed a debate on increasing defense spending in Brussels on Wednesday, with the alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, arguing that the current target of 2 percent of GDP should be the minimum.
• The Armed Forces of Ukraine released a video showing several strikes on mercenaries of the “Wagner” PMC, who tried to make a kamikaze attack towards the enemy at night.
• As Russia launches a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, the US and its allies are skeptical that Moscow has amassed enough troops and resources to make significant gains.
• The press secretary of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, sharply criticized Poland’s decision to dismiss employees who studied in Moscow from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday that a huge percentage of the Russian military – 97% – is participating in the war in Ukraine.
• Abrams tanks, which the US Army will deliver to Ukraine, are much better than any tanks that Russia has, according to Ruslan Pukhov, a military expert and director of the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow.

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• Wednesday’s events related to Russian aggression were broadcast LIVE on HotNews.ro