Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s energy facilities, Volodymyr Zelenskyi returned from a tour of Western capitals, and Ukrainian officials announced an expected Russian offensive in the east of the country.

Disembarking of soldiers from an armored car of the Ukrainian armyPhoto: Ukrinform / Shutterstock editors / Profimedia

The latest on the war in Ukraine, day 353, LIVETEXT:

08:48 The Russians allegedly attacked the town of Zatoka in the Odesa region from a naval drone.

07:56 According to Washington, Russia could lose half of its heavy tanks in Ukraine.

01:10 VIDEO Zelenskyy presented the results of the European tour to Ukrainians: We received good signals. We are preparing new options for the defense of Ukraine. We still have a lot of work to do with the planes

A brief summary of recent events:

  • According to Ukrainian and pro-Russian officials, a series of explosions occurred in the Russian-occupied Melitopol on the night from Friday to Saturday.
  • Britain estimates that Russian forces have advanced north of the town of Bakhmut, which they are trying to encircle, but are having more difficulty attacking the town of Vugledar further south, where they left more than 30 tanks in a failed assault.
  • Russian pro-war bloggers also reported on the failed assault on Vugledar, calling it a disaster.
  • Ukrainian officials said that Moscow’s new offensive began on the eve of the February 24 anniversary of the Russian invasion.
  • The Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko said that Russia hit electrical installations in six regions with missiles and drones, which led to a blackout in most of the territory of Ukraine. The Air Force of Ukraine reported that Russia launched 71 cruise missiles, of which 61 were shot down.
  • Moldova said Russian missiles flew through its airspace and summoned Moscow’s ambassador to protest the incident. The Kremlin did not want to comment on this information.
  • Two Kalibr cruise missiles also flew through Romanian airspace, Ukrainian army chief Valery Zaluzhnyi said. However, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said that the information was not confirmed and that “the closest point of the trajectory was 35 kilometers from the border.”
  • In Washington, there are “no indications” of a direct military threat from Russia to the Republic of Moldova or Romania at the moment, US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said on Friday.
  • US President Joe Biden will visit Poland on February 20-22 to meet with allies and talk about Ukraine, the White House said.
  • IMF officials will meet Ukrainian officials in Warsaw next week, a source familiar with the plans said on Friday, as Ukraine pushes for a multibillion-dollar loan program to cover its financing needs.
  • A group of 35 countries has backed Ukraine’s calls to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from next year’s Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee wants to allow them to compete under a neutral flag.
  • In March, Russia announced it would cut oil production by about 5 percent, a decision the White House said showed Russian President Vladimir Putin was willing to turn energy into a weapon.
  • The Government of Ukraine has officially requested the Netherlands to supply American F-16 fighter jets.

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  • Friday’s events were broadcast LIVE on HotNews.ro