Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #15

[JennieM]

Ukraine war briefing: Russian drone strikes immediately follow Trump-Putin talks

Hospital in Sumy hit as Zelenskyy says Putin has rejected full ceasefire; Ukrainian troops go on attack at Belgorod border. What we know on day 1,1120

Warren Murray and agencies
Wed 19 Mar 2025 02.26 GMT

• A hospital in Sumy was bombed in a wave of attacks on Ukraine that led Volodymyr Zelenskyy to declare Vladimir Putin had “effectively rejected” a ceasefire – immediately after the Russian president told Donald Trump he would halt strikes against Ukraine’s energy grid and infrastructure. The Kremlin said after Trump and Putin’s call that the Russian president had given immediate orders for such strikes to stop.
• Soon after the call, air raid sirens wailed and explosions rang out in Ukraine. Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s president, said “there have been hits, specifically on civilian infrastructure”. Local reports said the city of Slovyansk was partly blacked out after power infrastructure was damaged. Zelenskyy said more than 40 Russian drones were launched by Russia. He added: “It is precisely such night attacks by Russia that destroy our energy systems, our infrastructure, the normal life of Ukrainians. Today, Putin de facto rejected the proposal for a complete ceasefire. It would be right for the world to reject in response any attempts by Putin to drag out the war.”

[…]

Ukraine war briefing: Russian drone strikes immediately follow Trump-Putin talks

Hospital in Sumy hit as Zelenskyy says Putin has rejected full ceasefire; Ukrainian troops go on attack at Belgorod border. What we know on day 1,1120

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

So bold are Putin’s ceasefire demands, it’s hard to believe he is entirely serious

Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

The extraordinary demands of the Russian leader to weaken Ukraine would make a mockery of any peace deal

[…]

“It sounds like the Russians are projecting their desires,” said Matthew Savill, an analyst with the Royal United Services Institute thinktank, simply describing the Kremlin position as “incompatible” with the European-led security plan.

[…]

“We need to know how Trump reacted to it. But I can only assume it was designed to ensure a Zelenskyy rejection, taking the pressure off Putin.”

[…]

So bold are Putin’s ceasefire demands, it’s hard to believe he is entirely serious

The extraordinary demands of the Russian leader to weaken Ukraine would make a mockery of any peace deal

www.theguardian.com

 

[JennieM]

Trump showing substantial patience towards Putin​

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent, in Kyiv

After yesterday’s Trump Putin telephone call, a few things are clearer.

Peace in Ukraine is unlikely to be resolved by one conversation, despite White House promises of being at the "ten-yard line of peace".

Vladimir Putin is refusing to agree an unconditional ceasefire and is instead insisting on his maximalist terms being met before he agrees to end the fighting.

There is a difference between promising to end attacks on energy infrastructure and actually meeting that promise, as the overnight Russian strikes on a rail power system in Ukraine showed.

Donald Trump is ready to cajole Ukraine into backing a 30-day ceasefire across the whole country, but he is as yet not willing to threaten Russia when it fails to do the same.

For a man whom diplomats say is remarkably impatient, Trump is showing substantial patience towards Putin.

Technical negotiations are scheduled continue but this will still be led by the United States talking bilaterally and separately to Russia and Ukraine, with Europe as a bit part player preparing for the moment if a ceasefire were to be agreed.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Russia doesn't want to make concessions, says top EU diplomat​

IMAGE SOURCE, BLOOMBERG

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, says Moscow is not looking to make concessions in talks for a halt in fighting during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Reacting to Vladimir Putin's call with Donald Trump yesterday, and the two readouts released afterwards, Kallas says it is clear "Russia does not really want to make any kind of concessions".

She tells reporters Russia is instead hoping for Ukraine to let its guard down.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[sds71]

Russia claims it downed 7 own drones to uphold energy ceasefire; Kyiv says Moscow launched 145​

Russia claims it downed 7 own drones to uphold energy ceasefire; Kyiv says Moscow launched 145

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian drones targeted energy facilities, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure. Outages were reported in the Donetsk Oblast city of Sloviansk.

kyivindependent.com

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Russia claims it downed 7 own drones to uphold energy ceasefire; Kyiv says Moscow launched 145

Nice Try... A Lie

 

[Vern]

Russia claims it downed 7 own drones to uphold energy ceasefire; Kyiv says Moscow launched 145​

Russia claims it downed 7 own drones to uphold energy ceasefire; Kyiv says Moscow launched 145

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russian drones targeted energy facilities, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure. Outages were reported in the Donetsk Oblast city of Sloviansk.

kyivindependent.com

One "upholds an energy ceasefire" by drone-bombing a hospital??

Yeah, no.

IMO.

 

[CaMan60]

No .

Okay I am sorry for your lose. But now we heard Putin agreeing to
exchanging 175 captured soldiers plus 25 wounded soldiers. Its
time for a lasting ceasefire and peace talks.

 

[Vern]

Okay I am sorry for your lose. But now we heard Putin agreeing to
exchanging 175 captured soldiers plus 25 wounded soldiers. Its
time for a lasting ceasefire and peace talks.

Putin, who immediately bombed a hospital in Ukraine and who still illegally occupies Ukrainian territory?

That Putin has once again proven that he isn't interested in peace unless it's a 'piece' of Ukraine. Beside the fact that if he was all about 'peace', he'd never had invaded Ukrain in the first place.

Putin is a liar.

The free world says, 'nyet'. That's not how it works.

IMO.

-

 

[LibraStarr]

Trump administration cuts funding for initiative tracking Russian abductions of Ukrainian children

"A group of U.S. representatives, including Democrat Greg Landsman, warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio that losing the data would have "devastating consequences," according to a copy of the letter obtained by the WP."

"The Observatory’s research has been a key source of evidence for international investigations. It contributed to multiple reports on Russia’s actions in Ukraine and played a role in securing six International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments, including the 2023 arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova."

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 19, 2025

Ukraine to compile list of energy sites Russia must stop attacking, Zelensky says

"And if the Russians don't hit our facilities, we won't hit their facilities," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

kyivindependent.com

"And if the Russians don't hit our facilities, we won't hit their facilities," Zelensky said during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki.

His statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's pledge during a March 18 call with U.S. President Donald Trump to pause strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days.

Despite this commitment, Zelensky noted that Russia launched a large-scale assault on Ukraine's infrastructure overnight on March 19. The Ukrainian leader stressed that Ukraine expects the United States to take a leading role in monitoring Russia's compliance.

RFE/RL sues Trump administration over funding cuts

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) sued the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) on March 18 over the termination of grant funding, calling the action unconstitutional.

kyivindependent.com

RFE/RL was founded early in the Cold War to counter Soviet propaganda in Eastern Bloc countries. It has since continued providing coverage of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and countries in Central Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and elsewhere.

The outlet argues that the Trump administration's decision violates the Constitution as the funding was approved by Congress.

Trump's crackdown against RFE/RL and VoA, which has been celebrated by Russian propagandists, coincides with his outreach to Moscow as he seeks to broker a peace deal in Ukraine.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 19, 2025

Zelensky announces talk with Trump on March 19; says Russia attacked Ukraine's power grid despite claimed pause

"Today, I will contact President Trump. We will discuss the details of the next steps," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

kyivindependent.com

President Volodymyr Zelensky will speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on March 19, as Zelensky announced during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

The Ukrainian leader said he expects to hear details from Trump about his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18.

"Putin's words are very different from reality," he said, noting that Russia launched around 150 drones against Ukraine overnight, including against energy facilities, despite the claimed moratorium.

Pistorius: Putin "playing a game" with Ukraine strikes after Trump ceasefire agreement - Euromaidan Press

Two hospitals in Ukraine's Sumy region were damaged by Russian drone strikes shortly after a Putin-Trump phone call that supposedly yielded a partial ceasefire agreement.

euromaidanpress.com

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “playing a game” following new attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure shortly after agreeing to a partial ceasefire with US President Donald Trump on 18 March.

“Putin is playing a game,” Pistorius said. He said that Russian attacks had “not eased at all in the first night after this supposedly ground-breaking, great phone call” between Putin and Trump.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 19, 2025

US may have destroyed evidence of Russian deportation of Ukrainian children - Reuters - Euromaidan Press

Evidence that could be used against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children has been lost after a US tracking program was terminated.

euromaidanpress.com

Evidence of $26 million worth of war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine may have been removed after the US stopped funding a team of Yale researchers that tracked thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, a source familiar with the program told Reuters.

According to the source, they took $26 million of US taxpayers money used for war crimes data and “threw it into the woodchipper, including the dossiers on all the children.”

The termination became public the same day Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During this call, Russia did not agree to a 30-day cessation of hostilities, according to Reuters.

FACT-CHECK: Did Russia Shoot Down Its Own Drones After Putin’s Order to Halt Energy Strikes?

According to a Kremlin statement, after Putin’s directive to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector, seven Russian drones that were already airborne were ordered to be neutralized.

www.kyivpost.com

However, reports from Ukraine contradict the Russian statement. The Ukrainian Air Force reported continued missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities on March 19, long after the Trump-Putin call of March 18, including Iskander-M and S-300 weapons fired along with 145 Shahed drones and decoys launched.

Explosions and fires from these attacks were confirmed in multiple Ukrainian cities. A missile strike on Slovyansk left part of the city without electricity just minutes after the call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

Explosions were reported in Kyiv starting at 11:01 p.m., with Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirming air defense activity on the right bank of the city. Explosions continued intermittently until the air raid warning was lifted at 2:19 a.m. on March 19.

 

[JennieM]

What was - and wasn't - agreed in the Trump-Putin call
​

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke for almost two hours yesterday - here's a brief overview of what they say they discussed:

What was agreed

• Energy attack pause: Russia said it accepted a proposal for both sides to stop targeting energy infrastructure for 30 days, and that the order was passed onto the military "immediately"
• More talks: Mediators will keep talking as part of efforts to resolve the conflict, with the US saying negotiations will begin "immediately" in the Middle East
• Black Sea negotiations: Both the US and Russia will carry out specific negotiations on a potential form of maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea

What wasn't agreed

• Full ceasefire: Russia did not agree to a proposal, backed by the US and Ukraine, for an immediate 30-day ceasefire on land, air and sea
• Conditions for peace: Putin said "the key condition" for achieving a lasting resolution would be for Ukraine to stop rearming and receiving military aid and intelligence support - the US readout makes no mention of this

Based on the information provided by both the US and Russia, it is unclear what the Ukrainian involvement will be in future negotiations or if there was any agreement on that issue.

Ukraine war live: Trump and Zelensky about to speak by phone to discuss next steps of Ukraine ceasefire proposal

Putin has rejected an immediate and full ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing only to halt attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Russia and Ukraine exchange 372 prisoners, defence ministry says

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

Ukraine and Russia have swapped 175 prisoners of war each, the Russian defence ministry says.

The United Arab Emirates acted as a mediator in the exchange, it says.

Russia also handed over 22 badly injured Ukrainian soldiers as “a gesture of goodwill”, it says.

The prisoner swap was announced after the telephone conversation between the Russian and US presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Trump-Zelensky call to happen shortly

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House​

The White House has just confirmed that the call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky will take place within the next 30 minutes.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Ukrainian forces retreat from Kursk, while fighting continues in Sumy
​

Jonathan Beale
Defence correspondent, reporting from Sumy, Ukraine

Ukrainian forces may have retreated from Russia’s Kursk region - but they are still there just over the border from Sumy.

In Sumy city itself we’ve heard constant artillery fire in the distance. There’s a large military presence with men in uniform and armoured vehicles on the road.

Over night a hospital was hit by a Russian drone in Sumy city. Fortunately there were no reported casualties - medical staff and patients having already sought shelter.

There is still deep scepticism inside Ukraine that talks between Presidents Trump and Putin will lead to any kind of ceasefire, yet alone peace in the near future.

One soldier who’d been fighting in neighbouring Kursk until recently described the talks as “absurd” - given the continuing fighting on the ground.

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Trump-Putin call seen as victory in Russia
​

Steve Rosenberg
Russia editor

IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS

Judging by some of the headlines today in Russia, Moscow believes that the latest telephone conversation between Presidents Putin and Trump went well - certainly for the Kremlin.

"Record-long Putin-Trump call," declares Komsomolskaya Pravda. The paper's website adds: "As things stand Russia has scored a diplomatic victory here."

Why are some in Russia claiming "victory" after this two-hour phone call?

Probably because, by the end of it, Vladimir Putin hadn't been pressured into making any major concessions to Ukraine or to the United States. On the contrary, he had - in effect - rejected President Trump's idea of an immediate unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

Not only did Moscow not agree to an unconditional ceasefire, President Putin set his own pre-conditions for peace.

They include an end to Western military aid to Kyiv and intelligence sharing with the Ukrainians, as well as a halt to mobilisation in Ukraine. Such conditions are widely viewed as a way of securing Ukraine's capitulation.

It's hard to see Kyiv agreeing to any of that. But could the Trump administration eventually be persuaded, by Moscow, that such conditions are acceptable?

Putin must stop 'unnecessary demands' in peace talks, Zelensky tells EU chiefs at meeting

Senior military officers from around 20 countries are meeting in the UK to discuss a peacekeeping force after any Ukraine ceasefire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Arkay]

Okay I am sorry for your lose. But now we heard Putin agreeing to
exchanging 175 captured soldiers plus 25 wounded soldiers. Its
time for a lasting ceasefire and peace talks.

IMO “we heard Putin agreeing” are weightless words. Look at his actions.

He broke the ceasefire almost immediately.

Oh, but hey, there’ll be a U.S./Russia hockey game. A lot of good that does for Ukrainians.

JMO

 

[CaMan60]

Oh, but hey, there’ll be a U.S./Russia hockey game.

We need to move on at some point. After all
A group of hockey players could be in a hassle over a recent Game.
And than the next day the same Guys are having a beer together and
looking forward to the next game together.