2/13/24-2/14/24 Ukrainian General Update LanguageLearner

2/13/24-2/14/24 Update, day 720-721 of Russian invasion.


Belarus/Western Border:

UA ministers visited 3 checkpoints on the Polish border, following up on ongoing polish farmers protests. They note a previous agreement with polish protestor's was in effect until March. The UA government stated it does not object to additional screening of UA grain imports.

Czech farmers will join the protests next week against the EU's agricultural policy, which allows cheap imports from UA. This will start with blocking a highway in Prague before heading to UA border crossings on the 22nd.

Approximately 1300 trucks are waiting at the blocked border crossings.

Former UA president Poroshenko claimed he was denied travel papers for attending the Munich security conference. He reports that GUR stated he was in mortal danger of RU assassination, and he was denied travel by the Rada.

Poroshenko was similarly denied travel in December for a meeting Viktor Orban which the Rada claimed would be used by RU propaganda outlets.

A former UA military recruiter from Transcarpathia who forced recruits to build a house for him has been arrested.


Kyiv/Central Ukraine:

UA reportedly expects to receive $4 billion USD from frozen RU assets in 2024, and $15-$18 billion USD over the next 4 years. This would primarily derive from interest on the frozen assets.

The UA Rada continues to debate the draft mobilization law. The second reading on the legislation wont take place before Feb 21st.

Another RU collaborator was arrested in Kyiv for aiding RU strikes on energy infrastructure and reporting aviation activity to the FSB. He was 18 years old.

UA reported that 186,000 couples got married in 2023, just in time for valentines day. A number of soldier's proposals made the rounds on social media today.

The UA National police are rechecking medical exemptions for mobilizations, saying that 21,000 cases have been checked and 6,300 are being re-examined, with 1200 having been rescinded.

A Lviv professor who was fired after humiliating ZSU soldiers who couldn't speak Ukrainian was denied reinstatement on appeal. She was also in hot water for publishing a letter from a boy in Crimea, who was then arrested by the FSB after learning he was communicating with her.


Northeast Ukraine/Kharkiv city:

UA continues to investigate the shahed attack on the oil depot near Kharkiv, which killed 7 and displaced huge amounts of oil into the water.

Barriers and bacterial sorbents designed to degrade petroleum are being installed in the Uda river, and currently the drinking water is deemed as safe. Oil has not yet reached the Siversky Donets river, with 8x normal levels recorded in affected rivers. In the most affected Nemyshli river, the concentration of oil exceeded normal levels by almost 100x.

RU fired S-300 missiles into Veliky Burluk, killing 2 and wounding 5 more people.

Residents near Kremenchuk in Poltava oblast found a live grenade hanging from a tree, and located a hidden arms cache that was seized.


Kupyansk/East Kharkiv

RU continues to press towards Kupyansk from Synkivka, apparently contesting territory further to the NW along the forest road. UA drones seem to be degrading RU tanks here.

RU has made limited gains further E of Kupyansk, near Orlyanske, as they probe for weakness in the E UA lines.

RU continues to shell around Kupyansk

Per new CiC Syrski, UA is reinforcing troops at the frontline, especially in Avdiivka and Kupyansk areas.


Kreminna/Lyman axis:

RU continues to make progress towards Terny and the Zherebets river valley, advancing along a formerly forested region. Morale here seems dubious, as drone footage captured RU soldiers getting into a fistfight during an assault.

UA repelled 2 RU assaults towards Lyman.


Kramatorsk/Bakhmut:

RU is making gains towards Chasiv yar, aided by exceptionally heavy airstrikes and drones. UA troops reportedly have had issues with supplies and heavy airstrikes, forcing a withdrawal from an elevated position in the hills as its assaulted by RU VDV soldiers.

RU made limited gains towards Kliischivka, under pressure from UA helicopters and drones. RU is pushing into the village from the fields to the E, rather then continuing to strike the defenders in the hills directly.

RU repelled 10 attacks by RU forces in the Bakhmut area over the last day.


Avdiivka:

The situation in Avdiivka remains dire. RU forces continue to heavily leverage glide bombs on the city, along with copious MLRS strikes. Reportedly higher yield bombs are being used, up to 1500 kg bombs. They have an alleged 1600 ft/500 m blast radius, with heavy usage of them in the city's SW residential district with larger soviet apartment blocks.

Per UA commanders there, street fighting continues with RU armored and infantry groups, especially in the NE sector. Allegedly some 50,000 RU troops were concentrated in the general Avdiivka direction. RU assaulted towards Avdiivka 24 times in the last day.

RU is attempting to bypass the industrial coke plant north of the city, as they fully contest a segment the main highway running along the W edge of the city.

RU soldiers are complaining of severe losses, with one soldier recording a video claiming 70% of his 4000-strong brigade had been killed or injured, and there were severe problems with receiving food and water among other resources.

RU forces continue to attempt to cut off the Zenit soviet era-AA reinforced base which has been a constant impediment in their efforts to move up from the south. RU forces have made advances to its NW and NE, leaving the base in danger of encirclement.

UA drone strikes continue on RU logistics to the E of Avdiivka, and there has been a reported surge in UA artillery shells available after reserves were allocated to the battle.


Donetsk/Luhansk occupied regions:

RU attempted to attack near SW Donetsk 27 times over the last day.

RU fired a ballistic missile into the Selydove hospital overnight, where 149 patients were present. At least 3 people were killed and 12 wounded, with the hospital evacuated. RU claimed to have killed a huge number of UA soldiers at the hospital, but there is no evidence to support this claim.


Zaporizhia/Southern Axis:

RU is reportedly preparing for a new offensive towards Orikhiv, around the former counteroffensive zone. There has been an increase in RU aviation and infantry attacks.

The UA government has allocated 34 million USD for establishing fortifications in Zaporizhia.

A UA MI-24 was shot down near Robotyne, with the c

Over the last day RU fired 182 times on 17 villages.

RU attacked Dnipro with Shahed drones again.


Kherson:

UA forces in Krynky destroyed 3 ammo depots and 72 soldiers along with 15 artillery systems of various types and 5 vehicles. RU attempted to assault their positions 5 times in the last day.

The UA flag was raised on a water tower in the SW of Krynky, with claims of UA gains.

RU forces continue to target UA boats in the Dnipro.

UA sappers demined 200 square km (77 sq Miles) of territory in Kherson, about 29% of the total N bank portion of Kherson. 173 square acres were agricultural plots, now used for farming. Over 146,000 pieces of UXO were defused.

More then 67 square km on the Kinburn peninsula have burned down following RU activities, especially shelling.

3 RU drones were intercepted over Kherson.


Odessa/Black Sea/Crimea:

The RU large landing ship Caesar Kunikov was attacked by 5 UA USV and sunk off the coast of Crimea. This ship was previously damaged in March 2022 during the UA missile strike on Berdyansk which sunk another landing ship, the Saratov. The Ropucha class reportedly were valued at $100 million each in 2004 ($163 mil today), and are no longer produced.

The ship appears to have been lost with all hands when munitions aboard exploded and it capsized. It was reportedly loaded with munitions it was transporting, it had a capacity of approximately 450 tons. RU comms intercepts indicate rescue helicopters only saw wreckage and an oil slick.

The UA navy joked that since the ships namesake Soviet Officer Caesar Kunikov also died on Feb 14th in 1943, "its bad luck, not every Caesar manages to die twice in one day"

RU struck a high rise apartment in Odesa overnight, damaging a few apartments.

A man who was smuggling conscripts across the Odesa border was arrested. He was charging $6000 per person.

Italy will allocate 45 million euros for reconstructing the historic center of Odesa over the next 3 years.


Russia:

The US Chairman of the House Intel Committee, mike Turner, announced a "serious threat to national security". Sources imply this is regarding RU plans to equip satellites with nuclear devices for the purpose of destroying NATO satellite constellations with X-rays or a plasma wave in the pursuit of a decapitation strike on US command and control nodes. There are technical limitations to such a device, as nukes behave very different in a vacuum rather then atmosphere.

Unnamed US sources have reportedly stated these nuclear munitions would not be used in an terrestrial-attack capacity. Additional sources claim that this capability is under development but not currently deployed.

Placing of nuclear weapons in space is in violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty which both the US and RU are party to.

Per UA, RU is reportedly increasing its cargo transports with Iran and is accumulating resources for a large scale missile attack. At least 7 RU bombers are up and active as of this evening.

UA published a list of Syrian mercenaries recruited for the war by RU. There are 141 people on the list.

RU is reportedly planning on increasing the maximum age of soldiers to 65 and 70 for enlisted and officers respectively, from previous limits of 51 years. The average RU male life expectancy in 2021 was 64 years.

General:

Over the last day UA forces conduced 22 airstrikes and RU forces conducted 159 air strikes (including drones), and 162 MLRS strikes.

Yesterday Ukrainian forces eliminated:

1060 x soldiers (Total 398,140) [7 day avg 953]
39x APC
9x Tank
4x Air defense
69x Artillery (3xMLRS) [record high]
39x vehicles
39x UAV

total estimated cost- $76.0 Million/day per last 30 days, $2.3 Billion USD over last 30 days.


Overseas:

The EU has proposed sanctions on DPRK for supplying RU with ballistic missiles in Ukraine.

RU announced the PM of Estonia and Culture minister of Lithuania are wanted due to demolition of soviet monuments in their countries. The EU responded with derision.

Canada will allocate $44 million for defense assistance to UA, primarily focused on the F-16 program.

The US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has continued to reject bringing the bipartisan senate UA aid bill to the floor for a vote.

The US is seeking permission to sell the $300 million USD RU opened superyacht Amadea, as the 106 meter/350 ft ship is costing $600,000 USD a month in expenses. The ship was impounded after owner Suleiman Kerimov was sanctioned.

The US welcomes the decision of the EU to allow the use of frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine, and Washington will continue to work with allies in this direction per State dept reps.

Bloomberg reported on Feb 13 that at least 21/50 oil tankers that the US has sanctioned since October 2023 for carrying RU crude oil priced above $60 price cap have stopped transporting RU products.

The IMF Director Kristalina stated that UA requires $42 billion USD of funding this year to sustain progress. UA is collecting 36% of their GDP in taxes and reduced inflation from 27% to 5%.