On the 1102nd day of the war, Russia launched over 150 drones over Ukraine. Most of them were shot down by air defense or disappeared from radar, but a few caused injuries and fires.
The early morning aerial offensive was preceded by a drone attack targeting the city and region of Kharkiv late last night, shortly after a tough confrontation at the White House between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. A hospital was hit by a drone, and seven people were injured.
Electrical engineers have managed in the last 24 hours to restore power to over 27,000 consumers who had been disconnected from the grid due to Russian attacks on infrastructure.
The Russian army claimed on Saturday the capture of two new villages in eastern Ukraine, north of Velika Novosilka, a town captured by the Russian army at the end of January.
Russian troops continue their advance, having occupied 192 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in February, but the pace of their advance has been decreasing for the third consecutive month, note Ukrainian military analysts.
And Volodymyr Zelensky has left the United States and will meet today with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of the summit with European leaders on support for Ukraine, amid tensions between Kyiv and Washington.
spotmedia.ro presents you with the latest information on the war in Ukraine:
- Drone attacks in Kharkiv and Odesa - Russian drones late last night struck a hospital building in the city of Kharkiv, triggering a fire, announced Mayor Ihor Terekhov. Seven people were injured, and over 50 people were evacuated, reports The Kyiv Independent. The drones also hit an area near a gas station, as well as a neighboring building in a high-rise apartment complex. A shopping center, an auto dealer headquarters, and a firefighter unit were damaged in the attack. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov announced that the city was attacked by eight drones, and all strikes targeted central neighborhoods, with emergency crews responding in multiple locations.
- Over 150 drones over Ukraine - Ukrainian Air Forces announced that Russia launched 154 drones over several regions last night. 103 were shot down, while 51 disappeared from radar without negative consequences.
- Casualties in multiple regions - In the Odessa region (south), one person was killed and three injured, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office. In the Kharkiv region (northeast), 12 people were injured, and two others in the Kherson region (south), according to local authorities. Two people were also injured in Pokrovsk, a mining town in eastern Ukraine that has been threatened by Russian forces for months, said its military administration.
- Electricity restored - Electrical engineers have managed in the last 24 hours to restore power to over 27,000 consumers who had been disconnected from the grid due to Russian attacks on infrastructure, announced the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy. Authorities have called for the rational use of electricity, especially in the morning and evening, to avoid putting pressure on the energy system. Additionally, the water level in the reservoir at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian forces, is sufficient to meet the unit's needs, the source specified.
- Russia captures two villages - The Russian army claimed on Saturday the capture of two new villages in eastern Ukraine, continuing its advance along the front line, reports AFP. According to the daily report of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Moscow's forces captured the localities of Sudne and Burlațke, both in the southern Donetsk region. These two villages are north of Velika Novosilka, a town captured by the Russian army at the end of January, in an area where positions have largely remained unchanged throughout 2024.
- Russians slow down - Russian troops have occupied 192 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in February, a decrease compared to previous months, notes the Ukrainian military analysis group DeepState. The pace of the Russian army's advance has been decreasing for the third month in a row, with analysts pointing out that after reaching a peak in territorial gains in November, Russia's advance slowed for three consecutive months – December, January, and February. Additionally, the Russians continue to suffer significant manpower losses. "The enemy's activity has decreased, although it has not ceased entirely, with defense forces repelling hundreds of attacks daily," emphasized the source cited by Ukrainska Pravda.
- Zelensky leaves America - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's plane has left the United States, heading to London. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will receive Zelensky on Saturday, ahead of the summit with European leaders on support for Ukraine amid tensions between Kyiv and Washington, reports Sky News. According to the source, discussions between Starmer and Zelensky will focus on coordinating European support for Ukraine, as Trump openly criticized Kyiv's strategy and suggested a reevaluation of American military assistance. In this context, the London summit, attended by European leaders, aims to strengthen European unity in support of Ukraine. The UK is trying to mediate dialogue between Kyiv and Washington, while European allies seek solutions to maintain military and economic support for Ukraine.