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From "The Analyst":

FRONTLINE UPDATE 9-10 FEB

Bilohorivka area around the deep quarry on the eastern front saw Ukraine retake a
Processing plant only to lose it again because there were allegedly no artillery shells left to support the operation. This needs verification.
North of Bakhmut at Vesele the Russians have been pushed back by a round half a kilometre.
At Bohdanivka near Bakhmut the Russians gained another field and tree lines.
Avdivka is worsening quickly. The Russians have taken land adjacent to the coke plant and have retained a foothold in the towns housing area to the plant’s south east. Aviationtag is hammering the city with bombs and continuing use of thermobaric weapons is causing heavy destruction. Even basements offer no protection from the thermobarics as they suck the air right out and suffocate anyone sheltering there. Civilians left in the city have pretty much lost their chance to be evacuated. The situation is deteriorating daily.
Most of the rest of the southern front has remained relatively quiet with the usual back and forth exchanges.
Krynky however has seen a big change as
the Ukrainian forces have managed to widen and deepen their presence, pushing the Russians back inland by several hundred meters.

The Carlson interview was nothing but a bag of Putins lies and distortions. He basically re-wrote history to match his excuses and narrative, not one thing he said was true.

Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!

The Ruzzian Ministry of Defense proposed to leave those mobilized in the army until the age of 65

The Russian Ministry of Defense has prepared a bill that will significantly increase the age limit for being in the army for hundreds of thousands of mobilized people called up in the fall of 2022.

The upper age limit for those “called up for military service by mobilization” will be 65 years. For those with the rank of senior officers (up to and including colonel general and admiral), the age limit is raised to 70 years.

The same age limits for the period of mobilization and in the event of the introduction of martial law have already been established for contract employees in the army. The Ministry of Defense proposes to amend it and equalize the upper age limit for mobilized and contract soldiers.

The goal is to "ensure the required level of staffing for the army and maintain its combat effectiveness", the department explains. In December 2023, Putin ordered an increase in the size of the army by another 170 thousand people. According to the presidential decree, there should be 1.3 million military personnel in the Russian Armed Forces, with a total staff of 2.2 million people.

Good afternoon. I was up late reading a novel. Or perhaps I should say up early. The wee hours of morning. 66⁰ here but it won't last. Tuesday morning it will be 26⁰

Two reputable global magazines devoted their covers to the technologies that help Ukrainians get closer to victory.

The American magazine Time wrote about how tech giants have turned Ukraine into a military artificial intelligence laboratory.

Ukraine has already become the best testing ground for all the latest technologies, cooperating with companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Starlink.

At the same time, the British magazine The Economist published an article "How cheap drones are transforming warfare in Ukraine". Drones have become the game changers of this war, destroying enemy equipment and saving the lives of our military.

A Russian Victory in Ukraine Would Imperil Us All .
The West must sustain support for Kyiv, Keep NATO solid, and spurn Putin’s effort to divide us.
By Olaf Scholz Feb. 7, 2024

Make no mistake: A Russian victory in Ukraine would not only be the end of Ukraine as a free, democratic and independent state, it would also dramatically change the face of Europe. It would deal a severe blow to the liberal world order. Russia’s brutal attempt to steal territory by force could serve as a blueprint for other authoritarian leaders around the globe. More countries would run the risk of falling prey to a nearby predator.

This possibility is why the U.S. and Europe support Ukraine’s fight for freedom. President Biden’s leadership has been critical to ensure that Vladimir Putin’s aggression is met with a united and successful response. So far, Mr. Putin hasn’t achieved any of his war goals. He thought that he could take the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, within two weeks. After two years, he still is far from accomplishing this, and Ukraine is bravely withstanding the Russian onslaught. This is due to the heroic fighting of the Ukrainian people, but it’s also a result of the West’s fiscal and humanitarian support and the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report🇺🇦🔱

wsj.com/articles/a-russian-vic

Berlin is considering the possibility of nationalizing Rosneft's German assets, reported Reuters.

According to two sources, the German government is preparing for the potential nationalization of assets belonging to a Russian company, which includes a stake in an oil refinery in Schwedt.

In September 2022, Berlin placed Rosneft's German assets, including a 54.17% stake in the Schwedt refinery, under receivership following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This guardianship has been extended twice since then, with the most recent extension occurring in September 2023. Another extension or alternative decision will be necessary in March.

The German Ministry of Economy is reportedly preparing for potential nationalization, with Rosneft representatives invited to a hearing on the matter. The Federal Government is hopeful that Rosneft will opt to sell its share in the Schwedt refinery, according to sources familiar with the situation.

A Russian victory in Ukraine would imperil us all, — Olaf Scholz for the Wall Street Journal.

The politician believes that a Russian victory in Ukraine would not only be the end of Ukraine as a free, democratic, and independent state, but it would also dramatically change the face of Europe. It would deal a severe blow to the liberal world order. He notes that Russia’s brutal attempt to steal territory by force could serve as a blueprint for other authoritarian leaders around the globe.

Scholz adds that so far, Putin hasn’t achieved any of his war goals, and this is primarily due to the heroic fighting of the Ukrainian people, but it’s also a result of the West’s fiscal and humanitarian support and the delivery of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

“Our message is clear: We have to do our utmost to prevent Russia from winning. If we don’t, we might soon wake up in a world even more unstable, threatening, and unpredictable than it was during the Cold War,” Scholz emphasized.

To stop Russia, he suggests the following measures:

▫️financial support for Ukraine should be backed by military support;

▫️provide Ukraine with long-term security commitments to protect it from future threats;

▫️the West must continue to move in a strategic direction "on both sides of the Atlantic", convincing citizens that a Russian victory would make the world a much more dangerous place, deplete budgets and threaten freedom and prosperity;

▫️any attempts to involve NATO in Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine must be resisted; NATO's collective deterrence and defense must be credible.

Volodymyr Zelenskyi told what changes he expects in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the near future:

▪️a realistic, detailed action plan of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for 2024. Taking into account the real situation on the battlefield now and prospects.

▪️Each combat brigade on the first line must receive effective Western weapons - there must be a fair redistribution of such weapons in favor of the first front line.

▪️Problems with logistics must be solved. Avdiivka should not wait until the generals find out where the drones are stuck in their warehouses.

▪️Every general should know the front. If a general does not know the front, he does not serve Ukraine.

▪️Excessive and unjustified numbers in headquarters should be corrected.

▪️It is necessary to build an effective system of rotations in the army. Rotations are a must.

▪️An obvious improvement in the quality of training of soldiers is needed - only trained soldiers on the front line.

▪️In the structure of the Armed Forces, a new kind of force is being created - the Force of unmanned systems. The first commander must be appointed.

🪖 What is known about the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.

🔹He held the post of commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

🔹With the beginning of hostilities in the East of Ukraine, he was the chief of staff of the ATO.

🔹Syrskyi was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree for the battles at the Debaltseve bridgehead.

🔹 At the beginning of the full-scale war, he was the commander of the defense of Kyiv. In autumn 2022 - spring 2023, he managed the defense of Soledar and Bakhmut.

🔹Since the summer of 2022, he was one of the commanders of the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces in Kharkiv Oblast.

Has the title of colonel general and Hero of Ukraine.

General Colonel Oleksandr Syrskyi is a highly decorated Ukrainian military leader. Throughout his illustrious career, Syrskyi has played a pivotal role in Ukraine’s defense.

Syrskyi was actively involved in the war in eastern Ukraine, demonstrating his exceptional command abilities.

In 2019, he became the commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, overseeing important reforms that have increased the efficiency and responsiveness of the force. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, General Colonel Syrskyi’s strategic brilliance and strong leadership have been instrumental in Ukraine’s determined resistance. He notably spearheaded the remarkable Kharkiv counteroffensive.

General Colonel Oleksandr Syrskyi stands as a true symbol of courage and resilience. His contributions to Ukrainian defense against Russian aggression will leave an enduring legacy in the history of the nation.

Zelensky:

An exchange was just held - another 100 of our soldiers returned home, to Ukraine, from Russian captivity. Soldiers and sergeants. The majority are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal. Soldiers of the National Guard, Border Service, Armed Forces of Ukraine. In total, 3,135 Ukrainian men and women have already been released from Russian captivity.

I thank our entire exchange team. To Kirill Budanov and everyone at the GUR who conducts exchanges. Andriy Yermak and the Office team. Dmytro Usov and the entire Coordinating Staff on Prisoner of War Issues. To all involved, to all who help. Dmytro Lubinets and the Ombudsman's team. Ihor Klymenko and the team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Vasyl Malyuk and the SBU team.

And, of course, my special gratitude to all our soldiers on the front lines, every unit, who replenish the exchange fund and take prisoners of the Russian occupiers. Everyone in their position ensures this.

“I thought I would actually just bleed out and slowly pass away. My consciousness was just zero. I decided to record it, like some kind of motivation or the last words,” – this is the story of a soldier of the 1st Assault Battalion of the Third Assault Brigade under the pseudonym “Girya”, who was heavily wounded during the offensive operation to liberate Andriivka in the Bakhmut direction.

During the assault, the enemy AGS began to work intensively at the soldiers. “Girya” received a wound to the leg and shrapnel damage to the body, after which he began to bleed profusely. His brother-in-arms, who was nearby, died.

“First, my brother-in-arms got WIA.

When I went to help him, an incoming hit happened and I got WIA. I threw a tourniquet over my right leg. I started to bleed a lot. He (brother-in-arms) already had a tourniquet on too. We transmitted over the radio that we were WIA, and began to leave that square. I couldn't move on my own, so I began to crawl. My brother-in-arms was pulling me a bit. Then he jumped into a pit and got KIA there. Either a VOG landed, or something out of a small caliber of mines,” – “Girya” told.

Believing that he would not be able to stay alive, the fighter recorded a video saying goodbye to his family and combat brothers.

“There were few thoughts. I concentrated on that I would say a few words. For myself, I have already said goodbye,” – he recalls.

However, “Girya” was lucky to survive. He was evacuated by the fighters who came on rotation, taking him to the medevac. “Girya” spent several days in intensive care, after which he was transported to Kyiv.

The soldier of the Third Assault Brigade expressed his gratitude to the medics of his company and the hospital, who treated him with great care. He also spoke about the help of representatives of the Patronage service, who monitor the course of treatment and rehabilitation of the brigade’s fighters.

Watch this video about the story of the rescue of the stormer of the 3rd SABr, his thoughts and plans for the future.

We continue to introduce you to Luhansk Oblast as part of the project "Discovering Ukraine: A Global Expedition Through the Regions. Today we want to show you the nature of Luhansk region

For many years, the Luhansk region, located in eastern Ukraine, has been mainly associated with mines and other industrial facilities. However, there are untouched places in Luhansk Oblast that are impressive.

Luhansk region is not only about the steppe and waste heaps. There are many interesting, little-known places where the infrastructure is not developed at all and nature has been preserved in its original form. Today we want to tell you about some of them.

* Most of the Luhansk region was subjected to Russian aggression in and remains temporarily occupied.

The previous part with general facts about the Luhansk region, as well as all subsequent publications, can be found under the hashtags

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