Intense Russian strikes on Ukraine hours earlier than the beginning of peace talks in Geneva pressured NATO to scramble fighter jets.
Intense Russian strikes on Ukraine hours earlier than the beginning of peace talks in Geneva (Picture: east2west information)
NATO state Poland was immediately pressured to scramble fighters resulting from intense Russian strikes on Ukraine hours earlier than the beginning of peace talks in Geneva. The size of the strikes signifies that Vladimir Putin has little curiosity in ending the conflict, regardless of sending a 20-strong negotiating staff to Switzerland.
Russia deployed its hulking Tu-95MS strategic bombers to assault targets with cruise missiles. This got here amid experiences that frontline Western F-16 pilots – veterans from the US and the Netherlands – are for the primary time actively defending the Ukrainian sky in opposition to Putin’s drones and missiles. An F-16 squadron of skilled NATO pilots was fashioned in strict secrecy and is at present patrolling the skies of Kyiv area underneath momentary contracts with the Ukrainian armed forces, in line with the French publication Intelligence On-line. They’re reportedly utilizing Lockheed Martin Sniper concentrating on pods to hit incoming Russian drones.
The aftermath of an F-16 downing a Shahed drone (Picture: east2west information)
Within the west of Ukraine, close to NATO territory, Putin missiles hit Ivano-Frankivsk area with explosions heard at Burshtyn, location of a key coal-fired energy station. Stryi, a key rail and vitality hub in Lviv area, near the Polish border, additionally got here underneath sustained assault, in line with experiences.
Among the many cities hit had been Volodymyr Zelensky’s birthplace Kryvyi Rih and the port of Odesa, at present underneath day by day bombardment. Dramatic footage confirmed how Ukraine used Patriot to down two Russian hypersonic Tsirkon – or Zircon – missiles on the night time of February 16.
Regardless of the size of Russian strikes, Donald Trump as soon as extra put strain on Mr Zelensky – reasonably than Putin – to make concessions forward of the Geneva talks, which is able to contain US officers. Sounding impatient with Kyiv, the US president demanded: “Ukraine higher come to the desk quick. That’s all I’m telling you.”
Putin’s staff – led by hardline Ukraine-hating historian and Kremlin official Vladimir Medinsky – was pressured to make a circuitous nine-hour flight from Moscow to Geneva for the talks, resulting from Western restrictions on Russian plane. Italy opened its airspace so the staff may attain Geneva.
Ukraine struck navy targets in in a single day assaults. A key oil refinery at Ilsky within the Krasnodar area was exploded in a strike by Ukrainian drones. The power is an important provider to Putin’s navy forces within the conflict zone.
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Key airports in southern Russia, together with Krasnodar and Gelendzhik – the place Putin owns a sprawling palace – had been closed. Explosions additionally hit the town of Izhevsk, house of a number of massive military-linked crops, together with gun-maker Kalashnikov. Faculty lessons had been suspended because of the incoming drones, which seemed to be attacking vitality amenities.
Mr Zelensky’s forces had been additionally accused of a long-distance strike hitting the Metafrax chemical plant within the Perm area, greater than 1,000 miles from the closest Ukrainian territory. The plant makes parts for explosives and weapons used within the conflict.
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