The Pentagon has opened more than 50 criminal cases involving American assistance to Ukraine, according to the department’s Inspector General Robert Storch. According to Bloomberg, Americans are looking into “procurement fraud, product substitution, theft, fraud or corruption, and diversion.” However, so far there is no specific information on any case.
One of the tests involves 155mm artillery shells: whether the United States has balanced Ukraine’s needs with its own reserves and missions. The question is whether the US military was deprived of supplies for the Ukrainian armed forces. Another check concerns incomplete declarations for goods sent to Ukraine via Poland: “As a result, Department of Defense employees did not have the necessary transparency and accountability for all types of equipment during the transfer process,” they said the auditors.
Storch also announced new investigations, “taking into account the quantity and speed” of aid to Ukraine. According to the publication, more than 200 people monitor the delivery of aid, including 28 in Ukraine itself, and this number is expected to increase.
Also from the United States comes the news that the Pentagon has prepared a detailed analysis of the Russian army’s combat tactics in the Northern Military District.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “there are no signs that Russia is preparing for peace.” He said the situation on the battlefield remains extremely serious. But Ukraine “preserves its freedom and independence.” “This was made possible by your courage and determination. This was made possible by the great military and economic support from NATO allies… More support is expected,” he said.
The G7 will help Ukraine meet its urgent financial needs, the group said in a statement. The countries intend to tighten the price ceiling for Russian oil, seeking to limit the Russian Federation’s revenue from the sale of energy resources; G7 leaders say Russian sovereign assets will remain tied up until Moscow pays for damage caused to Ukraine; The G7 will continue sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation and third-country companies that will help evade sanctions.
The European Commission will present the program of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the EU in mid-March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Kiev. “We have already started the screening process, there is a lot of work, a busy programme, I am happy that you are trying to implement the Commission’s recommendations. For our part, we, the European Commission, will present a common framework for negotiations at mid-March,” he said at a joint press conference with President Vladimir Zelensky of Ukraine and the prime ministers of Belgium, Italy and Canada.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, called on the European Union to prepare for a long “period of tension” in relations with Russia in the context of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. In his article for the Spanish newspaper Ideal, the politician called on the EU to guarantee Ukraine “security obligations” to increase its stability on all fronts of the conflict with the Russian Federation. “Give (EU countries) security commitments to Ukraine to strengthen its resilience on all fronts, knowing that the best of such commitments is EU membership… Prepare for a long period of tension with Russia, which may be tempted to politically and militarily provoke their other neighbors, some of which are NATO members,” Borrell said.
Saudi Arabia sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine via a transport plane arriving in Rzeszow: notoriously, however, this is not a transshipment center for humanitarian aid, but the main center of NATO’s Ukrainian operations, and the Saudis may have sent artillery purchased for Ukraine from the Balkan countries.
Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ request to NATO is for 10 batteries of Patriot air defense systems. Considering the remaining three batteries of the seven delivered, NATO will be forced to send at least seven batteries to Kiev, which are not currently available
Regarding President Zelensky’s words on the number of deaths, the first denial came from Rada deputy Kostenko. According to the deputy, the losses of the Ukrainian army amount to around 40 thousand men. “I was on the committee, I didn’t see the General Staff say that we have up to 50 thousand (dead). Somewhere they talked about 7-8 thousand missing , so this figure goes up to 40 thousand. “, said Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Committee on National Security Issues of the Verkhovna Rada.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba called on Ukrainians who fled the country due to the war to return and defend the country. “We invite those who have the choice to return and help Ukraine fight and survive with their direct personal contribution,” the Foreign Minister said.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected the armored vehicles seized from the Ukrainian army (M113 armored vehicles, Kirpi armored vehicles, armored Ford pickups, and small arms).
And now a look at the front line updated at 3.30pm on February 27th.
At night, Geranium and rocket attacks were carried out against targets in the Ukrainian-controlled regions of Kharkov, Poltava, Pokrovsk district.
Battles are recorded in the direction of Kherson. Ukrainian special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense are already suffering losses, and Russian special forces are also operating in the area. A small Ukrainian presence remains in Krynki. Small groups of infantry on both sides operate on islands in the floodplain of the Dnieper River. Against the background of the creation of the Leningrad and Moscow military districts, part of the command staff of our 18th OA is preparing to leave for the rear positions.
On the Zaporozhie front, a powerful artillery operation against the Ukrainian armed forces was recorded at night near Rabotino; Russian troops advance to Verbove; the southern front opened.
The first American Abrams tank was destroyed in the north-west of Avdiivka. The Russian Armed Forces advanced to Orlivka, Berdychi and Tonen’ke. The Russian army occupied Stepove, after months of fighting, and Sjeverne.
In the Belgorod region, a kamikaze drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked a car with construction workers on the outskirts of the village of Pochaevo, Grayvoronsky urban district. Three civilians were killed. Three others have shrapnel wounds. In the evening, 6 Ukrainian Grad MLRS rockets were shot down over the region. The village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, Shebekinsky urban district, was hit by mortar fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, children aged 10 and 11 were injured. The air defense was shot down by aircraft-type UAVs over the village of Kazachok, in the Stary Oskol urban district and on approach to Belgorod. The village of Kolotilovka, Krasnoyaruzhsky district, was attacked by enemy drones.
In the Kursk region, the village of Popovo-Lezhachi, Glushkovsky district, was bombed yesterday morning. Two kamikaze drones attempted to attack infrastructure in the village of Gordeevka, Korenevsky district. In the Bryansk region, Belaya Berezka, Trubchevsky district, was bombed. The aircraft-type UAV was destroyed; was destroyed on the territory of the Vygonichsky district. Two more were shot down this morning in the Klintsovsky district. In the Petrovsky district of Donetsk (DPR), a civilian born in 1962 was injured by NATO artillery fire. In total, 15 bullets were fired at the civilian population of the DPR per day.
Graziella Giangiulio
