There are two reports from the Russian social sphere: the State Duma and the Federation Council have officially approved the document on the suspension of START-3. Only the signature of Vladimir Putin is missing. Although this is an official suspension and the door for the renewal of the Treaty has been left, given the total distrust between the United States and Russia, in the case of a temporary suspension, the saying “There is nothing more permanent of the temporary”.
Thus, START-3 is de facto going down in history, and the future treaty on strategic stability and nuclear weapons will be concluded after the war in Ukraine or at its end, already on new conditions, reflecting the current realities of the new world order, possibly taking into account some elements of the old treaty. But in any case it won’t be like before. In summary, this can be read in the posts of the social sphere.
The second note concerns the law on the inadmissibility of the use of foreign words in Russia. The Federation Council approved the law, the only exceptions will be terms that have no analogues in the Russian language and are contained in standard dictionaries. There are already French-language terms in the Russian language.
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev spoke on the special operation in Ukraine: “If Russia stops operations without achieving victory, Russia will not exist, it will be torn apart. If the United States stops supplying the Kiev regime with weapons, the war will end.” And he added “If the US wants to defeat Russia, then we have the right to defend ourselves with any weapon, including nuclear.”
The head of the main intelligence department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Kirill Budanov said that Ukraine needs to create a security zone along the 1991 borders with Russia with a width of 40 to 100 kilometers. “We need to create conditions for a safe zone around our border. How to achieve this – there are many options,” Budanov said in an interview with the Ukrainian edition of Forbes.
Today in Russia, President Vladimir Putin met with Politburo member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi. At the end of the meeting, the Russian leader said: “Russian-Chinese relations are developing progressively, reaching new frontiers. The goal of $200 billion in trade between Russia and China will be achieved sooner than expected.” And again he said that Russia is waiting for Xi Jinping’s visit. The Chinese premier will probably arrive in Moscow after his re-election and will take the opportunity to hold a series of international meetings to seek a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Wang Yi instead said: “Relations between the Russian Federation and China have resisted pressure against the backdrop of a changing international situation; relations between the Russian Federation and China are not subject to the influence of third parties; China is ready to deepen mutual political trust and strategic cooperation with the Russian Federation; China and the Russian Federation together support multipolarity and the democratization of international relations”.
Wang Yi, on behalf of China, expressed gratitude to Russia for its willingness to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations. The Politburo member did not specify who exactly the negotiations were taking place with. Russia has actually never abandoned the thesis of readiness for negotiations, only negotiations that will take into account its interests, including its four new regions. Apparently, after this statement, Xi Jinping’s official position on some peace proposals from China will soon be announced. No one has positive expectations of the Chinese proposal from the West and Ukraine.
Among Wang Yi’s meetings is the one with the Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov but the contents of the meeting are not known.
The President of Russia arrived at the “gathering concert” Glory to the Defenders of the Fatherland and said: “Defenders for the Fatherland is a mystical and sacred phrase. These are people who protect the most important thing that we have – family and homeland. Right now there is a battle going on on our historic frontiers. Our military personnel fight heroically, bravely and courageously. Today they are supported by the whole country. Health workers, doctors, nurses, employees of the defense industry, the transport sector and all our people act as defenders of our interests, culture, language and territories – they are also defenders of the Motherland”.
At the front in the Bachmut direction, Berkhovka was practically blocked, assault groups of PMC “WAGNER” are fighting in the center of the village. Control over Berkhovka will allow approaching the main supply road of the Bachmut group through Khromovo. The threat of an operational encirclement is growing, but there is no need to rush, the Ukrainians are deploying reserves in battle and trying to stop the withdrawal of his forces north of Bachmut and periodically trying to counterattack to stabilize the situation. In the late afternoon WAGNER sources report that most of Berkhovka village is already under the control of Wagner PMC. Heavy fighting continues in Yagodnoye. Under WAGNER control would be the District Meat Processing plant: leveled the front along Zarechnaya Street.
In Zabakhmutka District WAGNER strike groups have occupied the entire line of five-story buildings along Vatutin Lane, and are moving towards Shchedraya Street, establishing control over two blocks of the private sector.
In the Sobachevka District: WAGNER occupied 2 blocks north of the second Gogol lane.
Also via social media it is learned that there would be a transfer of Ukrainian armored vehicles to the border with Belarus. The other day a video appeared on the Web with the passage of Ukrainian heavy equipment along the river crossing.
Based on the characteristic details, analysts of the social sphere believe that the shooting was carried out on the Irpen River near the village of Demidov in the Kiev region. It is characteristic that units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine cross the river from south to north – from Kiev towards Belarus. The coordinates also appear: 50.712852, 30.339294.
The last time there were battles in these places was in the spring of last year, and since then the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been restoring the destroyed crossings. And the transfer of armored vehicles to the exclusion zone is connected with the preparation of defensive lines in the event of a repeated offensive by the Russian Armed Forces from the territory of Belarus.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine considers this option unlikely. However, just in case, they strengthen the border areas, which is to some extent beneficial for the Russian grouping in the combat zone.
The chaining of resources in the north and west of Ukraine does not allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to transfer them in other directions. At the same time, Ukrainian formations freely use working roads and railways for the operational transportation of people and equipment.
On the front line at 16.00 on February 22 it becomes known that the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the urban district of Shebeken in the Belgorod region. As a result of repeated shelling of Shebekino, one shopping center was damaged, three civilians were injured.
In the village of Pervoe Tseplyaevo, three residential buildings and two outbuildings were hit. Civilians were not injured.
Ukrainian formations fired at the border Sudzhansky and Glushkovsky districts of the Kursk region. In the village of Tetkino, industrial buildings on the territory of a sugar factory were damaged. There is no destruction in the villages of Guevo and Gornal.
In the Svatove-Kreminna direction there are fights in the forest. This is an active defense the 144 motorized rifle division and 3 motorized rifle divisions are engaged, the Russian military in the social sphere is also talking about the Airborne Forces hunting Ukrainians in the Kremensky forest. Apparently they don’t let themselves be taken prisoner.
According to the smart Russian, about two weeks ago, the Americans delivered another 12 Hymers installations with long-range missiles up to 150 km to Ukraine. The missiles are new, possibly experimental. Their performance characteristics are kept in the strictest confidence.
Graziella Giangiulio
