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Ukraine Invasion Day 1,094: US still trying to score UKR minerals [1]

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Date: 2025-02-21

Like Trump’s refusal to mention ‘Russian aggression’ in Ukraine. reality has yet to arrive in diplomatic discussions. Trumpian diplomacy: used-car salesman level acts — pressure tactics, aggressiveness, gaslighting, among less-diplomatic terms. America’s version of Frick and Frack have come to Ukraine, doing good cop / bad cop routines to get Ukraine to capitulate to the usual Russian negotiating demands.

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on Feb. 20 urged Kyiv to "tone down" its stance and sign a minerals deal that President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to make. "They need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal," Waltz told Fox News, referring to the memorandum presented by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Feb. 12. Kyiv had earlier announced that it was not ready to sign the U.S.-proposed agreement on Ukraine's natural resources. Zelensky said Ukraine is open to investment but argued that the memorandum lacks concrete security guarantees. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration reportedly seeks a 50% interest in Ukraine's natural resources, including critical minerals, oil, and gas, and stakes in ports and other critical infrastructure through a joint investment fund. kyivindependent.com/...

Russian forces conducted a series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of February 19 to 20.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 14 missiles of various types, including Kh-101/Kh-55 cruise missiles from Volgograd Oblast, Kalibr/Iskander-K cruise missiles from the Black Sea and occupied Crimea, and Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Voronezh Oblast.[64] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces also launched 161 Shahed and decoy drones from the directions of Oryol, Bryansk, and Kursk cities; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 80 drones over Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts; that 78 decoy drones were "lost," likely due to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) interference; and that missile and drone strikes damaged objects in Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa and Kyiv oblasts. Official Ukrainian sources reported that Russian drones struck Cherkasy, Kyiv, and Odesa oblasts damaging civilian infrastructure, enterprises, and energy infrastructure facilities.[65] Russian glide bombs struck a ten-story high-rise building in Kherson Oblast.[66] Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported on February 20 that emergency services are still working to dismantle damaged shelter structures and extinguish smoldering fires at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) following the February 14 Russian drone strike on the NPP.[67] www.understandingwar.org/... Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 80 drones over Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts x If you call Zelensky a dictator, you're insulting the entire Ukrainian people. Ukrainians are literally famous for toppling dictators. This war is happening precisely because they ousted one 11 years ago, and they've been bleeding terribly for it ever since.



[image or embed] — WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 21, 2025 at 4:32 AM x x YouTube Video Key Takeaways: The Financial Times (FT) published an investigation on February 20 supporting ISW's long-held assessment that Russian military commanders are either complicit in or directly enabling subordinates to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) in clear violation of international law.

FT's investigation suggests that more senior Russian commanders may also be complicit in issuing orders to execute Ukrainian POWs.

Senior Ukrainian intelligence officials reported that North Korean forces are conducting joint operations with Russian forces in Kursk Oblast and are gaining new combat capabilities.

US Special Representative for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on February 20.

The Kremlin is likely attempting to portray the People's Republic of China (PRC) as more aligned with its stance on the war in Ukraine than the PRC is willing to publicly message.

Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk and Velyka Novosilka.

Russia is reportedly increasing its production of glide bombs and modernizing its cruise missiles.

https://t.co/fIvJCevFeK Russian forces continued offensive operations in Kursk Oblast on February 20 but did not make any confirmed advances. Russian forces continued ground attacks northwest of Sudzha near Lebedevka, north of Sudzha near Pogrebki, southeast of Sudzha near Guyevo, and south of Sudzha near Kurilovka on February 19 and 20.[20] The commander of a Ukrainian platoon operating in Kursk Oblast stated on February 20 stated that Russian forces are using significantly fewer vehicles and are conducting infantry assaults comprised of lower quality personnel and wounded servicemembers.[23] Order of Battle: Elements of the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet) and 56th Airborne (VDV) Regiment (7th VDV Division) are reportedly operating in Kursk Oblast, and drone operators of the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment (72nd Motorized Rifle Division, 44th Army Corps [AC], Leningrad Military District [LMD]) are reportedly operating near Sudzha.[24] www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/...

x We have this triptyke of data: A ship from St Petersburg shows typical slowdowns over an area of cables to Gotland where SE coast guard is now active. A very candidate. But it does not rhyme at all with all statements about C-Lion and it is partly in Sweden proper (not only EEZ) Tnx anon follower



[image or embed] — auonsson (@auonsson.bsky.social) February 21, 2025 at 4:42 AM

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