UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
The Washington Post reports that due to political dysfunction in Washington, US aid to Ukraine will be allocated too late to prevent disaster. The Biden administration fears that in the best-case scenario, numerous lives may already be lost this year, while in the worst case, the front line could collapse.
According to the article, Ukrainian politicians have informed European and American officials that ammunition for some of their air defense systems could be nearly depleted by the end of March. [may you ROT Johnson!]
According to analysis conducted by German intelligence services, Russia is undergoing significant military reorganization, troop movements, and missile deployments in its western regions, accompanied by increased weapons production. This indicates preparations for a large-scale conflict with the West.
Business Insider reports that German intelligence suggests there is a possibility of Russia launching an attack on at least part of NATO's territory, such as the Baltic states or Finland, starting from 2026. It's important to note that these assessments have not been publicly confirmed by German services.
Scholz announced that proceeds from frozen Russian assets would be allocated to support Ukraine during a press conference in Berlin.
Furthermore, the German Chancellor revealed plans to establish a coalition of Ukrainian allies for the procurement of long-range weapons.
Portugal has committed to allocating €100 million to support the Czech initiative aimed at purchasing shells for Ukraine.
This contribution adds to the funds previously pledged by countries such as Sweden, Norway, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada, France, and Belgium. According to reports from the Financial Times, Prague aims to raise a total of $1.5 billion for the ammunition purchase initiative. [last summary was that they were at about 300,000 but significantly more money has come in since]
NATO members perceive Putin's nuclear threats as a tactic to divert attention from the conflict in Ukraine. Nevertheless, this rhetoric has prompted alliance leaders to enhance their nuclear capabilities, reports Foreign Policy. [Oh, the Russia effect. Just like they've managed to expand NATO]
Ukraine is preparing to create a new branch of the military: The Drone Forces. One of the prototypes is the 411 Separate UAV Batallion, also called the 411 HAWKS. Founded a year ago, the Hawks are one of the first to work exclusively with drones, from standard FPVs to large bombers
The Security Service of Ukraine has successfully halted deliveries of components for the Shahed UAVs and cruise missiles. Head of the Department of Cyber Security, Vityuk, disclosed that cyber specialists intercepted the supply of materials, preventing the production of 1,600 Shaheds and 4,000 microcircuits for cruise missiles.
Additionally, Vityuk highlighted that cyber specialists are actively engaged on the front lines, targeting the enemy's electronic warfare and reconnaissance systems, and intercepting enemy drones responsible for coordinating missile and artillery strikes against Ukrainian defense forces.
On the first day of the presidential vote in Russia, numerous violations and incidents were reported at polling stations:
▫️ Observers in Moscow documented several instances of voters being photographed with ballots, presumably for some form of reporting.
▫️ A suspicious stack of ballots was captured on camera, with one ballot box containing neatly stacked ballots, raising concerns.
▫️ Ballot boxes in Moscow and the Voronezh region were observed to be filled with green ballots.
▫️ An elderly resident of Moscow set fire to a voting booth in the capital.
▫️ In Khanty-Mansiysk, volunteer Polina Zmanovskaya, who was conducting an exit poll for the Civil Initiative party (which nominated the sole anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin), was detained near a polling station.
▫️ In Kamchatka, the turnout at polling stations in the first 7 hours of voting was reported to be 25%, while electronic voting saw nearly 80% turnout, according to the local election commission. Abnormally high turnout rates were also noted in other Far Eastern regions, with nearly 30% voting in the Sakhalin region and 38% in Magadan by 3:00 PM local time.
Around 800 Russians who lack the legal right to remain in Latvia will be deported, announced Madara Puke, a representative of the Migration Department.
Ukrainian teaching officers have successfully completed a training course with American instructors, focusing on maneuver warfare and rapid decision-making.
The course, which centered on the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), took place at a military educational institution. I
🛒 Household appliance manufacturers such as Electrolux, Tefal, Braun, and Rowenta have begun actively restricting product deliveries to Russia through parallel imports, including sales on Kommersant marketplaces.
Additionally, the list of products exempt from intellectual property protection requirements in Russia has expanded to include brands producing pumps, fans, and compressors (Soler & Palau, Vortice, Air System), mining equipment (Dewalt, Epiroc, Husqvarna), as well as cosmetics, perfumery, and clothing.
According to the Associated Press, tens of thousands of people gathered in Budapest, Hungary's capital, to protest against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government.
The Ukrainian national team secured 79 medals at the US Air Force and Marine Corps Trials held in Las Vegas, as reported by Suspilne.
A house in Lviv 8 months after a Russian missile hit, which killed 10 people