Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrew from Avdiivka and Zelenskyy attended Security Conference - Weekend brief
Collage by RBC-Ukraine
The Ukrainian military withdrew from Avdiivka, Donetsk region, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the Munich Security Conference.
More details on what happened over the weekend can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
Russia's war against Ukraine
News for February 17:
- Explosions occurred in Belgorod and Kursk;
- Large fire in Izhevsk, Russia: Drones potentially manufactured in shopping center;
- Air Force destroyed three Russian fighters.
News for February 18:
- Russian aviation struck its own positions in Avdiivka area;
- Alleged Ukrainian drone destroyed over Voronezh, Russia;
- Ukrainian defenders destroyed another Russian Su-34.
Munich Security Conference
The Munich Security Conference kicked off on Friday, February 16. More than 150 world leaders gathered in Germany to discuss global security issues. Assistance to Ukraine was one of the main topics.
President Zelenskyy also took part in the Munich conference. He spoke at the conference on Saturday, February 17.
The main statements of the President about Avdiivka, mobilization and Putin - in the RBC-Ukraine article.
Assistance to Ukraine announced
On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Czech President Petr Pavel said that Prague had found 800,000 155- and 122-caliber shells around the world that could be transferred to Ukraine in the coming weeks.
And Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced her decision to transfer all the artillery her country has in stock to Ukraine.
In addition, in Munich, the Ukrainian delegation signed an agreement with the German company Rheinmetall to open a plant for the production of shells in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrawal from Avdiivka
On the night of February 17, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the decision to withdraw Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka, which was under threat of being surrounded by the enemy.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy called the decision to withdraw from Avdiivka correct and professional, but criticized the allies for not helping Ukraine properly, which led to this situation.
More about the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Avdiivka and how it may affect the frontline - in RBC-Ukraine's article.
Polish protesters tried to block railroad on border with Ukraine
Polish farmers protesting on the border with Ukraine tried to block the work of the railroad at the Dorohusk checkpoint today, reports the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
At 9 a.m. today, Polish farmers blocked truck traffic in both directions at the Dorohusk checkpoint. In addition, despite promises to allow perishable, dangerous or humanitarian cargo, the protesters did not allow any truck to cross the border.
After that, from 15:30 to 17:30, the protesters tried to block the railroad tracks, but were prevented by the police.
"At present, train traffic is running as usual," customs officials said.
Zelenskyy reveals agreements with several countries on security assurances
Ukraine has agreements with several other countries to conclude a security assurance deal. Such documents have already been signed with Britain, Germany, and France, states Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We have three agreements. Today we had a conversation with several other countries, and we have an agreement on security arrangements. We even specified some nuances where there were questions or disagreements. Several more deals have been agreed upon. We will increase these security assurances," Zelenskyy said in an interview following his participation in the Munich Security Conference.
Zelenskyy also noted that the Ukrainian and American teams are already working on an agreement between Ukraine and the United States.
France to hand over kamikaze drones to Ukraine in coming weeks
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, in an interview with Journal du Dimanche, stated that France will supply Ukraine with state-of-the-art kamikaze drones.
He noted that France is developing kamikaze drones, which are currently experimental.
"In the coming weeks, Ukraine will be among the first to receive these unmanned aerial vehicles. This also presents an opportunity for combat testing of this new generation of equipment," said Lecornu.
