War In Ukraine: Results Of The Second Day Of The Russian Operation

UKRAINE/RUSSIA: The Russian Defense Ministry has reported that a large number of weapons supplied by Western countries to Ukraine in the last few months have been seized.

Russian forces have taken out 211 military facilities of Ukraine’s military infrastructure, including 17 control points and communication centers, 19 S-300 and “Osa” air defense systems, and 39 radar stations. Six combat aircraft, one helicopter and five unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down, and 67 tanks and other armored combat vehicles and 16 multiple rocket launchers were destroyed.

Direct strike from the ultra-low altitude of the Russian attack helicopter, likely Mi-24, with unguided air-to-surface missiles:

By the evening of February 25, DPR units had broken through the defenses of of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) and the nationalist battalions, advanced up to 25 km and reached Volnovakha.

The LPR armed forces advanced up to 21 km and captured Tryohizbenka.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces surrendered Starobelsk and Severodonets without a fight. The UAF are reportedly preparing evacuation from Ugledar in the DPR. According to several reports, Zelensky ordered some UAF units to leave the frontlines near the DPR and LPR and to move to Kiev and Kharkiv to help hold these directions. This information may be the reason of the withdrawal of the UAF from Starobelsk and Severodonetsk in the LPR.

The withdrawal of the UAF from these areas was expected in the coming days, as Russian troops advancing from Crimea were coming to the rear of the grouping in Donbass, threatening to encircle most of the Ukrainian forces. Accordingly, it was expected that part of the UAF units would retreat to Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv, while some units would retreat to Mariupol, if possible, to reinforce the city’s garrison. At the same time, the speed of retreat measures from heavily fortified positions demonstrates that priorities have probably changed.

The video reportedly showing the outermost houses in the settlement of Starobelsk was shared by local sources. It is not clear who struck the settlement. It could be either the Russian side, which tried to hit the retreating enemy forces, or the Ukrainian units, which tried to cut off the advancing Russian troops. At the same time, there are no signs of destroyed equipment or manpower of any of the warring sides.

The Russian units that occupied Severodonetsk allowed the Ukrainian units to conduct a military evacuation from the city on trucks without heavy military equipment.

In the late evening of February 25, there were fightings in the Kharkiv industrial zone on the southeastern outskirts of the city. The Russian Air Force destroyed an UAF fuel and lubrication base in the city’s industrial zone. The Kharkiv Tank Factory was set on fire.

By midnight, fightings near Kherson and Kharkiv subsided. Fighting continued in Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Chernihiv regions.
Sporadic fire exchanges have been breaking out in Melitopol. On February 25, a full-fledged offensive on Zaporizhia and Mykolaiv has not yet succeeded with Russian forces.

The UAF is also using civilian infrastructure in other cities: in particular, a school building in Mariupol has been allocated for the group’s headquarters. The city’s buildings, including multi-story buildings, are saturated with military equipment and firing positions of Ukrainian units. The civilian population’s way out of the city is blocked.

On the night of February 26, active firing of anti-aircraft guns by the Ukrainian armed forces was observed in Odessa.

A missile strike hit the Starokonstantinov airfield in Khmelnitsky Oblast, where the Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UAVs purchased from Turkey are based.

Near Kiev, the offensive halted at the Irpen-Bucha line, and fighting resumed by midnight. The use of Kalibr missiles was reported. The Ukrainian command prepares Kiev to defend itself and deploys artillery and military equipment deep into the city. In recent hours, gunfire has been heard in many areas of the city, including the center. There is video evidence showing that the uncontrolled distribution of weapons has led to a sharp increase in criminal activity in the city. Ukrainian security forces are attempting to disarm the gangs whenever possible, to the detriment of the city’s defense capabilities.

Throughout February 25, despite advances, Russian units continued to suffer losses, especially to rear columns. Several artillery and supply columns were destroyed in the Kharkov and Kherson regions and on the approaches to Kiev. All of the destroyed units moved in the tactical depths of the advancing Russian forces.

Apparently, the reason for this combative approach lies in the order to act as if they are in neutral or even friendly territory occupied by the “enemy”.

It seems that the Russian command falsely perceives 2022 as 2014, forgetting about the eight years of what they themselves label as nationalist propaganda. Today, the majority of Ukraine’s population treats the Russians as enemies. The exceptions are the southeastern, southern, and partially southwestern regions of the country.