On February 24, Russia declared war on Ukraine. The fighting has been going on for three days. The Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that Russia is engaging now reserve troops and is transferring them to the Ukrainian border.
Zaborona gathers all the main news from Ukraine into big texts. Here are the latest news about the events of February 25 – in the morning and in the afternoon. We also try to promptly inform about the most important news on our website and in the Telegram.
Military action
According to the Luhansk regional head, two bridges in the village of Novoaydar were blown up, and the town of Shchastya was 80% destroyed. In other settlements in the demarcation zone, residential buildings and public infrastructure are damaged.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian air defense forces shot down an IL-76 with enemy troops near Vasylkiv. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny said that this was revenge for 2014 in Luhansk.
Around midnight, two enemy targets, a helicopter and a Su-25 attack aircraft of the Russian occupation forces, were shot down by the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system of the Air Force of Ukraine in the area of the Joint Forces operation.
“Kyiv Phantom”: the pilot of the Ukrainian MiG-29. During 30 hours of defending Kyiv, the Ukrainian pilot dealt with 6 Russian fighter jets.
Fighting continued in Vasylkiv near Kyiv as of 5:18 on February 26. Russian troops fired missiles, reported by the mayor of the city Natalia Balasynovych on TV “1+1”.
“It’s really really hot on Dekabrystiv Street (where the air base is located). This is the central street of our city. We get constant rocket firing. A lot of enemy troops landed in the fields throughout the community, and are fiercely fighting the soldiers of our 40th brigade”, said Balasynovych. Among the Ukrainian military there are wounded and dead.
In Kyiv, 60 Russian saboteurs were killed in one day, said Viktor Andrusiv, an adviser to the Interior Minister. In addition, “dozens of marking fans” were detained.
Shots, explosions and machine-gun fire were heard in the area of Shulyavka and the Zoo at night.
As of 04.20, on February 26 city Mykolaiv was defended against the attack. The air defense repelled the attack. In Ochakiv troops didn’t land, reported the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Administration Vitaly Kim.
Kyiv, 3:30. Enemy is attacking the military unit near the Beresteiska metro station. Strikes are inflicted on the military unit B0331 located there. There is also 101st separate brigade securing the General Staff. At 4:15, the attack was stopped and the bridge was blown up. An enemy column was destroyed at the Beresteiska metro.
“2 cars, 2 trucks with bk, a tank. Everything is calm,we got them all,” write the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In the morning of February 25, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fought fierce battles with the occupiers over Kherson and the bridge across the Dnipro.
The crossing several times changed hands. In the afternoon there were reports that the city had surrendered, but soon the situation changed. In the evening, Ukrainian air forces struck a powerful bombardment attack on the accumulation of Russian armored vehicles. The enemy withdrew, the city was returned to the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
As of 5:33 on February 26, the Russian military has seized the Kipti-Bachivsk highway in the Sumy region, preventing civilians from entering the road. There is no passenger service in the region, in particular by rail.
In Kyiv, near the Beresteiska metro station on Peremohy Avenue, the 101st Brigade destroyed a column of the enemy – two trucks, two cars and a tank.
The State Service of Special Communications spoke about the consequences of the war for its units, which were among the first to be attacked by the aggressor. Sergeant Oleg Kamza was killed. Lt. Col. Serhiy Klepikov, Captain Denis Sorokolita, and Senior Sergeant Vasyl Lishchuk were wounded. Master Sergeant Valery Yaroshchuk went missing.
Operational data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 6:00 on February 26:
– The occupiers continue the offensive against Ukraine.
– Russia has begun deploying reserve units to the border areas with Ukraine.
– Single missile strikes in Sumy, Poltava and Mariupol.
– Air strikes were registered in the areas of Yuzhny and Odessa, as well as at Ozerne airfield in Zhytomyr region.
– In the Kharkiv region the attack was stopped, but defensive battles continued.
– In the Koblevo area, a boat and up to 20 personnel of the enemy’s SRG (Sabotage and reconnaissance group) were destroyed.
– The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed an IL-76MD military transport aircraft with Russian occupation troops.
– The enemy’s manpower and military equipment are hit in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Kherson regions.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe reaction of the authorities
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine clarified which categories of men are not subject to restrictions on exiting the country during the general mobilization. Those people are, who:
- have a certificate of deferment of conscription and notification of enrollment in special military registration;
- have the conclusion of the military medical commission on unfitness;
- are raising three or more children under the age of 18;
- those who are raising a child or children under the age of 18 on their own;
- raising a child with a disability;
- those who are adoptive parents;
- those who are guardians;
- whose close relatives died or went missing during the anti-terrorist operation.
The NBU (National Bank of Ukraine) has decided to revoke the banking license and liquidate banks under Russian control, according to the Telegram Channel of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. We are talking about JSC “International Reserve Bank”, which is 100% owned by PJSC “Sberbank of Russia” and PJSC “Prominvestbank”, which is 99.77% owned by the State Development Corporation “WEB.RF”.
Help
Ukrainians donated 77 million hryvnias to the needs of the Ukrainian army through the eSupport (єПідтримка) program.
Mobile operators in Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Slovakia, Northern Macedonia, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina have canceled payments for phone calls to Ukraine in solidarity with our country and its people.
The convoy of ammunition from Poland arrived in Ukraine, said the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Poland Mariusz Blaszczak: “We support and are in solidarity with the Ukrainians, we strongly oppose Russian aggression.”
Pedestrian crossing have also been expanded along the border with Poland
As of February 25, all road checkpoints on the border with Poland in the L’viv region, as well as at the checkpoint “Ustyluh” in Volyn, will allow people to cross the border on foot, according to the State Border Service of Ukraine.
Ukrzaliznytsia continues to work.
– trains to the east and west of the country from Kiev are delayed due to changes in routes and schedules of safe routes.
– so far only the high-speed train to Kostiantynivka has been canceled.
– Intercity+ 705 and 715 will go to Lviv instead of Przemyśl and return to Kyiv.
– trains to Vinnytsia and Khmelnytsky will depart from the suburban (Prymiska) station after 11:00.
– Vinnytsia: evacuation diesel train DPKr is preparing to be sent to Lviv, shuttle train.
– Lviv: trains to Przemyśl are shuttling one after another, boarding according to a live queue.
– Kharkiv: long-distance passenger trains depart on schedule, there may be a delay in the arrival of 141/142 (113/114) Bakhmut-Lviv. Additionally, evacuation trains at 11:00 and 13:00.
International reaction
NATO: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that NATO’s agreements with Russia no longer work. He also promised that the alliance would supply Ukraine with air defense systems and additional weapons.
United Kingdom: Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the United Kingdom is imposing sanctions on Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He also called on NATO member states to take immediate steps to exclude Russia from the SWIFT system, quoting “inflicting maximum pain on President Putin and his regime.”
This afternoon I urged @NATO leaders to take immediate action against SWIFT to inflict maximum pain on President Putin and his regime.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 25, 2022
The UK will introduce sanctions against Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov imminently, on top of the sanctions package already announced. pic.twitter.com/VWEwGyPH5j
China: The country’s two largest state-owned banks will limit funding for Russian raw materials.
Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, Chevrolet have decided to stop shipping Russian cars from February 24. Volkswagen, Skoda and Land Rover plan to do the same.
Kazakhstan: rejected Russia’s request to join the offensive on Ukraine.
Director David Lynch supported Ukraine and called on Vladimir Putin to end the war against Ukraine in his video blog.
“If I could say something to President Vladimir Putin, I would say this: we are treated ourselves the way we treat other people. And there is a law of nature – a complex and fast law – which cannot be avoided. This law is – you will reap what you sow. Now, Mr. Putin, you are sowing death and destruction. And it’s all up to you. Ukrainians did not attack your country. You went and attacked their country. There is still a lot of time – many more lives – for you to reap what you sow. ”
Russian State Duma deputy from the Communist Party Mikhail Matveev has publicly spoken out against the war. “By voting for the recognition of DNR / LNR, I voted for peace, not for war, for not bombing Donbass, not for bombing Kyiv,” he said.
Even the American singer Madonna supported Ukraine. “We support you, President Zelensky! We pray for you and your country! Bless you all!” – she wrote on her Instagram.
