Ukraine-Russia war: Zelensky makes decoys after counter-offensive plans leaked to Moscow
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Ukraine’s counter-offensive plans were leaked to Russia last year, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
In a startling admission at a press conference marking the second anniversary of the war, the Ukrainian president said the plans “were on the Kremlin’s table” before the long-awaited offensive began.
Kyiv’s forces made little progress against heavy Russian defences despite being provided with billions of dollars in Western weaponry.
The Ukrainian president said “several plans” for a new offensive are now being drawn up to fool Moscow if they are leaked again. He gave no further details on what was leaked to Russia.
Earlier this year, Mr Zelensky ordered a reshuffle of his top brass which included replacing the popular commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny.
In Kyiv, Mr Zelensky also issued an emotional appeal for Western allies to step up military aid, saying large numbers of soldiers would die without it.
“Whether Ukraine will lose, whether it will be very difficult for us and whether there will be a large number of casualties depends on you, on our partners, in the Western world,“ he said.
Striking a hopeful note, he said he was “sure” that Congress would approve a stalled $60bn aid package, despite little sign that Republicans are prepared to drop their objections.
“If we can’t count on the support of the US I am not sure what world we are living in,” Mr Zelensky added, warning that Ukraine would cease to exist as a country if it lost the war.
The president’s remarks came after Rusten Umerov, Ukraine’s defence minister, said half of all Western military aid was delayed and Russia was gaining territory as a result.
“At the moment, commitment does not constitute delivery,“ Mr Umerov said. “Fifty per cent of commitments are not delivered on time.”
This means that Kyiv will “lose people, lose territories”.
In his lengthy question-and-answer session, Mr Zelensky said that four brigades were unable to take part in Ukraine’s counter-offensive last year as promised Western supplies did not arrive in time.
Ukraine had a “fist prepared” but soldiers were forced to “sit and wait.”
Ukraine death toll
Announcing Ukraine’s first official death toll, he also said that only 31,000 soldiers had died in the war to date, “not 300,000 or 150,000 or whatever Putin and his lying circle are saying”.
Western officials have estimated a total around 70,000 and Ukrainian sources said that Mr Zelensky’s figure did not include many missing in action who are likely deceased.
But the president admitted that Russian forces on the battlefield are currently outnumbering Ukraine’s by a factor of seven-to-one.
He denied that the current situation on the battlefield was the weakest for Ukraine since Russian troops threatened Kyiv two years ago, saying that would only come if Kyiv’s unity collapsed.
“Now is the most difficult moment for our unity, and if we all fall apart, from the outside and God forbid inside, then this will be the weakest moment. It has not happened yet,” he said.
On the subject of potential peace negotiations with Moscow, Mr Zelensky reiterated he would not talk directly to Vladimir Putin.
“Can you talk to a deaf person?” he said. “Can you talk to a man who kills his opponents?”
Russian society disappointing
Alexei Navalny, the chief foe of Vladimir Putin, died in an Arctic prison this month.
Addressing the death of the opposition leader, Mr Zelensky said the reaction inside the country was a let-down, asking “where’s the response from Russian society”.
As fears rise of an all-out war between Russia and Nato, Mr Zelensky said European societies were not prepared for conflict.
“Putin is not only our enemy he’s the enemy of all of Europe,” he said “I think they [European societies] at least understand he will continue this war anyway.”
Within Europe, military supplies are no issue, he added: “The question is your societies are not ready to fight.”
Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, will attend a gathering of world leaders in Paris on Monday aimed at countering the narrative that Russia is certain to win the war.
Élysée Palace
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has invited his European counterparts to the Élysée palace for a working meeting announced at short notice because of what his advisers say is an escalation in Russian aggression over the past few weeks.
“We want to send Putin a very clear message, that he won’t win in Ukraine,” a presidential adviser told reporters in a briefing.
“Our goal is to crush this idea he wants us to believe that he would be somehow winning.”
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, will attend, along with the prime ministers of Spain and the Netherlands.
04:31 PM GMT
Ukraine unity at ‘most difficult point’
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Ukraine had reached the hardest point for maintaining the unity crucial to sustaining the war effort
“Now is the most difficult moment for our unity, and if we all fall apart, from the outside and God forbid inside, then this will be the weakest moment. It has not happened yet,” the Ukrainian leader told a news conference in Kyiv.
His comments come after the president appointed a new army chief, appointing General Oleksandr Syrskyi in place of the popular general Zaluzhny.
The decision was viewed as a potential source of division within Ukrainian military circles and comes at a time when Russia is making military advances on Ukraine’s eastern front.
04:14 PM GMT
Zelensky: ‘This year will define the ending of this war’
President Zelensky has said 2024 will be the year that defines the end of the Ukraine war.
The first year was a year of survival, the second year was about resilience (of the economy, gdp). The third year could be a turning year. […] this year will define the ending of this war,” he said.
“In this turning year, we need courage; we need resilience. This year will provide the format for the ending of this war.”
04:08 PM GMT
Where's the response from Russian society over Navalny, asks Zelensky
President Zelensky has called out Russian society for failing to respond adequately following the death of Alexei Navalny.
The death of the imprisoned Russian opposition leader in an arctic circle penal colony last week was met with widespread condemnation from Western leaders, with many placing the blame squarely with Vladimir Putin.
Addressing the death of Navalny, Zelensky asked the audience at a press conference: “Where’s the response from Russian society?”
The president repeated his accusation that “the Kremlin has killed” Navalny but accused Moscow of indifference.
“They don’t care. They are kind of blinded,” he said.
04:00 PM GMT
Zelensky: Money is Putin's priority
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the West to impose more stringent financial sanctions on Vladimir Putin and his allies, claiming that “money is always [Putin’s] priority”.
“He tries to ensure security of his money. So I think the sweet spot surely is the public opinion and about businesses who fear losing him,” he said.
Addressing the prospect of ramping up sanctions on Putin’s supporters, Zelensky added: “It would be bloodless and very to the point.”
03:51 PM GMT
Zelensky: 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed
Pesident Volodymyr Zelensky said that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago, giving the first official figure for more than a year.
Zelensky told a news conference in Kyiv that he could not disclose the number of wounded because it would help Russian military planning.
“31,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed in this war. Not 300,000, not 150,000 ... (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is lying there ... But nevertheless, this is a big loss for us,” he said.
Ukraine has not put a number to its military losses since the end of 2022, when presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the invasion on February 24.
Russia does not disclose military losses, which it regards as secret.
03:48 PM GMT
Zelensky: Germany crucial for providing weapons
Asked whether Germany could provide Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles, President Zelensky lauded the significance of German aid, suggesting it could follow the example of the US.
“The United States then Germany. This is how it always goes,” he said. “The order of precedence in respect of certain weapons has always been like that.
“When the US make a certain move ahead, then we could use it as an example with talks with others.
“As I have optimism regarding the US, I think we will get results everywhere.”
03:43 PM GMT
Zelensky calls on the West for aid
03:35 PM GMT
Zelensky: ‘European societies not ready to fight'
President Zelensky said fellow European societies are “not ready to fight”.
“The question is not in munitions...the question is your societies are not ready to fight. And you will see, god bless, that Putin will not come to you.”
Asked whether the attitude is changing in Europe with regard to providing aid to Ukraine, President Zelensky said that Europe is “shifting”.
“Their attitude to Ukraine in this war. I think they at least understood that it is dangerous for them. Putin is not only our enemy he’s the enemy of all of Europe. I think they are at least understood he will continue this war anyway.”
03:21 PM GMT
Zelensky: Ukraine reliant on US
Asked if Ukraine can trust US Congress, President Zelensky said: “If we can’t count on the US I will be wondering what world I am living in.”
02:46 PM GMT
Ukraine floats possibility of a peace summit
Ukraine and its foreign partners could invite Russia to a peace summit to discuss an end to Moscow’s two-year-old invasion on Kyiv’s terms, a senior Ukrainian official has said.
Switzerland will host a summit to discuss a vision for peace as outlined by Volodymyr Zelensky, which could be handed to Russia during a second meeting at a later date, said Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky’s chief of staff.
“There can be a situation in which we together invite representatives of the Russian Federation, where they will be presented with the plan in case whoever is representing the aggressor country at that time will want to genuinely end this war and return to a just peace,” he said during a televised conference in Kyiv.
Zelensky first announced his peace formula at a November 2022 summit of the Group of 20 major economies. It calls for restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and a total withdrawal of Russian troops.
Kyiv has maintained that it would not speak with Moscow until all Russian troops have left Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has said there is no current basis for peace talks.
02:15 PM GMT
Listen: Ukraine the Latest podcast
01:41 PM GMT
Watch: Interview with Lieutenant General Budanov
01:25 PM GMT
Encounter: David Knowles meets Gen. Budanov
Sitting in the centre of the stage, Kyrill Budanov, Ukraine’s spy chief, scans the room. His feets are planted apart, closed fists resting on the armchair. With close cropped brown hair and a fresh face there’s little indication of the responsibility laden on one of Ukraine’s most effective intelligence operators.
Charismatic and calm, he’s the centre of attention for journalists. Cameras and reporters clutching dictaphones fall over themselves to record a few seconds of questions.
This close, I can see his wedding ring. Budanov’s wife was poisoned several months ago by suspected Russian agents. The other day, he told my colleague Dominic Nicholls that he knew who the suspects were and vowed revenge.
Asked what must be done in the case of inferior numbers of weapons, Budanov speaks softly. “In 21st century it’s high time you go from quantity to quality,” he says.
The focus of the panel is Ukraine’s Peace Formula, and Budanov is asked which three forms of influence will make sure Russia is compliant with the peace formula.
“Concentration of efforts, maintaining unity in international support to unity for Ukraine, number three, all depends on us,” he says.
12:58 PM GMT
Pictured: Ukrainians commemorate the dead
12:31 PM GMT
Pope calls for diplomatic solution to the war
Pope Francis has called for a “diplomatic solution” to the war in Ukraine that would lead to a “just and lasting peace”.
“So many victims, wounded, destruction, anguish, and tears in a period that is becoming terribly long and whose end is not in sight. It is a war that not only devastates that region but also unleashes global waves of hate and fear”, Pope Francis said during his weekly Angelus message.
“I plead for that little bit of humanity to be found to create the conditions for a diplomatic solution in search of a just and lasting peace”, he said.
Heads of the Group of Seven major democracies on Saturday pledged to stand by war-weary Ukraine, and Western leaders travelled to Kyiv to show solidarity on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
“I join the bishops in their call to pray for peace, hoping for an end to the clashes and a search for genuine and constructive dialogue”, he said.
12:21 PM GMT
Russia ‘builds first unmanned naval drone’
Moscow has developed its first unmanned naval drones, the Russian news outlet MASH reported.
Called the “Alfina”, it is a surface one-way attack drone that uses artificial intelligence, MASH said.
The drones, which are thought to cost around one million rubles (£8,500) each, reportedly have a top speed of 60kmph, a range of 500km and can carry up to 200kg of explosives.
If confirmed, the naval drone would provide Russia with a similar weapon to Ukraine’s Magura V5 sea drone recently used to sink the Russian landing ship the Caesar Kunikov.
12:02 PM GMT
Ukrainian trade soars thanks to Black Sea dominance, says MoD
Ukrainian trade in the Black Sea is thriving as persistent missile attacks have forced Russia’s navy to reassess its approach, the Ministry of Defence reported.
In its daily report, the department outline how the ongoing success of Ukrainian attacks, including the sinking of the Ivanovets and the Caesar Kunikov in recent weeks, have forced Moscow to relocate its Black Sea Fleet to the eastern parts of the sea.
This has prevented Russia from interfering with Ukraine’s maritime trade routes, the MoD said.
Despite the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had been viewed as essential for maintaining trade for Kyiv, Ukraine’s dominance in the western Black Sea has allowed it to deliver higher trade volumes than under the BSGI, “putting them on par with pre-war levels”, it said.
11:43 AM GMT
Russians ‘occupy’ village near Avdiivka
Russian troops have occupied a village near Avdiivka, Ukrainian media reported.
Russian forces have captured the village of Lastochkyne, four miles west of Avdiivka, as they continue their advance in the Donetsk region on Ukraine’s eastern front, Ukrainian MilBlogger Deep State reported.
“The enemy occupied Lastochkyne. [Russians] continue to put pressure on Severny and Orlivka,” it said on Telegram, referring to two nearby settlements.
Russia’s defence ministry said its forces have taken more advantageous positions in settlements near Avdiivka and have rebuffed seven Ukrainian counterattacks.
Earlier, a Ukrainian soldier from the 24th Aidar battalion reported that Ukrainian units had to withdraw from Lastochkyne to avoid blocking logistics paths and to preserve personnel.
According to Russian MillBlogger War Gonzo, Russian troops attacked Ukrainian forces in Lastochkyne from the north and east using long-range weapons.
The capture of Avdiivka earlier this month marked Russia’s most consequential territorial game since seizing Bakhmut last year.
11:28 AM GMT
Swipe: Avdiivka before and after
11:04 AM GMT
Ukraine projects optimism despite shell hunger
David Knowles, from Kyiv
Against a stylish blue backdrop and a detailed set of slides detailing increased production of everything from drones to missiles, top Ukrainian ministers, from Defence Minister Rustem Umerov to Minister Of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kamyshin, set out their work and plans for the year ahead
There are smiles, handshakes and a few hugs. The language is more reminiscent of a Davos panel than a nation at war. There’s talk of stakeholders, start-ups, miltech and ‘real time mode’.
There is, of course, some good news. The Ukrainian economy is growing, the country’s innovative naval drones are defeating the Russian Black Sea Fleet and, this winter, the Russian assault on Ukrainian infrastructure has broadly failed. In Kyiv, the lights have stayed on.
A stranger observing this might conclude that, although the nation faces many problems, things aren’t going too awfully and that the country is ready for the next challenges.
But it’s a dangerous strategy. The Ukrainian government is desperate to show how imaginatively and effectively it is responding to the challenges of the war, from continued strikes against infrastructure, to recalcitrant allies and an uncertain future for military support.
Positivity is needed for Ukrainians themselves, for whom years of brutal war are taking a heavy toll.
But this positivity risks obscuring important truths. That the shell hunger is severely restricting the ability of Ukrainian soldiers to fight back against Russia’s army, that many are worried about the quality of the fortifications the army is building to thwart the next Russian push across the front. The Telegraph has been told that the lack of munitions is the greatest problem for front line soldiers and that it risks the Russian army making further gains in the future.
To put it another way, watching these ‘panel sessions’ and absorbing the upbeat tone, it’s increasingly clear why the former commander in chief, General Zaluzhny, was fired from his position at the head of the army.
Time will tell whether this communication strategy will work. It certainly feels a long way from this smooth, glitzy conference to the front-lines, where soldiers wonder when the help they desperately need will come.
10:47 AM GMT
Kyiv slams Kremlin ‘disinformation campaign’ over Transnistria
Ukraine’s intelligence bureau has accused the Kremlin of spreading fake news over a potential annexation of Transnistria.
This follows reports published in Moldovan media and by the Institute for the Study of War that said Transnistria may later this month organise a referendum on annexation by Russia to facilitate a Russian operation against Moldova.
“Transnistria at their congress do not plan to appeal to the Russian dictator Putin with a request to join the Russian Federation.” the GUR wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian intelligence has dismissed this suggestion as “disinformation” spread by Russia, stating: “spreading information about such intentions bears all the signs of a deliberate disinformation campaign aimed at destabiliing the situation in the region.”
the ISW reported earlier this month that the Kremlin is using the same rhetoric towards Moldova as it used before its invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022. It states that this is likely intended “to set conditions to justify possible future Russian escalation against Moldova”.
10:05 AM GMT
Polls open in Belarus amid calls for boycott
Polls opened yesterday in Belarus’ tightly controlled parliamentary and local elections that are set to reaffirm the iron grip on power of Alexander Lukashenko.
President Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for nearly 30 years, accused the West of trying to use the vote to “destabilise” his government, as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader, urged voters to boycott the elections, which he described as a “senseless farce”.
“There are no people on the ballot who would offer real changes because the regime only has allowed puppets convenient for it to take part,” Mr Tsikhanouskaya said in a video statement.
Yesterday’s balloting is the first election in Belarus since the 2020 vote than handed Lukashenko his sixth term in officer and triggered an unprecedented wave of mass demonstrations that swept the country for months, leading to 35,000 arrests.
Mr Lukashenko has been one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
09:47 AM GMT
Sunak calls for the transfer of frozen assets to Ukraine
Rishi Sunak has backed calls to send Ukraine billions of pounds in interest from frozen Russian assets, the Sunday Times reported.
The prime minister said he also wanted to be “bolder” in seizing assets themselves, following on from Foreign Office meetings in recent weeks to discuss legal routes for seizing Russian central bank reserves, which have been frozen since February 2022.
Writing for the paper, Mr Sunak said: “We must be bolder in hitting the Russian war economy … And we must be bolder in seizing the hundreds of billions of frozen Russian assets.
“That starts with taking the billions in interest these assets are collecting and sending it to Ukraine instead. And then, with the G7, we must find lawful ways to seize the assets themselves and get those funds to Ukraine too.”
09:30 AM GMT
Ukraine army chief visits front line
Ukraine’s top general has visited the front line to analyse the battlefield and boost defences.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine’s newly appointed army chief, paid a visit to Ukraine’s embattled troops along with the country’s defence minister, Rustem Umerov, as Kyiv struggles to stave off Russian forces along the sprawling eastern front.
“We analyzed the current situation in detail and discussed the necessary further steps, primarily the protection of troops from drones and strikes by aerial bombs as well as the strengthening of certain areas of the front,” Gen. Syrskyi posted on Telegram along with images of himself and Mr Umerov meeting commanders.
Gen Syrskyi, who did not say when the visit took place, added that “the situation is complex and requires constant monitoring”.
09:13 AM GMT
Russian forces ‘advance in Zaporizhia’
Russian troops have made advances in the village of Robotyne in Western Zaporizhia, The ISW reported, citing Russian sources.
Russian forces advanced further northwards into the central part of the village and clashed with Ukrainian troops in settlements to the east and southeast, Russian MilBloggers reported.
Moscow’s troops launched their assault on the village from the south and east with support from artillery fire, Russian blogger War Gonzo reported.
In the forest belt to the west of Robotyne, Russian troops captured several Ukrainian soldiers with the support of armoured vehicles, Russian MilBloggers reported.
Tass, the Russian state-owned news agency, reported earlier this week that Ukraine is redeploying equipment and personnel to Robotyne in an effort to repel Russian advancements.
08:50 AM GMT
2. ‘More Russians died in Avdiivka than in entire Soviet-Afghanistan War’
More Russian soldiers have likely died to seize Avdiivka than died in the entire Soviet-Afghan war, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported.
Russia seized the city last week despite the arrival of Ukrainian reinforcements after months of intense fighting.
The situation in Ukraine following the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion remains “grave, but it is far from hopeless,” the thinktank said, adding that although Russia is making gains, these have been “very limited and extremely costly”.
The ISW report comes comes after an investigation from Russian independent news outlets Meduza and Mediazona found Russia has lost 83,000 soldiers since its full-scale invasion.
08:39 AM GMT
Six drones shot down over Russia, Moscow claims
Russian Air Defence shot down six drones bound for targets in Russia and the Black Sea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.
The ministry said that two drones were shot down over Belgorod Oblast and four were intercepted over the Black Sea.
Ukrainian drone attacks on targets within Russia and in occupied Crimea have increased in recent months, though Kyiv rarely comments on these reports.
Meanwhile, Ukraine destroyed 16 out of 18 attack drones launched overnight by Russia, Kyiv’s military reported.
The drones were destroyed over the Poltava, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
Elsewhere, a woman was injured as a result of Russian shelling in Kostyantynivka, Donestsk, which destroyed several apartment buildings and a railway station, Ukrainian media reported.
Russia launched a big missile attack on Konstiantynivka with S-300 ballistic missiles. It is reported that several private houses and apartment buildings are hit, as well as the railway station building and 2 more administrative buildings. pic.twitter.com/iwQQBLXvIp
— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) February 25, 2024
