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UKRANIAN army shot down the 25th RUSSIA Su-34 fighter-bomber

Russian drone operators, preparing for attack, were themselves attacked

Russian President Vladimir Putin may announce the annexation of the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said. While the Washington, think tank said such a possibility was unlikely in the short term, its report describes a continuing hybrid operation by Moscow to destabilize the former Soviet state, which borders Ukraine, according to Newsweek. Internationally recognized as part of Moldova, whose European Union aspirations have angered the Kremlin, Transnistria is located between the Dniester River and the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. Moldova has no control over the Russian-speaking region that claimed independence after the collapse of the USSR, sparking an intervention by Moscow. Russian troops remain in the territory. While Transnistria's independence is not recognized by Moscow or the international community, the territory where Russian troops are based remains a useful tool for the Kremlin to stop Moldova from seeking greater ties with the EU and NATO. The ISW said that the Transnistrian Congress of Deputies held a rare meeting in their capital Tiraspol. During it, they blamed Chisinau for destroying the region's economy and violating the freedoms of population of around half a million. Transnistrian opposition activist Ghenadie Ciorba said that deputies will ask on February 28 for Moscow to annex Transnistria, a day before Putin addresses the Russian Federal Assembly, Moldovan outlet Deschide reported. ISW said it could see Putin "in the most dangerous course of action, declare Russia's annexation of Transnistria during his planned address... although that appears unlikely." The Russian president "will more likely welcome whatever action the Transnistrian Congress of Deputies takes and offer observations on the situation," the ISW said. The deputies will likely either initiate a new referendum seeking Moscow's annexation, or demand action on ballots held in 2006 unrecognized internationally, one of which backed joining Russia, the ISW said. Putin will likely welcome whatever actions the congress takes, "although he may stop short of acting on a request for immediate annexation," it added.

The French ambassador to the U.S. warned a “real war is possible” for NATO countries on the border with Russia. Laurent Bili, speaking during a Washington Post, connected the deterrence NATO provides in the current war between Russia and Ukraine to how the alliance deterred Soviet aggression after governments like Czechoslovakia and Poland during the Cold War. Members “on the front line” bordering Russia or Ukraine, and France and Germany believe “real war is possible” in Europe again. For France, that means putting the nation on “a war footing” in defense spending and revitalizing its industrial base, he said. Bili called the fighting in Ukraine “the challenge of our generation” and compared it to those faced “by the greatest generation,” who fought and won World War II. The “world is an era of competition” where powers like Moscow and Beijing want to end the rules-based order that followed that war, he said. As an example, he said he did not expect Chinese President Xi Jinping to back away from bringing Taiwan under Beijing’s control.

The 79th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prevented the attack of the invading Russian army in the direction of the village of Novomikhaylovka, Donetsk region. At night, the invaders advancing with armored combat vehicles were stopped by artillery fire. As a result, the vehicles and manpower in the column were destroyed.

oe Biden directly referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as an "SOB" (son of a [expletive]). However, diplomatic relations between the United States and Russia have been tense at times, with President Biden expressing concerns over various issues, including Russia's actions in Ukraine, cyberattacks, and human rights abuses. It's essential to verify with the latest and most reliable sources for any developments in diplomatic exchanges or statements between the two leaders