Defense Ministry: 'Difficult situation' in Ukraine's east as Russia deploys more forces

Several rounds of explosions were reported in Kyiv overnight on Feb. 22, leaving a mother and her child injured as Russia launched ballistic missiles at Ukraine.

Ukraine struck an oil depot in Russian-occupied Luhansk overnight on Feb. 22, Telegram news channel Exilenova+ reported.

Explosions as a result of a terrorist attack shook Lviv, injuring 15 and killing a police officer, authorities reported overnight on Feb. 22.

A Russian drone attack in northeastern Ukraine's Sumy Oblast killed two brothers and a married couple, while a missile attack damaged a production facility belonging to U.S. multinational company Mondelez, authorities reported Feb. 21.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as "ultimatums and blackmail" from Hungary and Slovakia after the two countries threatened to halt emergency electricity supplies.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Feb. 21 that Ukraine is imposing new sanctions targeting the captains of Russia's shadow fleet.

The final extent of the damage on the Crimean Peninsula is still being assessed, the General Staff said.

The Votkinsk Plant is a strategic, state-owned defense enterprise and one of the most important missile factories in Russia. It produces Iskander ballistic missiles — used in attacks against Ukraine — and nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles.

"I won't go into too many details, but today I can congratulate our army first and foremost —all the defense forces — because as of today, 300 (square) kilometers have been liberated," Zelensky told Agence France-Presse.

The children were returned under the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, which finds and returns Ukrainian children from occupied territories and Russia, alongside the Save Ukraine organization.

The main target was Odesa Oblast, where two people were injured after drones tore into houses and a four-storey apartment block, the emergency services reported on Feb. 21.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Feb. 20, framed by authorities as a measure to counter security threats and potential attacks, granting Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) broad authority to order the disconnection of individuals from mobile and home internet services.

The number includes 1,010 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day, while Ukrainian forces also downed a helicopter.

"We are blocking the €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine until oil transit to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline resumes," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Feb. 20.