Russia claims 11 drones downed over Kursk, Kaluga regions

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on Feb. 21 condemned what it described as "ultimatums and blackmail" from Hungary and Slovakia after the two countries threatened to halt emergency electricity supplies amid a growing dispute over Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, and as Ukraine grapples with a worsening energy crisis.

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.

The Moldovan Police and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies announced a day earlier that they had launched a criminal investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate several public figures in Ukraine. The probe is being carried out by a joint investigative team formed by the two countries.

The vehicle was attacked by a Russian Lancet loitering munition while evacuating civilians.

The Kyiv Independent’s separate analytical unit, KI Insights, is excited to announce the launch of its podcast, Ukraine Insights — a show dedicated to unpacking Ukraine’s politics, security, economy, and international relations through in-depth, expert-driven conversations.