Key developments on Feb. 17:
- Russia's Lavrov rules out territorial concessions as part of Ukraine peace talks
- Ukraine strikes Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says
- Up to 30,000 European troops reportedly could be deployed to monitor Ukraine ceasefire, Washington Post reports
- Zelensky hopes Kellogg will visit front lines during trip to Ukraine
- Ukraine will 'never accept' outcome of peace negotiations without Ukraine's participation, Zelensky says
- Ukraine's special forces release video of operation behind Russian lines
Russia's Lavrov rules out territorial concessions as part of Ukraine peace talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Feb. 17 said there could be "no thought of" territorial concessions to Ukraine on the eve of talks with the U.S. over how to end Moscow's full-scale invasion.
Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014, as well as the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022.
Russia's claims to have annexed the four oblasts in their entirety were made despite not controlling all of them, including two regional capitals - Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that as a condition for peace negotiations, Ukrainian troops must leave Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
"Territorial concessions to what is now called Ukraine were made by the Soviet leadership during the formation of the USSR," Lavrov said in comments reported by Reuters.
Lavrov also said he saw no role for Europe in negotiations over how to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"If they're going to come up with some crafty ideas about freezing the conflict like this, and they themselves... have in mind the continuation of the war, then why invite them?" he said.
Lavrov's comments came after it was announced that he and Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov will fly to Saudi Arabia for talks with a U.S. delegation about how to end the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 17.
"They are expected to hold a meeting with their American counterparts on Tuesday, which will focus primarily on restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations," Peskov said.
The U.S. delegation will be led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
NBC News reported on Feb. 16, citing two U.S. officials, that the intention is for the U.S. to host a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and culminating with talks together.
U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Feb. 16 that Zelensky would have a say in the process and mentioned the possibility of allowing European nations to purchase U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine.
Rubio echoed similar comments stating that Ukraine and Europe must play a role in serious negotiations with the U.S. and Russia to end the war.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Ukraine strikes Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says
Ukrainian drones, operated by the Special Operations Forces (SSO) and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), hit the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai and the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station in the Kavkazsky District of Kuban overnight on Feb. 17, an SBU source told the Kyiv Independent.
"The SBU and SSO of the Armed Forces continued the introduction of 'drone sanctions' against two important Russian enterprises that work for the enemy military-industrial complex," the source said.
Residents earlier posted videos on social media purportedly showing a large blaze at the refinery in the Seversky district of Krasnodar Krai. Around 1:30 a.m. local time, the sounds of explosions were also reported.
Negotiations are one thing, but Russian oil refineries won’t shut themselves down. In Russia's Krasnodar region, the Ilsky oil refinery—already targeted multiple times—was hit again. As always, observers are delighted. pic.twitter.com/JLCvHv1dOE
— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) February 16, 2025
The attack caused a fire at the plant, which includes six oil refining units with a total capacity of 6.6 million tons per year, the source said. In February 2024, SBU drones also hit this oil refinery, damaging a primary oil-refining unit worth $50 million, according to the source.
Ukrainian drones also hit the Kropotkinskaya oil pumping station, the largest in Russia's Caspian Pipeline Consortium. As a result of the attack, the station was taken out of operation. Oil is now being pumped out, bypassing the station, the source added.
The Kyiv Independent cannot verify claims.
Ukraine considers Russian oil facilities to be valid military targets, as fossil fuel profits supply Moscow's war machine. The Ukrainian military has launched repeated attacks against Russian refineries with long-range drones.
Elsa Court
Up to 30,000 European troops reportedly could be deployed to monitor Ukraine ceasefire, Washington Post reports
European nations considering deploying troops to Ukraine as part of a potential ceasefire monitoring mission could send between 25,000 and 30,000 soldiers, the Washington Post reported on Feb. 17, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The discussions come amid growing Western deliberations over stationing peacekeeping forces in Ukraine if negotiations with Russia lead to a ceasefire.
While the U.S. has ruled out sending troops, Washington has encouraged European allies to take the lead in securing Ukraine's post-war stability.
According to the Post, the estimated troop numbers emerged in response to a U.S. questionnaire sent to European countries asking them to assess their capabilities to support Kyiv.
The planned force would not be deployed along the front line but would be positioned to respond swiftly if Russian forces resumed hostilities.
France has reportedly conducted the most detailed military planning for such a mission and could commit up to 10,000 troops.
The U.K. has also indicated willingness to contribute forces, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer signaling support for a European-led initiative on Feb. 16.
Other European nations remain cautious, citing concerns over the escalation and limited military resources, according to the Washington Post.
Countries like Poland and Germany are cautious about making major moves ahead of their upcoming national elections. Some are reportedly hesitant to take risks without increased U.S. involvement.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv had made significant progress securing a foreign military presence on its territory.
On Jan. 22, Zelensky said the number of European peacekeepers required to maintain peace in Ukraine would depend on the size of Ukraine's own military.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Zelensky hopes Kellogg will visit front lines during trip to Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelesnky said on Feb. 17 he hopes the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, will visit the front lines when he visits later this week.
In comments reported by Interfax-Ukraine, Zelensky said Kellogg will arrive in Kyiv on Feb. 20 and could stay for "two days and maybe more."
" I want to go to the front with him, and he will go to the front with me. I don't think he will refuse," he added.
Kellogg's visit comes amid several significant developments in the U.S. push to end Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov will fly to Saudi Arabia for Feb. 18 talks with a U.S. delegation.
The U.S. delegation will be led by State Secretary Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
NBC News reported on Feb. 16, citing two U.S. officials, that the intention is for the U.S. to host a bilateral meeting with Russia, followed by a bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and culminating with talks together.
U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Feb. 16 that Zelensky would have a say in the process and mentioned the possibility of allowing European nations to purchase U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine.
Rubio echoed similar comments stating that Ukraine and Europe must play a role in serious negotiations with the U.S. and Russia to end the war.
Bloomberg reported on Feb. 15 that the talks in Saudi Arabia will only include U.S. and Russian officials as a means to pave the way for a potential leaders’ summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month.
The upcoming meetings come amid an official visit by Zelensky to the United Arab Emirates, with planned trips to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the coming days.
Chris York
Ukraine will 'never accept' outcome of peace negotiations without Ukraine's participation, Zelensky says
Ukraine will "never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia" regarding the outcome of peace negotiation without Ukraine's participation, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC News in an interview published Feb. 16.
Zelensky's comments, which were made during the Munich Security Conference, come amid reports that a U.S. delegation is set to meet with its Russian counterparts on Feb. 18 in Saudi Arabia for the start of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
"We have this place at the table at the very beginning, and we are the first who are at this table because the war is in Ukraine," Zelensky added, noting that Ukrainians would never accept a peace deal that was negotiated on their behalf.
"We are thankful for all the support, unity in the U.S. around Ukraine support - even bipartisan support - we are thankful for all of this, but there is no leader in the world that can make a deal with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin without us, about us."
Concerns have been raised about Ukraine's role in the negotiations, with European officials emphasizing that Kyiv must not be sidelined. Kyiv has not received an invitation to attend the meeting in Riyadh, with President Volodymyr Zelensky telling reporters that he found out about the meetings through media reports.
"We didn't talk about it. The media printed something. I saw that someone said that there would be a meeting in Saudi Arabia. I do not know what it is," Zelensky said on Feb. 15.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, denied on Feb. 15 that Ukraine will participate in an upcoming meeting between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia.
"There is nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing," Podolyak said on Ukrainian TV, adding that "Russia is not ready for negotiations."
Earlier in the day on Feb. 16, Trump reaffirmed that Zelensky would have a say in the process and mentioned the possibility of allowing European nations to purchase U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine.
Natalia Yermak
Ukraine's special forces release video of operation behind Russian lines
Soldiers of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Special Forces Regiment on Feb. 17 released footage of what they claim was a successful operation to clear an industrial enterprise behind Russian lines.
In a post accompanying the video, the unit said a concentration of enemy troops was spotted by reconnaissance drones in an unidentified area of the front line.
Ukrainian troops reportedly held their positions for two days amid "intense fighting," during which 23 Russian soldiers were killed, with Kyiv's troops eventually withdrawing without suffering any losses.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces are active on various fronts. Last month its 8th Regiment published a video of a large assault group of purportedly North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk Oblast crossing an open field and forest, followed by close combat footage with only dozens of meters between the two sides.
In the end, graphic footage shows killed soldiers claimed to be North Koreans.
"At the ninth hour of the battle, the Special Operations Forces had only a third of their ammunition left. They spent the rest on destroying (North Korean forces)," the Telegram post read.
Elsewhere, over 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed on the battlefield since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC published on Feb. 16.
Zelensky previously revealed the total casualty count on Feb. 4, claiming that Ukraine had lost over 45,000 soldiers.
Nearly 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured since the start of the all-out war, Zelensky told NBC. "Ten of thousands" of Ukrainian troops are currently missing in action or being held in Russian captivity, according to the president.
According to Ukraine's General Staff estimates, Russia has lost a total of 859,920 troops since the start of the war. The figures do not specify killed or wounded, though the overall consensus is that it includes dead, wounded, missing, and captured.
Note from the author:
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