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Russian President Vladimir Putin marked Defender of the Fatherland Day with public engagements and policy directives. He met with widows of special forces soldiers in the Kremlin and stated that representatives of all Russian peoples are fighting together in the conflict in Ukraine. Domestically, he issued a range of orders, calling the high workload of judges a problem, instructing the restoration of historic buildings, ordering the development of a new school textbook, and declaring the 'Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia' open. Separately, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev commented on creative professionals leaving the country and stated that retribution for war crimes must be inevitable. In other news, Russia strongly rejected accusations from five European nations that opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed by a specific poison.
Reports emerged detailing the conduct of Russian forces in Ukraine. A BBC investigation featured Russian soldiers who said they witnessed fellow troops being executed on commanders' orders, and 13 Russian soldiers were named as suspects in the killings of civilians near Kyiv in 2022. Other reports noted the impact on Ukrainian civilians, including widespread heating outages in Kyiv, with France condemning what it called deliberate Russian attacks. In a diplomatic development, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner swap, with each side returning 157 individuals following talks in Abu Dhabi. In a separate matter, the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their own flags at the 2026 Winter Paralympics was condemned by several European countries, with Estonia and Lithuania announcing boycotts.
8 topics | 137 sources
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of meetings and issued public statements on Defender of the Fatherland Day. He met with widows of special forces soldiers in the Kremlin, congratulated the nation on the holiday, and stated that representatives of all Russian peoples are fighting together in what Russia calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine. Separately, Putin issued a wide range of domestic policy orders. He called the high workload of judges a problem, instructed officials to approve a plan for restoring historic buildings in each region, and ordered the development of a new textbook for some schools. He also gave awards, including the 'Mother-Heroine' title to two women, and declared the 'Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia' open.
Several domestic news stories from Russia are circulating. A cyclone with a blizzard is approaching Moscow, and a train from Moscow to Volgograd is delayed after a carriage derailed. Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered officials to consider changing the name for 'secondary vocational education' in the country. In another matter, a court ordered compensation of 160,000 rubles to passengers on a Moscow-Kazan train due to a lack of water and toilets.
Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, made several public statements. He commented on creative professionals leaving Russia, discussed his own literary style, and said retribution for war crimes must be inevitable. In other domestic news, Moscow Mayor Sobyanin spoke about changes in the city over the past decade, and police in the Moscow region began an investigation after a woman named Galitskaya died in a detention center. Separately, a United Nations group criticized a Moscow court for convicting an International Criminal Court prosecutor and judges in absentia.
A group of five European nations has publicly stated that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed by a rare poison called epibatidine, which is found in dart frogs. Russia has strongly rejected these accusations, calling them false.
15 topics | 250 sources
Feb 28
International reports detail human toll and recruitment practices as Ukraine war enters fifth yearThe United Nations marked the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Reports from the conflict detail the deaths of children, civilian suffering from drone attacks and heating outages in Kyiv, and allegations of executions within the Russian military. Several African governments are responding to reports that their citizens were tricked or lured into fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Kenya's Foreign Minister, Mudavadi, is planning a visit to Moscow to address the recruitment of Kenyans. A Ghanaian minister said at least 55 Ghanaians have been killed fighting for Russia.
Feb 6 — Feb 26
Russia and Ukraine exchange 314 prisoners of war after Abu Dhabi talksRussia and Ukraine have swapped 314 prisoners of war, with each side receiving 157 people back. The exchange was agreed upon during a second round of peace talks held in Abu Dhabi, which were mediated by international partners.
Feb 5
Ukrainian President says 55,000 soldiers have been killed in the war with RussiaUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. This figure provides a rare official update on the human cost of the war for Ukraine's military.