Russia-Ukraine latest: Russian drone boat strikes vital bridge in Odesa

In a small coal-mining town on Ukraine’s eastern front line, a fight for strategic superiority is being waged in a battlefield steeped with symbolism as the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion nears.

The town of Vuhledar — meaning “gift of coal” — has emerged as a critical hot spot in the fight for Donetsk province that would give both sides, the Ukrainian forces who hold the urban center, and the Russians positioned in the suburbs, a tactical upper hand in the greater battle for the Donbas region.

Located on an elevated plane that is one of the few high-terrain spots in the area, its capture would be an important step for Russia to disrupt Ukrainian supply lines. Securing Vuhledar would give Ukraine a potential launching pad for future counter-offensives south.

A proposed resolution for adoption by the UN General Assembly ahead of the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has underlined the need for peace ensuring Ukraine’s “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity”.

The draft resolution from supporters of Ukraine, obtained by The Associated Press, is entitled: “Principles underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.

The proposal is broader and less detailed than the 10-point peace plan that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky announced at the November summit of the G20.

This is a deliberate decision by Ukraine and its backers to try to gain maximum support when it is put to a vote, UN diplomats said.

General Assembly spokesperson Paulina Kubiak said a reactivated emergency session of the General Assembly on Ukraine will start on the afternoon of February 22.

Dozens of speeches are expected to continue through until February 23, with the vote expected later that day.

The owner of the Russian Wagner Group private military contractor actively involved in the fighting in Ukraine has predicted that the war could drag on for years.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video interview released late Friday that it could take 18 months to two years for Russia to fully secure control of Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland of Donbas. He added that the war could go on for three years if Moscow decides to capture broader territories east of the Dnieper River.

The statement from Prigozhin, a millionaire who has close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was dubbed “Putin’s chef” for his lucrative Kremlin catering contracts, marked a recognition of the difficulties that the Kremlin has faced in the campaign, which it initially expected to wrap up within weeks when Russian troops invaded Ukraine.

Russia carried out a “massive strike” on critical Ukranian energy facilities on Friday, Russia’s minister of defence claimed.

The ministry’s daily update did not identify the energy facilities it claimed to have hit.

According to the Ukranian government Russian missiles and drones hit power facilities in six regions, causing widespread blackouts.

Earlier today Ukraine’s state energy operator, Ukrenergo, said the situation was “challenging but under control”.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine wants to be a member of the European Union in two years, in comments made 11 February. He further added that Ukraine should join the NATO alliance after the country’s victory over Russia.

Mr Zelensky reportedly made these comments during a meeting with top managers of the investment funds company J.P. Morgan.

Three persons have allegedly been wounded in an attack on Belogrod Oblast, Russia.

Belogrod’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, claimed that claimed that Shebekino, a town bordering Ukraine, was shelled 11 February. Mr Gladkov blamed the attack on Ukraine.

Russia is willing to negotiate with Ukraine, but only if no preconditions are put on the negotiations, said the Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergey Vershinin, in an interview.

Speaking to Zvezda, a Russian state-run television station, Mr Vershinin said: “Yes, according to the classics, any hostilities end up in talks, and, naturally, as we have said before, we will be ready for such talks, but only if those are talks with no preconditions, talks that would be based on the existing reality.”

He added: “Decisions are being made not in Kyiv, decisions are being made in other capitals, primarily in Washington and Brussels. So, inquiries should be sent there.”

Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky has previously stated the conditions required for talks included returning Ukrainian control over its territories, compensation being paid to Kyiv for Moscow’s invasion, and the prosecution of war criminals. Ukraine’s supporters in the West have repeatedly stressed that the decision of whether or not to negotiate lies in Mr Zelensky’s hands.

The situation for Ukraine’s energy system is challenging but under control, said Ukraine’s state-run energy operator Ukrenergo.

A statement posted on Telegram by the company said:

“For over a day, the enemy has been continuously attacking our country’s energy facilities. Last night, the 17th drone attack took place in southern and southeastern regions. Unfortunately, thermal power plants and main network objects again were hit.”

Emergency power cuts were prevented thanks to repair crews, it said.

On Friday Russia launched its latest massive barrage of missiles aimed at destroying Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, particularly its energy system.

A Russian drone boat packed with explosives rammed a bridge near Odesa, Ukraine in the evening 10 Friday.

Grainy footage of the event circulated on several pro-Russian Telegram channels. Since then Russian opposition media have confirmed the geolocation of the alleged attack on the Zatoka Bridge that links Odesa to Moldova and Romania.

So far there have been no reports on the extent of the damage done.

The Zatoka Bridge has been used to deliver supplies to Ukraine’s forces in the south of country through Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova. Russia has made previous unsuccessful attempts to destroy the bridge.

Analysts say that this seems to be the first time that Russia has launched an attack of this sort.

Boat drones have been previously used by the Ukranian military to attack Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, but less by the Russian military.

Marina Ovsyannikova, a Russian journalist, has recounted her dramatic escape from Russia a week before she was due to go on trial for criticising Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ms Ovsyannikova made headlines in March 2022 when she interrupted a live news broadcast at at the state-run Channel One TV station where she worked at the time to express an anti-war message. She ran onto the set carrying a sign reading “no war, stop the war; don’t believe the propaganda; they’re lying to you here”.

Immediately afterwards she says she was isolated by Russia’s security services.

Speaking at a press conference in Paris Ms Ovsyannikova recounted how she fled across the border with her young daughter, helped by Reporters Sans Frontières (Reporters Without Borders).

“My lawyer said ‘flee, flee – they’re going to put you in prison’,” she said speaking to reporters.

She left Moscow on the weekend, hoping the police would be less active, and changed vehicle seven times. She finally crossing the border on foot after her last car got stuck in the mud.

“We had to run out of the car and find our way on foot through fields in the dark night. It was difficult, we didn’t have any phone network, we had to work out where we were by the stars. It felt like an eternity, it was a real ordeal. We wandered for several hours before finding the road, hiding from passing vehicles and tractors … I was losing hope. I was thinking ‘Why did I do this? Maybe it would have been better to go to prison.’ But thankfully, we reached the border where people were waiting for us.