February 25, 2024 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Heather Chen, Andrew Raine, Joshua Berlinger, Antoinette Radford and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, February 26, 2024

What we covered here

Fighting is raging as Russia's war in Ukraine enters its third year. Moscow's forces launched a fresh wave of missile and drone strikes overnight, according to Ukrainian officials. On Saturday, Kyiv claimed its military struck a major Russian steel plant.
At least 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died during the past two years of war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, in a rare admission of his country's losses. CNN cannot independently verify that figure, but US officials estimate the toll could be closer to 70,000.
Half of all military aid pledged to Ukraine arrives late, the country's defense minister said at a conference in Kyiv on Sunday, as concern grows about Ukraine's dwindling stockpiles of ammunition.
Zelensky and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal each voiced confidence Sunday that the US Congress would agree on sending more aid to the country, even as the issue remains stalled there.
Here's how to help Ukraine as Russia's full-scale invasion enters its third year.

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3:59 p.m. ET, February 25, 2024

Ukraine expects $11.8 billion in aid from the United States this year

From CNN's Ivana Kottasová in Kyiv, Ukraine

Ukraine expects to get $11.8 billion from the United States this year, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

“This is what we agreed on, this is what will help us close the financial gap. And we are deeply convinced that the United States will not leave Ukraine alone in terms of both financial support and armed military support, because they are combined in one package,” Shmyhal said.

Shmyhal was responding to a question from CNN about his level of faith in the US Congress to deliver aid to Ukraine. Lawmakers in Washington have so failed to agree upon providing more funding for Kyiv to push back against Russia as the Kremlin's full-scale invasion enters its third year.

Earlier this month, the Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel, but legislation is not expected to make it to a floor vote in the House of Representatives, where isolationist Republicans hold more sway.

Speaking at "Ukraine. Year 2024," a government-run conference bringing together the top officials, Shmyhal said the Senate's decision "gives us great hope."

“We are very much dependent on the help of the United States as a whole package of military and financial support. So we are waiting for the Congress to make a decision," he said.

7:11 a.m. ET, February 25, 2024

Ukraine struck by missile and drone attacks overnight

From CNN's Maria Kostenko

Firefighters work at the scene of a Russian missile strike that destroyed a train station in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, on February 25. Thomas Peter/Reuters

A wave of Russian missile and drone attacks struck Ukraine overnight Saturday and early Sunday morning, military officials across the country said, though the number of casualties appears small.

The city of Kostiantynivka in the eastern region of Donetsk saw one person injured in a "massive" attack, regional police said. Residential buildings, a train station and educational facilities were hit.

The head of the Donetsk regional military administration said Russian forces had shelled the districts of Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk and Bakhmut in a social media post on Sunday, forcing 81 people to evacuate.

The Kyiv region was targeted by drones, but no residences or pieces of critical infrastructure were struck, the region's military administration said in a statement. No casualties have been reported.

Ukraine’s Air Force Command said its forces destroyed 16 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia toward the regions of Kyiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

6:00 a.m. ET, February 25, 2024

Early voting in Russian presidential election begins in occupied southern region of Ukraine

From CNN’s Maria Kostenko and Manveena Suri

Ballot papers to be used in the 2024 Russian presidential election are pictured on February 22. Vladimir Nikolayev/AFP/Getty Image

Early voting in the Russian presidential election is underway in the Russian-occupied c region of Ukraine, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Sunday.

TASS said that first people to vote would be residents of settlements near the front line, including military personnel.

The election, which is scheduled to take place next month, will see longtime Russian leader Vladimir Putin run virtually unopposed for a fifth term that will keep him in power until 2030. Anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin was barred from standing in the contest earlier this month.

Zaporizhzhia is one of four Ukrainian regions Russia said it would annex in September 2022 in violation of international law following referenda that were universally dismissed as “shams” by Ukraine and Western nations.

Russia has previously held elections in territory it has occupied, part of its efforts to enforce Russian legitimacy in the parts of Ukraine it holds. TASS reported that residents can vote by presenting either Russian or Ukrainian passports.

5:36 a.m. ET, February 25, 2024

British prime minister wants "bolder" action against Russia as war enters third year

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) hold bilateral talks as UK premier unveils $3.1B military aid package for Ukraine amid their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 12. Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu/Getty Images

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the West must be "bolder" in supporting Ukraine, providing the country with more long-range weapons, drones and munitions to stave off a resurgent Russian military advance.

"Putin’s Russia continues to pose the greatest threat to global security we face today," Sunak wrote in a piece for Britain's The Sunday Times marking the two year anniversary since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion.
"This war poses a fundamental question about whether the West is willing to do what it takes to protect freedom and security in Europe and beyond. "

Sunak said that his country and its Western democratic allies must not give in to the increasing pessimism over Kyiv's ability to defeat Moscow. He said it is up to Ukraine's partners to confront the "tough" situation on the battlefield, but also to change it.

"It seems to have become fashionable to proclaim that Ukraine is somehow destined to lose. But that is simply wrong," Sunak said.
"We should be realistic, yes. But we should never countenance the defeatism which serves only [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s ends."

Sunak also used the same word – "bolder" – in calling for the West to step up its seizure of Russian assets.

"That starts with taking the billions in interest these assets are collecting and sending it to Ukraine instead," he added.

On Saturday, G7 leaders said they remained committed to supporting Ukraine for “as long as it takes."

5:57 a.m. ET, February 25, 2024

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will stand for election in 2025

From CNN’s Robert Iddiols

Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko speaks in Minsk, Belarus, on February 20. Belarusian Presidential Press Service/AP

President Alexander Lukashenko, the longtime Belarusian strongman and key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he will run for another term in elections set to be held in 2025, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported on Sunday.

Lukashenko made the announcement while speaking to journalists at a polling station after voting in parliamentary and local council elections.

When asked whether he planned to stand in the next presidential contest, he said: "I will."

Lukashenko has been in power since 1994. His regime has been repeatedly accused of human rights abuses and stifling political opposition. During the last election in 2020, the opposition alleged Lukashenko's regime engaged in electoral fraud to keep him in power.

Belarus has been an important partner to Russia since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, when Minsk allowed Moscow's troops to enter the country through the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) Ukrainian-Belarusian border before launching its opening salvo.

10:13 p.m. ET, February 25, 2024

Analysis: the war in Ukraine, a bloodbath of catastrophic proportions

From CNN's Matthew Chance

Two years ago, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I was among the many long-time observers of the Kremlin who got it wrong.

Few could fathom why Vladimir Putin, Russia’s calculating leader, would embark on such a risky military adventure, especially when the mere threat of a Russian invasion was already yielding results.

In June the previous year, as Russian forces massed near Ukraine, US President Joe Biden met Putin at a superpower-style summit, describing the US and Russia as “two great powers” elevating the Russian leader after previous US administrations had sought to downplay Russia’s influence.

In the days before the 2022 invasion, Washington offered a “pragmatic evaluation” of Moscow’s security concerns, signalling openness to compromise.

Pitching Russian forces against one of the region’s biggest standing armies seemed uncharacteristically reckless and, therefore, unlikely.

There were others, though, who rightly saw the invasion as inevitable, better reading the Kremlin’s intentions, and confidently predicting a swift Russian victory at the hands of Moscow’s vastly superior forces.

Two years on, I like to think that those of us who doubted the Kremlin’s resolve were wrong for the right reasons.

Analysis: Two years of war has been a disaster for Russia with no end in sight | CNN

2:52 a.m. ET, February 25, 2024

Record number of Russians seek asylum in South Korea

From CNN’s Yoonjung Seo, Lucas Lilieholm and Soeun Kim

South Korea recorded a record number of Russian nationals seeking asylum in the country in 2023, according to a report released by the Korean Immigration Service.

A total of 5,750 Russian citizens sought asylum in South Korea in 2023, a five-fold increase from the 1,038 who had sought protection the year before and more than the total number recorded between 1994 and 2019.

Russians made up the single largest nationality of the 18,838 total asylum seekers in South Korea in 2023 followed by Kazakhstan (2,094), China (1,282), Malaysia (1,205), India (1,189), Mongolia (836), and Turkey (564).

Asylum applications in 2023 were the highest for at least the past eight years according to data from the Immigration Service, which is part of the Ministry of Justice.

South Korea has notoriously strict immigration laws which include requests for asylum. From 1994 to the end of 2023 103,760 people applied for refugee status, of which only 4,052 people have so far been recognized as refugees, according to the ministry’s report.

The most common reason applicants gave for asylum protection were persecution based on religion, followed by political persecution. Other reasons included discrimination for being a member of a specific social group, race or nationality.

The trend has continued into the beginning of 2024, according to figures released on Thursday.

In January, Russians recorded the highest number of nationals seeking asylum compared to other nationals in South Korea with 376, followed by India (142), Mongolia (142), Kazakhstan (132), China (129), Malaysia (113), Turkey (66), Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, and others.

3:26 a.m. ET, February 25, 2024

It's morning in Ukraine. Here's what you need to know

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and world leaders participate in a joint media conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24. Stringer/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has marked the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion by saying his country "will succeed."

Foreign leaders have been arriving in Ukraine to show solidarity on the anniversary. As the war enters its third year, the future of the conflict remains uncertain.

Below are the latest developments:

Defiance continues: In his speech, Zelensky urged his country to have hope. “Today, unfortunately, each of us has someone to keep a moment of silence and honor the memory of," he said. "Together we bow our heads. 730 days of pain. But at the same time, 730 days of hope,”
World leaders show support: Foreign leaders have laid flowers alongside Zelenksy at the Wall of Memory at St. Michael’s Square in Kyiv, to mark the anniversary. The leaders also met Zelensky at the Hostomel airport, which had been seized by Russian helicopter-borne troops in the early hours of the invasion.
Call for continued aid: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko called for continued US support. In an interview with CNN on Saturday, Klitschko addressed US lawmakers, saying, “We are fighting for our democratic future, if you have the same values please still support us.”
Soldiers captured: Russian forces claim that they have captured “some 200” Ukrainian troops during the fight for Avdiivka, the country’s defense ministry (MOD) said Saturday. Avdiivka has been on the front lines since pro-Moscow separatists seized large portions of the Donbas region, including the nearby city of Donetsk, in 2014.
Germany urges greater defense: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that Germany and Europe need to beef up its defense capabilities and make sure it can weather any military attack from outside. NATO was the best guarantee of defense "on both sides of the Atlantic,” Scholz said. ''Together with our allies, we must be so strong that nobody dares to attack us."
Situation "extremely serious": NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the battlefield situation in Ukraine “remains extremely serious,” but underscored the commitment of allies to continue delivery of weapons and economic support for Kyiv. A counteroffensive last summer by Ukrainian forces stalled and Russian forces have gone on the attack at several points along the front lines.

12:22 a.m. ET, February 25, 2024

Early voting in Russian presidential election commences in remote regions

From CNN's Josh Pennington

Ballot papers to be used in the 2024 Russian presidential election are pictured at a printing house in Novosibirsk, Russia, on February 22. Vladimir Nikolayev/AFP/Getty Images

Early voting has begun in some areas of Russia ahead of the upcoming presidential election, according to state news agency TASS.

"Early voting in hard-to-reach and remote areas for the Russian presidential elections began in the regions of the Far Eastern Federal District," TASS reported, citing regional election commissions.

Approximately 70,000 people will be able to vote early in the district, according to TASS.

The early voting begins just after the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid controversy surrounding the death of Vladimir Putin's long-time opponent Alexey Navalny, who had been incarcerated since returning to Russia in 2021.

Voting in the presidential election is scheduled to take place from March 15 to 17. It will be the first three-day presidential election in the history of the Russian Federation, according to TASS.