February 7, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Our live coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine has moved here.

There’s been heavy fighting across the eastern frontlines, while Kyiv also reported renewed Russian shelling in the south of the country. Ukrainian forces are doing all they can to save Bakhmut amid some Russian advances, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk region military administration.

Here are more developments:

Military assistance. Ukraine’s top national security official told CNN he’s confident Ukraine will eventually receive American-made F-16 fighter jets, saying that “it’s only a matter of time.” And Leopard 2 battle tanks from Germany will be ready for Ukraine to use at the end of March, according to a tweet from the German army. Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov thanked Germany’s pledge to send the tanks. Germany, as well as Denmark and the Netherlands, also announced they will send more than 100 Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine by the spring of 2024. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the West’s supplying of heavy weapons is dragging out the war and drawing NATO countries into the conflict.

Developments on the ground. Ukrainian officials reported at least six explosions in Kharkiv on Tuesday. And over the past 24 hours, more than 30 settlements in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions came under fire, with several districts and villages around Bakhmut coming under attack as well, the Ukrainian General Staff said. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine on Tuesday dismissed Russia’s claims that it has taken control of several small settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Also, Russian forces in eastern Ukraine appear to be stockpiling ammunition and building up troop reserves ahead of an offensive that could begin in weeks, Ukraine’s top official in the Luhansk region said. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top national security official, Oleksiy Danilov, hinted at Kyiv’s ability to strike Russia on its own territory, beyond occupied Ukraine.

Leadership changes. The Ukrainian government approved the appointment of three new regional governors on Tuesday in the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Zaporizhzhia region and the Kherson region, according to the Office of the President. Ukraine’s parliament has also approved the appointment of a new interior minister and head of the security dervice. Ukraine’s defense minister, whose continued tenure has been questioned by the leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party in parliament, on Tuesday posted the message “holding the line” on Twitter.

Ukrainian officials are reporting at least six explosions in Kharkiv on Tuesday.

“Enemy missile hits were spotted in the central part of Kharkiv. Preliminary, 6 to 10 S-300 missiles,” said Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv region military administration.

“Information about the victims and the extent of the damage is being clarified,” Syniehubov added, urging residents to stay in shelters.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Tuesday that an industrial facility in the Kyivsky district of the city was hit by a strike.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine on Tuesday dismissed Russia’s claims that it has taken control of several small settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.  

Ukraine said “their capture by the enemy has not been confirmed at this time” and that “the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to defend each of these areas.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia’s “operations are successfully developing” near the key towns of Bakhmut and Vuhledar, and that Russian forces have taken control of several small settlements in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

CNN is unable to independently verify those claims.

Shoigu also said Russia has full control of Soledar, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces already announced their withdrawal from in January. 

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine also criticized Shoigu for touting the “achievements” of the Russian Armed Forces, arguing that the Russian private military contractor Wagner is actively involved in combat in those areas. 

On Monday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of Donetsk region military administration, spoke of the increase in Russian forces along parts of the frontline in Donetsk.

Asked whether Bakhmut could be saved, Kyrylenko said: “We are not ruling out any scenarios….All measures are being taken not to let that happen.”

“No-one will use Ukrainian defenders as cannon fodder. As of now, Bakhmut is standing. We are doing all possible to destroy as many enemies as possible.”

Kyrylenko claimed that “almost 52% of Donetsk region is now controlled by Ukrainian government, Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

He said approximately 500,000 civilians remain in parts of Donetsk controlled by Ukrainian forces, compared to 1.8 million just before the invasion.

Geolocated videos support the claim by a Russian military blogger that Russian forces have made incremental advances into Kharkiv region, north-east of the town of Kupyansk, which was recaptured by the Ukrainians in September. The videos show Ukrainian shelling of Russian troops in the town of Dvorichne, which was until recently in Ukrainian hands. 

The Ukrainian military says there has been heavy fighting across several areas of the eastern frontlines, as well as renewed Russian shelling in the south of the country.

Unofficial social media accounts on both sides of the conflict have confirmed bitter fighting around the eastern city of Bakhmut, as Russian forces step up efforts to encircle and capture the city.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that over the past 24 hours, more than 30 settlements in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions came under fire. It also listed several districts and villages around Bakhmut as coming under attack.

Verified social media videos and unofficial military accounts indicate that Russian forces, which include the Wagner private military company, have made modest gains on the outskirts of Bakhmut amid intense street fighting.

The Wagner group, on its official Telegram account, claimed that its forces were “advancing through Bakhmut.” They appear to be in control of villages immediately to the north of the city.

A soldier with the 46th Ukrainian Air Assault Brigade posted on an unofficial Telegram account that for “several days we watched the ‘orcs’ [Russians] storming Krasna Hora head-on and wondered why they were doing it – it was a waste of time and effort.”

Krasna Hora is just north of Bakhmut, and close to one road that enters the city from the west.

The soldier, who has spoken several times with CNN, said the Russians then began to bypass Krasna Hora and the neighboring settlement of Paraskoviivka.

He added that the Russians had reached another road that links Bakhmut and Konstantynivka — a town under Ukrainian control located a few miles to the west.

The Ukrainian government approved the appointment of three new regional governors on Tuesday, according to the Office of the President. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees appointing the following officials:

The Biden administration has approved a $10 billion sale of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Poland.

Congress was notified of the potential sale of 18 HIMARS and related equipment on Tuesday, according to a notice from the US State Department.

Poland, which borders Ukraine, has served as a key partner to Kyiv in providing defense weapons, including Leopard tanks.

Leopard 2 battle tanks from Germany will be ready for Ukraine to use at the end of March, the German army said in a tweet Tuesday. 

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited Kyiv Tuesday, where he met with soldiers who will soon go to Germany to train on Leopard 2 tanks.

He said he was “deeply impressed” by the “determination” and “solemn faces” of the Ukrainian soldiers.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius attends a meeting in Kyiv on February 7.

Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will send more than 100 Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine by spring 2024, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced during an unannounced visit to Kyiv Tuesday. 

A contingent of 20 to 25 Leopard 1 tanks will arrive in Ukraine by this summer, and up to an additional 80 by early next year, Pistorius told reporters during a joint press meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. 

The Leopard 1 had been in service since the 1960s until it was phased out in 2003. 

Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will be providing “refurbished” Leopard 1 from their “industrial stocks” and the three countries will also provide required logistic support and training to operate the vehicles, the German defense ministry said in a news release. 

The German government on Tuesday approved up to 178 export licenses for Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine, according to the news release. 

Pistorius speaking at the news conference also announced imminent weapons deliveries to Ukraine. 

He said that by the end of the month, there will be more missiles, five additional Gepard tanks, and another five armored engineer vehicles. 

Training on Leopard 2 battle tanks will soon begin in Germany, Pistorius said, adding that he was “deeply impressed” by the Ukrainian trainee soldiers’ “solemn faces” and “determination.” 

Ukraine’s Reznikov said he discussed the need for fighter jets with his German counterpart.  

“It could be different platforms” and Ukraine’s partners will decide the best platform to discuss the request, Reznikov said. 

Before deciding on fighter jets, the “first priority” for Ukraine’s allies was to “deploy their Leopards” and “guarantee the training,” Pistorius said. 

Newly appointed Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko looks on during a session of Ukrainian parliament, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 7.

Ukraine’s parliament has approved the appointment of a new Interior Minister and head of the Security Service.

The new Interior Minister is Ihor Klymenko, formerly the National Police Chief. He had been serving as acting minister after Denis Monastyrsky, the former Interior Minister, was killed last month in a helicopter crash in the outskirts of Kyiv.

Vasyl Maliuk is the new head of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He had been serving as acting SBU chief since last July, when President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended the previous SBU chief, Ivan Bakanov, over the presence of Russian collaborators in the SBU. Bakanov was not personally accused of wrongdoing. While he touted the SBU’s successes in countering Russia’s invasion, he admitted “there were also failures.” 

Zelensky on Tuesday praised Maliuk for his work protecting Ukraine so far during the Russian invasion. 

Zelensky added that the SBU carries out “successful and often truly unique special operations” and some of these operations “changed the picture of the war in favor of Ukraine.” Zelensky said “heavy blows” were inflicted on the “internal enemy” and this is reflected in the decisions of the National Security Council.

Parliament also extended martial law in the country, as it has regularly done since Russia’s invasion nearly one year ago.

Ukraine has removed millions of books from public libraries in its ongoing effort at “de-Russification,” according to Ukraine’s parliament.

“There is a list of such authors who were sanctioned. Overall, the proportion of books in Ukrainian and in Russian in libraries is quite regrettable. Which is why we are now talking about the need to renew the collections and purchase books in Ukrainian as soon as possible,” she added.

As of November last year, 19 million books had been removed from public libraries following an initiative from the Ministry of Culture to withdraw “certain types of books.”

The parliament said that 44% of books in public libraries are still in Russian, with the rest in Ukrainian and other languages.

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov on Tuesday thanked German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for Berlin’s pledge to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

A tweet from Reznikov included an image of the pair posing with a miniature model of the Leopard 2, a German-made battle tank that several countries have announced they will to send to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

“There will be more of them,” Reznikov said. “The tank coalition is marching… to victory!”

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the first Leopard 2 tanks have been delivered to Ukraine. It’s unclear when the tanks will arrive.

Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian positions from a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer in Kherson region, Ukraine, on January 9.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has accused the US and its allies of trying to drag out the conflict in Ukraine for as long as possible by supplying heavy weapons to Kyiv, and that such steps are drawing NATO countries into the conflict. 

“Indeed, this kind of steps involve NATO countries in the conflict, and can lead to an unpredictable level of its escalation,” he added. “The groups of Russian forces continue grinding all the armament and hardware, delivered to Kyiv, both at the routes of their delivery, and at the combat positions.”

CNN is unable to independently verify those claims. 

Shoigu’s claim comes as Ukraine expects Russia to mobilize up to half a million additional soldiers in the coming months, according to a senior intelligence official.

Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, asserted in an interview that “Russia is going to mobilize 300,000 to 500,000 people in order to carry out offensive operations in the south and east of Ukraine in spring and summer of 2023.”

Russian forces in eastern Ukraine appear to be stockpiling ammunition and building up troop reserves ahead of an offensive that could begin in weeks, Ukraine’s top official in the Luhansk region has said.

The Russians “are bringing in ammunition, but they do not waste as much of it as they used to,” Serhiy Hayday, head of Luhansk region military administration, said Monday on VotTak television.

“Meaning they are saving ammunition load because they are getting ready for the full-scale offensive,” he added.

Hayday said that the Russian military continues to mass mobilized troops in Ukraine. He said he believes there are tens of thousands of mobilized troops in the occupied Luhansk region, not including regular army personnel like paratroopers.

Ukrainian leaders have for some time been warning of a renewed Russian offensive, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine. Hand-in-hand have come pleas for more advanced and powerful western weaponry. Having received pledges for dozens of western main battle tanks, Ukrainian officials have stepped-up messaging about their desire for western fighter jets.

Despite the alleged build-up of resources in eastern Ukraine, it is unclear how much Russia will be able to change the calculus of the battlefield. The UK Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it was “unlikely that Russia can build up the forces needed to substantially affect the outcome of the war within the coming weeks.”

Russia has for months been trying to capture the eastern city of Bakhmut, without success. Its only notable victory has been the capture of a small town, Soledar, just north of Bakhmut. Nonetheless, its troops have successfully continued to advance slowly to the north and south of the city, in an effort to make a continued Ukrainian presence there untenable.

The commander of Ukraine’s land forces on Monday said that the landscape around Bakhmut – particularly hills to the west of the city – provides natural defenses that make it an “un-winnable fortress.”

More on Bakhmut: CNN reported in January that the US and Western officials were urging Ukraine to shift its focus from the brutal, months-long fight in the eastern city of Bakhmut and prioritize instead a potential offensive in the south, using a different style of fighting that takes advantage of the billions of dollars in new military hardware recently committed by Western allies.

CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Alex Marquardt and Katie Bo Lillis contributed to this post.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov holds a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 5.

Ukraine’s defense minister, whose continued tenure has been questioned by the leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party in parliament, on Tuesday posted the message “holding the line” on Twitter.

“Thank you all for your support, as well as constructive criticism,” Oleksii Reznikov said. “We draw conclusions. We continue the reforms. Even during the war. We are strengthening the defense and working for victory. Glory to Ukraine!”

The leader of Zelensky’s parliamentary faction, David Arakhamia, announced on Sunday that Reznikov would be replaced as Defense Minister, but appeared to temper that on Monday, saying that no change is expected this week.

Some context: Ukraine is making an anti-corruption push as it tries to gain accession to the European Union.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau has been investigating “high-profile media reports” on allegations that the defense ministry was buying military provisions, including food for the troops, at inflated prices.

Damaged buildings after missile attacks in the Shebekino town of Belgorod, Russia, on November 4.

Ukraine’s top national security official, Oleksiy Danilov, also hinted at his country’s ability to strike Russia on its own territory, beyond occupied Ukraine, in his interview with CNN.

Western nations have restricted Ukraine from striking Russian territory with Western-donated weapons. Though there have consistently been unexplained explosions at strategic sites in Russia over the course of the war, Ukraine has never publicly admitted being responsible for the strikes.

Major General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Agency, last month predicted attacks “deeper and deeper” inside Russia, away from the frontlines, without acknowledging any Ukrainian role.

Budanov told ABC News in January that he was “very glad to see” attacks inside Russia, but that he was unable to “give you [an] answer” until after the war about whether Ukraine has played a role in such strikes.

“Do you think there will be more?” the reporter asked Budanov. “I think so,” he replied.

“Inside Russia? Deep inside Russia?” the reporter asked. “Deeper and deeper,” he said.

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, speaks during a news briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 7.

Ukraine’s top national security official told CNN that he is confident Ukraine will eventually receive American-made F-16 fighter jets.

The F-16, first developed in the 1970s, is a highly maneuverable fighter jet, capable of carrying six air-to-air or air-to-surface missiles under its wings.

F-16s would give Ukraine the capability, should it overcome air defenses, to strike Russia with an American-made weapon far behind the frontlines, even outside of territory considered internationally to be Ukrainian.

There have been pledges from the West for main battle tanks to Ukraine in recent days, which has led to renewed calls from Kyiv for fighter jets. Publicly, however, Western leaders have eschewed discussion of fighter jets going to Ukraine.

In an interview with CNN last month, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov: “I sent a wish list card to Santa Claus last year, and fighter jets also [were] including in this wish list.”

Leopard 2A4 tanks take part in training near Tata, Hungary on Monday.

In the distance there are gunshots, a heavy blanket of snow muffling the sound, confusing the senses — how far away and which direction, impossible to know.

Inside their German-made Leopard 2 tanks, Danish soldiers wait to pounce on their prey, an “enemy” force hiding in a warren of trenches deep in the freezing Estonian forest.

Before they leap into action in this NATO military exercise, just 100 miles from the Russian border, French and Estonian infantry open up a ferocious fusillade of fake gunfire, duking it out for control of the trenches in almost hand-to-hand fighting.

Troops fall to the ground amid thunderous simulated artillery explosions, as exercise officials bellow who is dead, who is injured.

The annual NATO winter military exercise is intended to gel the multinational soldiers — this year comprising Estonian, French, British, Danish and US troops — into a singular fighting force able to take enemy territory even in the bone-chilling cold.

Amid the trees, the message for Russian President Vladimir Putin is clear: NATO’s high-tech forces are ready for action. There are lessons here for the Ukrainians, too, whose training on Leopard 2 tanks began Monday in Germany.

Read the full story:

A Danish Leopard 2 tank prepares to support French commandos attack a position in a NATO exercise in Estonia.

Related article NATO forces put tanks through their paces, as Ukraine pins its hopes on Western-supplied armor | CNN

Liubov Yarosh has survived three man-made famines and World War II, she continues to fight for her country: Ukraine.

Traditional Ukrainian tapestries, family photos and pastoral scenes on cheap posters cover the walls of her cottage warmed by a wood-burning stove. The only record of her tragic past are her birth certificate and her memories.

In her 102 years, Liubov Yarosh has survived three famines, including the 1932-33 “Holodomor” when — under Joseph Stalin’s orders — Ukraine’s farmers were stripped of every grain they produced, to feed Moscow’s industrialization and suppress Ukrainian nationalist resistance.

At 13 she saw her older brother and sister perish in what was Ukraine’s worst mass starvation. “I was completely swollen. My legs were swollen, my arms were swollen. I was so sick. I thought I was going to die,” she says of her own suffering.

Back then the Kremlin sought to rid Ukraine of independent farmers, of its language, its history, its artists and its independence.

Many believe what Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to do now has startling similarities.

Read the full story here.