Victorious news of 364th day of war: Russia doesn't have enough resources to attack Kyiv, drones and thermal imagers for AFU won't be subject to customs duties

Espreso TV continues its review of positive news that brings victory closer every day.

There are enough Ukrainian troops, but not enough Russian resources

Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Joint Forces, said that the Russian troops do not have sufficient resources to attack Kyiv and that the Ukrainian army is ready to stabilize the situation. If Russia builds up its troops in Belarus, Ukraine will also increase the number of troops.

“If the enemy increases the number of its troops, I will emphasize once again: we will mirror our numbers. And this work will be carried out constantly,” the commander said. Regarding the Russian offensive from three directions, Naiev added that the enemy currently does not have such resources in the northern direction.

In particular, he commented on the situation in the Volyn region. He says that the activities of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups have never been recorded there.

Ukraine's Armed Forces mercilessly destroy enemies

During the day, the marines destroyed 47 Russian soldiers and 6 infantry fighting vehicles. “Military units and subunits of the Ukrainian Navy's Marine Corps Command continued to perform tasks to repel Russia's full-scale armed aggression. Yesterday, February 21, the marines killed 4 Russian soldiers,” the marines wrote.

The Russian forces' losses were also caused by artillerymen who fired on the aggressor. The destruction of 43 Russian servicemen and 6 infantry fighting vehicles was also reported.

At the same time, according to the General Staff, the Defense Forces' aviation launched 10 strikes on the invading Russian troops'  positions. Rocket and artillery units struck 2 of the enemy's manpower concentration areas during the day. 

Financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine

The International Monetary Fund has announced its readiness to provide significant economic support to Ukraine under a new full-fledged loan program. According to the IMF, given the work of the Ukrainian authorities, the Fund is confident that the support can be significant, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva emphasized. The IMF representative praised Ukraine's efforts to transform its economy, which shrank by more than 30% last year. It has also become known that the administration of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to sign a new agreement with the Washington-based lender next month to secure USD 5 billion over the first year. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expects Ukraine to receive a total of more than USD 15 billion.

In addition, the Swiss government is asking the parliament to approve 140 million francs (USD 151 million) in humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Continued support is necessary to improve the situation of people in Ukraine, where 40% of the population is dependent on aid, Swiss officials emphasized.

“We can support Ukraine through humanitarian, diplomatic and reconstruction efforts,” Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said.

Drones and thermal imagers will not be taxed

On February 22, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed bills exempting drones, thermal imagers, collimators, radios, and night vision devices from VAT and customs duties.

President Zelenskyy signed the law “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on Facilitating the Importation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Certain Other Goods into the Territory of Ukraine” and “On Amendments to the Customs Code of Ukraine on Facilitating the Importation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Certain Other Goods into the Customs Territory of Ukraine.” The documents provide for the possibility of receiving goods, including copters, thermal imagers, collimators, radios and night vision devices, in express shipments.

World journalism is now without Russians

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) announced that it had suspended the membership of Russia's main journalism trade union after it established a branch in Ukraine's temporarily occupied regions. 

“The IFJ is an organization built on international solidarity, on principles of cooperation between member unions and respect for the rights of all journalists. The Russian Union of Journalists’ actions in establishing four branches in the annexed Ukrainian territories have clearly shattered this solidarity and sown divisions among sister unions,” the IFJ president, Dominique Pradalie, said in a statement. 

In response to the world journalism body’s statement, the head of the Union of Russian Journalists reportedly said that this move violates the IFJ's charter and will cause financial damage to the organization, as it will no longer receive significant membership fees from Russia.