Victorious news of 365th day of war: Leopards, NATO warplanes, USD 39 billion in aid, destroyed enemy air defense systems

Espreso TV has gathered a selection of news that makes Ukraine's victory closer every time.

Tanks from the Scandinavians and the opportunity to get fighters

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö approved more defense support for Ukraine. It is reported that Finland will provide Ukraine with three Leopard 2 mine clearing tanks as part of international cooperation on tanks. In addition, Ukrainian soldiers will be trained to use and maintain the tanks.

Sweden is also ready to send Leopard battle tanks to Ukraine. They are preparing another aid package. Defense Minister Pål Jonson said that Sweden is open to supplying some Leopard tanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to him, the new batch of armed support for Ukraine includes armored infantry fighting vehicles, which will be the country's main contribution in terms of equipment for ground warfare. Sweden is also preparing to send Ukraine an advanced Archer artillery system.

Encouraging news also came from the UK Defence Ministry. Secretary Ben Wallace said that combat aircraft available to NATO member states could be transferred to Ukraine. At the same time, Wallace emphasized that the battle in Ukraine is not a NATO conflict, but when asked whether NATO fighters could be sent to Kyiv, he answered positively: “There is already talk, I think, of an eastern European country supplying MiG-29s,” Wallace said.

By the way, 65% of Europeans approve of funding military support for Ukraine. The provision of humanitarian aid is supported by 91% of EU citizens.

Destroyed boats, drones and a multiple launch rocket system

In southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated Russian motor boats, drones and a multiple launch rocket system over the past day, said Operational Command South's press center head Natalia Humeniuk. She added that despite the difficult situation in the south, Ukrainian defenders continue to conduct effective counter-battery combat.

“Over the last day we managed to destroy two motor boats prepared by the subversive group, so these plans did not come true. We destroyed a multiple rocket launcher system on the Kinburn Spit from which the enemy was shelling the Ochakiv district. The Ukrainian military shot down two enemy drones,” Humeniuk said. 

According to the General Staff, Ukrainian defenders destroyed Russian Merlin and Zala UAVs. Over the past day, the Defense Forces'  aviation launched 14 strikes on the Russian troops' military positions, as well as 4 strikes on the positions of anti-aircraft missile systems. Ukrainian rocket launchers and artillerymen hit 3 manpower concentration areas and one other important enemy object. Moreover, the enemy continues to suffer losses. In Donetsk, on the night of February 21-22, 6 ambulances with wounded soldiers arrived at the trauma center.

It's a small thing, but it's nice. That's what we can say about situations when Russians self-destruct. In the Belgorod region, a Su-25 aircraft of the Russian Defense Ministry crashed. The pilot died. This region of the Russian Federation is adjacent to the border with the Kharkiv region. It is from there that the enemy is shelling Ukraine.

International financial assistance

The G7 countries have decided to allocate USD 39 billion in financial aid to support Ukraine this year.

“For 2023, in accordance with the needs of the Ukrainian government, we have increased our budgetary and economic support commitments to USD 39 billion,” the official document says. As a reminder, the G7 includes the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

Meanwhile Ukraine took care of Oksana Marchenko's property. The court seized the assets and property of the wife of former MP Viktor Medvedchuk (a Putin’s friend, pro-Russian politician and once a key intermediary between the Kremlin and Ukraine) for more than UAH 5.6 billion. 

She is suspected of financing Russian occupation groups. The court decision concerns stakes of 14% each in two regional power distribution companies and over 4% in the third, which Marchenko owns through five offshore companies. Two land plots, 4 residential buildings in Kyiv and Crimea, and 10 cars were also seized. Assets in 18 investment, agricultural, telecommunications and other companies were seized.

Sport

Ukraine has won its second medal at the World Ski Acrobatics Championships. Anastasia Novosad won a bronze medal in the women's event. The athlete confidently overcame the qualification to reach the final, then performed in the 1/8 finals and super final. Now Anastasia is on the podium of the world's best freestylers. This is the third individual award in the history of Ukrainian ski acrobatics at competitions of this level.