War in Ukraine: New officer, Russian presidential election, drone attack in Kiev, Elon Musk… update on the situation

New officer as Army chief

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Oleksandr Pavlyuk, former deputy prime minister of defense, commander-in-chief of the army, according to a decree published this Sunday.

Lt. Gen. Pavliuk, who held the ministerial position for a year, was appointed commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces last Thursday, replacing Gen. Oleksandr Sirsky. Volodymyr Zelenskyi has undertaken a reshuffle of the Ukrainian General Staff as Ukraine enters the third year of its war against Russia on February 24.

Russian drone attacks on Kiev and southern Ukraine

Russia launched drone strikes against Kiev and southern Ukraine overnight from Saturday into Sunday, the Ukrainian military said, injuring at least one civilian.

The Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram that its air defense systems had destroyed 40 of the 45 Iranian-designed Shahed drones launched by Russia overnight. “Air alert lasted about two hours in the capital”Serhii Popko, head of the capital’s military administration, said on Telegram.

According to initial information, there were no reports of casualties or damage in the capital or its surrounding areas. Ukraine’s Southern Military Command said on Telegram that its air defense system had destroyed 26 Shahed drones launched by Russia in several southern regions, mainly over the Mykolaiv region. At least one civilian was injured in the attack targeting southern Ukraine, the army said.

Debris from drones damaged residential buildings and gas pipelines in Mykolaiv, the southern Ukrainian military command said. Four drones were also shot down over the port of Odessa, the military said.

Nominations for the Russian presidential election are closed

The submission of candidacy documents for the Russian presidential election has been stopped, the Tass news agency reported this Sunday.

President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to win the election, and three politicians who support the war in Ukraine are on the list of candidates for next March’s election. In addition to Vladimir Putin, the Election Commission (CEC) authorized Vladislav Davankov, Duma Vice President and member of the New People’s Party, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Kremlin loyalist Leonid Slutsky. and the Communist Party candidate, Nikolai Kharitonov.

Vladimir Putin, 71, in power as head of state or government since 1999, is seeking a new six-year term as an independent candidate rather than a candidate from the ruling party, United Russia (UR). For the head of the Kremlin, the election is a formality.

With the support of the state, the public media, and the almost complete absence of dissent in public opinion, his victory is certain.

Russian military uses Starlink in Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence says

The Russian military begins to use “organized” The Starlink satellite communications service, designed by American billionaire Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, is in its occupied territories in Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence said this Sunday.

Starlink, which offered the terminal to Ukraine after the Russian invasion of February 2022, maintains that it is not in business with the Russian government or the Russian military. “Cases of alleged equipment use by Russian occupiers have been documented. This is starting to take on a systemic dimension”suggests the Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in a press release, citing its spokesman, Andriy Yusov.

The terminals are used by the Russian 83rd Air Assault Brigade, which is engaged in combat in the towns of Klichchivka and Andreevka in Donetsk Oblast (East). The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. GUR claims to have intercepted an exchange between two Russian troops over the activation of Starlink terminals.

The alleged audio document was posted on Telegram. Ukrainian intelligence did not specify where the Starlink terminals came from – whether they were acquired abroad or taken from Ukrainian forces.

On February 8, Starlink announced in a press release broadcast on X that its terminals were not active in Russia and denied any dealings with Russian authorities. “If SpaceX learns that a Starlink terminal is being used by an authorized or unauthorized party, we will investigate and, if confirmed, take steps to disable the terminal.”The company said.