Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 358

Because the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters its 358th day, we check out the principle developments.

A Ukrainian nationwide flag flutters close to buildings destroyed by a Russian army assault within the city of Borodyanka in Kyiv area [Gleb Garanich/Reuters]

Right here is the state of affairs because it stands on Thursday, February 16, 2023:

Preventing

• Russia has launched missile assaults throughout Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian officers stated, after Western allies pledged to ramp up army support to the Ukrainian armed forces to assist a deliberate counteroffensive.
• Ukrainian officers stated air defences within the south downed eight Kalibr missiles fired from a ship within the Black Sea, however different missiles struck northern and western Ukraine in addition to the central areas of Dnipro and Kirovohrad.
• Russia earlier stated it had damaged by means of two fortified defence traces in Ukraine’s east because it continued assaults on Ukrainian positions within the east.
• Ukrainian forces have repelled some Russian assaults however the state of affairs stays troublesome, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s workplace stated on Wednesday.
• Russian forces have launched assaults on a number of settlements, together with Paraskoviivka on the northern approaches to Bakhmut, and on Opytne and Klishchiivka villages on its southern approaches, Ukrainian army analysts stated.
• In the meantime, six Russian balloons had been noticed over Kyiv and most had been shot down after being engaged by air defences, the capital’s army administration stated.
• Russia has misplaced about half of its finest tanks within the yr because it invaded Ukraine and is struggling to interchange them, a analysis centre stated.
• Reuters was unable to confirm the battlefield stories.

Politics, economic system

• The European Union’s high diplomat has urged international locations to affix Germany in sending tanks to Ukraine after media stories that Denmark and the Netherlands stated they'd not ship Leopard 2 battle tanks.
• NATO international locations are ramping up the manufacturing of artillery munitions as Ukraine is burning by means of shells a lot sooner than the West could make them, the alliance stated.
• Ukraine’s state arms producer stated it had launched joint manufacturing of shells with a central European nation in NATO, and that it plans to develop and produce different arms and army hardware with allies.
• The higher chamber of Russia’s parliament will maintain a rare assembly on February 22 that can give attention to the adoption of legal guidelines on the mixing of 4 areas into the Russian Federation, RIA Novosti reported, citing a senior politician.
• A Russian authorities fee has accredited the sale of Swedish furnishings maker IKEA’s three factories in Russia to 2 native patrons, paving the way in which for a deal to be struck, a authorities official was quoted as saying on Thursday. Al Jazeera nevertheless, couldn't independently verify the veracity of the report.