Ukraine updates: Kyiv's aerial success, ground struggles

The Ukrainian military has reported successes in the air but continues to struggle on the ground around Avdiivka, as Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses parliament. DW has more.

Following Ukraine’s withdrawal from Avdiivka, fighting continues in villages outside the town

The Ukrainian Air Force claims to have shot down two more Russian fighter planes Russian army continues to apply pressure in “fierce fighting” around Avdiivka Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses parliament

Here’s a look at the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine on Thursday, February 29.

Putin lauds Russian gains and threatens West in annual speech

Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded Russian gains in Ukraine and issued a warning to Kyiv’s Western allies in his annual State of the Nation address on Thursday.

As what he calls the “special military operation” enters its third year, Putin referred to Russian advances around Avdiivka, praised Russian industry for shifting to a war footing and claimed that a majority of the Russian population supported the military action in Ukraine.

Referring to the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, Putin said Russia’s western military district would need to be strengthened and said European leaders should remember the fates of the Nazi Wehrmacht in the 20th century and Napoleon’s Grande Army in the 19th century before threatening Russia in the 21st century.

Putin’s 19th such annual speech, which was nationally televised and even screened in some cinemas, came less than three weeks before a presidential election he is sure to win.

Russia targeting further Ukrainian towns and villages

After Ukrainian troops withdrew from the ruined town of Avdiivka on February 17, Russian forces have been pushing to capture further settlements in Ukraine’s partly occupied eastern Donetsk region.

As the war enters its third year, the Russian army has been deploying overwhelming amounts of artillery and manpower in an effort to seize Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka — villages that form a new Ukrainian line just west of Avdiivka.

Russian progress is slow and costly, but officials say the Ukrainian army is having trouble stabilizing its positions as military supplies from Western allies falter.

The new Ukrainian commander-in-chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, traveled to the front to get an overview of the situation and accused several commanders of misjudgments that put the Ukrainian units in a tight spot.

Syrskyi said Russian units had been pushed out of Orlivka again and that additional reserves and ammunition had been allocated to “improve the situation” amid fierce fighting.

According to both Ukrainian and Russian reports, 19 Russian soldiers were killed and 12 injured near Olenivka south of Donetsk city on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces are trying to retake the towns of Verbove and Robotyne, which Ukraine recaptured during last year’s otherwise underwhelming summer counteroffensive.

In the southern Kherson region, Ukrainian special forces confirmed they suffered heavy losses at an undisclosed location. Russian reports suggest an attempted Ukrainian amphibious landing involving five motorboats near the Tendra headland was thwarted.

Ukrainian authorities said on Thursday that eight more civilians, including a six-year-old girl, had been killed and at least 12 injured in the south-east of the county in the past 24 hours.

Ukraine shoots down 2 more Russian planes, bringing recent tally to 12

The Ukrainian Air Force said on Thursday that it had shot down two more Russian Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jets, meaning a dozen Russian aircraft, including a specialist A-50 reconnaissance aircraft, have been downed in the last two weeks.

“The enemy has increased its air presence in the east and our top military leadership reacted accordingly,” Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television.

Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said, “Given such losses of fighter and special aircraft, the Russians should have a think and stop their aviation meat grinders at least for some time.”

Explanations for the upturn in downed aircraft include an increase in Russian aerial activity over the frontlines, but also potentially more advanced positioning of Ukrainian air defense systems.

“Ukraine is being more aggressive, risking Patriot launchers closer to the frontlines in order to engage Russian jets,” Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the London-based think-tank RUSI, told the BBC.

Ukraine claims to have shot down over 340 Russian planes and 325 helicopters since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. These figures cannot be independently verified and Moscow does not comment.

mf/sms (AFP, Reuters, AP, DPA)