The Soviet-era Beriev A-50, an early warning and control warplane

Friday’s Coverage: Russia’s Medvedev — We Must Seize Kyiv

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1600 GMT:

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, and Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo at a press conference in Kyiv to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion:

UPDATE 1345 GMT:

In a recorded speech on the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said:

Today, unfortunately, each of us has someone to keep a moment of silence and honour the memory of. Together we bow our heads. 730 days of pain. But at the same time, 730 days of hope.

Zelenskiy spoke from Hostomel Airport, where Ukrainian defenders held off Russian special forces seeking to seize the capital and remove the Government.

The President recalled the moment of survival as he loooked to the future.

Remembering what Ukrainians have already done, you know that we can definitely do it. We are capable. We will succeed. And here, in this place, you realize it in the best way possible: the metal may fail, but not the Ukrainians.

A nation that survived the first three days. And did not fall on the fourth. And won on the fifth day. And then a month. And then – six months. And now two years

We are fighting for it. For 730 days of our lives. And we will win. On the best day of our lives.

UPDATE 0753 GMT:

Australia has sanctioned another 37 Russian organizations and 55 individuals.

Canberra cited “deportation of Ukrainian children from regions under temporary Russian control.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong added, “We have also sanctioned targets in Russia’s defense, energy, media and minerals sectors, as well as targets involved in Russia’s procurement networks in Belarus, Iran, and North Korea.”

Australia has sanctioned more than 300 companies and 1,100 individuals from Russia and Belarus during Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

UPDATE 0717 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses the Russian people on the eve of Vladimir Putin’s invasion on February 24, 2022.

Your leaders have approved a step forward onto the territory of another country.

This step could be the beginning of a big war on the European continent.

UPDATE 0657 GMT:

Ukraine drones have attacked Russia’s largest steel plant.

The Governor of the Lipetsk region in western Russia said a fire was started in one of the workshops of the Novolipetsk Metallurgical Plant. He claimed the blaze was extinguished and no one was injured.

UPDATE 0650 GMT:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Kyiv to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

The Prime Ministers of Italy, Canada, and Belgium are also in the Ukrainian capital today.

UPDATE 0645 GMT:

The UK has pledged another £245 million ($311 million) for supply of artillery shells to Ukraine in 2024.

Defense Minister Grant Shapps said in a statement, “They cannot win this fight without the support of the international community – and that’s why we continue to do what it takes to ensure Ukraine can continue to fight towards victory.”

London has committed more than £7 billion ($8.8 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

UPDATE 0633 GMT:

The Ukraine Air Force says air defenses also downed 12 Iran-made attack drones and two Kh-59 missiles fired by Russia overnight.

Five drones were intercepted over the Kirovohrad region, five over the Odesa region, and two over the Mykolaiv region.

One of the downed drones fell on a residential area in Odesa. ONe person was reportedly killed and three wounded.

The two missiles were intercepted over Kirovohrad.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s forces have downed another Russian A-50 early warning and command warplane — the second A-50 knocked out in five weeks and the eighth warplane shot down in the past 10 days.

The A-50 crashed in the Krasnodar region in southwest Russia, on the eastern coast of the sea of Azov.

The head of the Ukraine Air Force, Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, thanked military intelligence for their role in the operation. He posted on Telegram, “An A-50 with the call sign ‘Bayan’ stopped flying! I congratulate the occupiers on Defender of the Fatherland Day!”

At the start of 2024, Russia was estimated to have had a total of 21 A-50 and Il-22M11 warplanes for relaying commands from headquarters.

In mid-January, Ukraine downed an A-50 over the Sea of Azov and heavily damaged an Il-22M11, forcing an emergency landing on the coast in southwest Russia.

In June 2023, rebelling Wagner Group mercenaries downed another A-50 over Western Russia.

Ukraine’s air defenses, bolstered by international assistance, have been increasingly effective since late 2023. On Wednesday night, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the downing of seven Russian warplanes — Il-34 fighter bombers and Il-35 fighter jets — in a week.