In a rare use of ATACMS, Ukraine hit Russian command posts

Ukraine’s military used U.S.-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles in overnight strikes on February 24, targeting Russian command posts and logistics hubs in occupied territories. The General Staff said the operation aimed to weaken Moscow’s offensive capabilities by hitting key command and supply infrastructure.

Among the targets was an auxiliary command post of Russia’s 5th Army near occupied Donetsk Oblast. Additional strikes hit a logistics depot linked to the Russian “Rubicon” center in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The military said damage assessments are ongoing.

ATACMS missiles, launched from HIMARS systems, can reach up to 300 kilometers (186 miles). Ukraine began receiving the weapons in 2023, with expanded authorization in late 2024 allowing strikes on military targets inside Russia. Kyiv has used the missiles sparingly, and their deployment marks a continued focus on disrupting Russian command and supply lines behind the front.

Russia is making up a theory about nuclear weapon supply for Ukraine to derail the peace talks

On February 23,Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russian intelligence has obtained information that the United Kingdom and France are discussing the possibility of supplying Ukraine with nuclear weapons or nuclear technology. According to Putin, these plans include not only the potential transfer of nuclear warheads but also assistance in developing Ukraine’s own nuclear capability. He claimed that Ukraine could supposedly use the nuclear weapons to sabotage a pipeline in the Black Sea, describing the alleged plans as “extremely dangerous” and a direct threat to Russia’s national security.

Putin warned that if such plans are realized, Russia would be forced to reconsider its entire approach to the conflict, including its nuclear doctrine. He stated that the West’s willingness to even consider arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons proves that Kyiv and its Western supporters are not genuinely interested in peace but are instead seeking Russia’s strategic defeat. Putin emphasized that this new development — including the supposed threat to Black Sea infrastructure —would make any future negotiations significantly more difficult for Russia.

These statements were made to harden Russia’s position at the negotiating table. Russian officials have already signaled that Moscow will now demand much stricter and broader security guarantees from both Ukraine and the West, including limitations on Ukraine’s long-term military development and stronger legal commitments regarding its neutral status. Analysts believe Putin is using the nuclear narrative — amplified by claims of planned sabotage in the Black Sea — to justify a tougher stance in talks and to slow down any diplomatic momentum that could lead to concessions from the Russian side. It is quite symbolic that Russia fabricated such a story on the anniversary of their invasion of Ukraine.

Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day killed 3 and injured 28

At least three people were killed and 28 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day - the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

Russia launched 133 drones and an Iskander-M ballistic missile overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force said. Air defenses shot down 111 drones, but 19 drones and the missile struck 16 locations.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one person was killed and six injured amid nearly 900 reported strikes on 36 settlements. In Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and five injured, with apartment buildings and homes damaged. A 35-year-old man was killed in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, during a drone attack.

Russian strikes also injured 11 people, including two children, in Kharkiv Oblast and six more in Donetsk Oblast, where residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged.