February 14, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Jack Guy, Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt, Leinz Vales, Mike Hayes and Tori B. Powell, CNN

Updated 1:19 a.m. ET, February 15, 2023
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1:15 p.m. ET, February 14, 2023

EU working group will be set up to explore using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine reconstruction 

From CNN’s James Frater and Alex Hardie

An EU “working group” will be set up to look at using frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union said on Tuesday.

The group will carry out a “legal, financial, economic and political analysis of the possibilities of using frozen Russian assets,” the Swedish presidency’s statement said.

Part of this work will involve obtaining a “clearer picture” of where Russian state-owned assets are located and their total value, the statement added.

“In principle, it is clear-cut: Russia must pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine. At the same time, this poses difficult questions. This must be done in accordance with EU and international law, and there is currently no direct model for this,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said. 

The group will be chaired by Anders Ahnlid, director-general of Sweden’s National Board of Trade.

Sweden currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, which rotates among EU members every six months.

 

1:17 p.m. ET, February 14, 2023

Ukrainian military: Shortened basic training leaves many Russian soldiers unprepared for war 

From CNN's Maria Kostenko in Kyiv

Many Russian soldiers have a "low level of readiness" after undergoing shortened basic training, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Tuesday. 

"The gross of the Russian military is undergoing a basic three-week training course. Some of the groups are being trained for two weeks. Therefore there’s a low level of readiness for task performance," the Ukrainian General Staff said in one of its regular updates.

The General Staff also claimed that Ukrainian Forces on Tuesday carried out eight air strikes on Russian personnel and military equipment, adding that "missile and artillery units hit the area of manpower concentration, three ammunition depots and two enemy electronic warfare stations." 

1:02 p.m. ET, February 14, 2023

A British national has died in Ukraine, according to UK foreign office 

From CNN's Lauren Kent in London

A British national has died in Ukraine, the United Kingdom's foreign office said on Tuesday. 

"We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Ukraine, and are in contact with the local authorities," a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said. 

The family of the unidentified British national has requested privacy, according to the foreign office, which continues to advise against all travel to Ukraine. 

12:58 p.m. ET, February 14, 2023

Ukrainian military says Russian forces continue offensives in eastern Ukraine near Bakhmut

From Maria Kostenko in Kyiv and CNN's Lauren Kent

Russian forces are carrying out air and ground offensives in eastern Ukraine near Bakhmut, Shakhtarsk, and other towns in the Donetsk region, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Tuesday. 

"The enemy continues to concentrate their main efforts at assaulting in the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Shakhtarsk directions," the military said in one of its regular updates. "Enemy aircraft are actively operating."

"The enemy conducted air strikes near Avdiivka and Vuhledar," the Ukrainian General Staff claimed. "Moreover, the occupiers dropped non-lethal K-51 aerosol grenades from a UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] on the positions of our troops near Vodiane."

The General Staff also said Russian rockets hit civilian infrastructure in the Donetsk region in two separate attacks, resulting in several wounded civilians. 

"The Palace of Culture which is operating as a humanitarian aid center was damaged. A medical facility was damaged as well," according to the update. 

In the south: The update also said several people were wounded in Russian shelling on civilian facilities in Kherson city, Beryslav, and Ochakiv in the Mykolaiv region, adding that "enemy shells have damaged multi-story buildings as well as private houses." 

12:09 p.m. ET, February 14, 2023

NATO allies will support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," secretary general says

From CNN's Radina Gigova in London 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the press as he arrives for a two-day meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 14.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the press as he arrives for a two-day meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 14. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Gety Images)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday NATO allies, working closely with the EU, will continue supporting Ukraine "for as long as it takes" so that Kyiv can "uphold its right to self-defense."

"NATO allies are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine," Stoltenberg said as he opened a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels. "Today we will discuss our continued support, which is essential to help Ukraine prevail as an independent sovereign state and to uphold the international rules-based order."

"President Putin made two strategic mistakes — he underestimated the strength and the bravery of the people of Ukraine and its armed forces, and he underestimated the resolve and unity of NATO and our partners," Stoltenberg added. 

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov are also attending the meeting. 

During his opening remarks, Stoltenberg asked the audience to stand up for a moment of silence in solidarity with the victims of the deadly earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria. 

11:44 a.m. ET, February 14, 2023

Fewer than 5,000 civilians remain in eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, military says

From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv

Damaged buildings are seen after Russian shelling as the strikes continue on the Donbass frontline during Russia and Ukraine war in Bakhmut on February 10.
Damaged buildings are seen after Russian shelling as the strikes continue on the Donbass frontline during Russia and Ukraine war in Bakhmut on February 10. (Marek M. Berezowski/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Fewer than 5,000 civilians remain in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the head of Ukraine's Donetsk region military administration said on Tuesday. 

"
[Evacuations] are literally taking place under constant shelling, and armored capsules are saving the evacuation crews," said regional military head Pavlo Kyrylenko in a television interview, adding that "the number of people staying in Bakhmut should be minimized, and the military should do their job."

Entry to Bakhmut is restricted for civilians who are not locals, but people who are registered there are able to leave and enter the city. 

Kyrylenko also noted that more than 12,000 children have been evacuated from Bakhmut. 

"There are less than 140 children," he said. "Children from orphanages, children from difficult families whose parents were deprived of parental rights — all such children were evacuated."

Regarding the ability of volunteer organizations to reach the city, Kyrylenko added, "The residents have everything they need, stock of food and water. If we see that delivery is necessary, we will do it through military administration."

Bakhmut remains the focus of Russia's main attacks, according to one official for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who spoke to CNN on Monday. 

In mid-January, CNN reported that Ukrainian officials said perhaps only 10% of the pre-war population remains in Bakhmut. On the western side of the city, which slopes down to a valley out of view of Russian positions, some civilians have been trying to carry on as best they can.

With previous reporting from Ben Wedeman, Kosta Gak and Kareem Khadder

11:37 a.m. ET, February 14, 2023

Zelensky met with Canadian foreign minister to discuss further security and defense cooperation

From Maria Kostenko in Kyiv

This handout photo from the Presidential Office of Ukraine shows President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Mélanie Joly.
This handout photo from the Presidential Office of Ukraine shows President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Mélanie Joly. (From the Presidential Office of Ukraine)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday met with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly in Kyiv, where he says the pair discussed further security and defense cooperation.

"We talked about the priority needs of the Defense Forces of Ukraine," Zelensky said in a Telegram post following the meeting. "Further cooperation in the field of security and defense was discussed in detail. Canada's support of the Ukrainian army is invaluable in these turbulent times for us."

"I highly appreciate the warm attitude of your society towards Ukrainians, towards our people who came to Canada. You help us not only on the battlefield but also financially, in the energy sector," Zelensky added in a news release. "I also want to note the political support of Ukraine, in particular at the United Nations."

Zelensky and Joly also discussed steps to be taken to aid Ukraine's reconstruction and the issue of demining areas of Ukraine where fighting took place, according to the press release. 

11:03 a.m. ET, February 14, 2023

No current indications that Russia is preparing for "massive aerial attack," US defense secretary says

From CNN's Haley Britzky

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that they are not seeing Russia “massing its aircraft” ahead of an aerial operation against Ukraine.

“In terms of whether or not Russia is massing its aircraft for some massive aerial attack, we don't currently see that. We do know that Russia has a substantial number of aircraft in its inventory and a lot of capability left,” he said. “That's why we've emphasized that we need to do everything that we can to get Ukraine as much air defense capability as we possibly can.” 

Austin spoke from Brussels, where he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley are meeting with other defense leaders in the ninth Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting since the beginning of Russia’s invasion almost one year ago.

10:45 a.m. ET, February 14, 2023

Russia has lost "strategically, operationally" one year after its invasion of Ukraine, top US general says

From CNN's Haley Britzky

A little less than a year since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has “lost strategically, operationally, and tactically,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said from Brussels on Tuesday.

“Putin thought he could defeat Ukraine quickly, fracture the NATO alliance, and act with impunity. He was wrong,” the top US general said. “Ukraine remains free, they remain independent. NATO and this coalition has never been stronger, and Russia is now a global pariah. And the world remains inspired by Ukrainian bravery and resilience. In short, Russia has lost — they’ve lost strategically, operationally, and tactically, and they are paying an enormous price on the battlefield.”

Milley and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Brussels for the ninth meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, to discuss ongoing support for Ukraine as it fights against Russia.

Milley said on Tuesday that until Putin “ends his war of choice,” the international community “will continue to support Ukraine with the equipment and the capabilities it needs to defend itself.”