February 7, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Mike Hayes, Tori B. Powell and Elise Hammond, CNN

Updated 12:52 a.m. ET, February 8, 2023
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4:24 p.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Fierce fighting reported on outskirts of the eastern city of Bakhmut

From CNN's Tim Lister and Kostan Nechyporenko

The Ukrainian military says there has been heavy fighting across several areas of the eastern frontlines, as well as renewed Russian shelling in the south of the country.

Unofficial social media accounts on both sides of the conflict have confirmed bitter fighting around the eastern city of Bakhmut, as Russian forces step up efforts to encircle and capture the city.

The Ukrainian General Staff said that over the past 24 hours, more than 30 settlements in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk regions came under fire. It also listed several districts and villages around Bakhmut as coming under attack.

Verified social media videos and unofficial military accounts indicate that Russian forces, which include the Wagner private military company, have made modest gains on the outskirts of Bakhmut amid intense street fighting.

The Wagner group, on its official Telegram account, claimed that its forces were "advancing through Bakhmut." They appear to be in control of villages immediately to the north of the city.

A soldier with the 46th Ukrainian Air Assault Brigade posted on an unofficial Telegram account that for "several days we watched the 'orcs' [Russians] storming Krasna Hora head-on and wondered why they were doing it – it was a waste of time and effort."

Krasna Hora is just north of Bakhmut, and close to one road that enters the city from the west.

The soldier, who has spoken several times with CNN, said the Russians then began to bypass Krasna Hora and the neighboring settlement of Paraskoviivka.

"This is where it became very uncomfortable," he wrote. "Now there is a threat of semi-encirclement of the town from the north."

He added that the Russians had reached another road that links Bakhmut and Konstantynivka — a town under Ukrainian control located a few miles to the west.

"They were pushed back, and now the fighting is for the highway itself," he said. "It is about 500 meters away. It is no longer suitable for supplying the city."
"Everything is decided by the battles to the north of the city and to the southwest on the Bakhmut-Konstantynivka highway. If the orcs fulfill this, then the garrison will be cut off. But so far, they have only been able to fulfill their plan by half," the soldier said on Telegram.
3:59 p.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Ukraine appoints new governors in 3 regions 

From CNN's Maria Kostenko and Victoria Butenko in Kyiv

The Ukrainian government approved the appointment of three new regional governors on Tuesday, according to the Office of the President. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decrees appointing the following officials:

  • Serhiy Lysak is the new governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
  • Yurii Malashko will govern the Zaporizhzhia region.
  • Oleksandr Prokudin has been appointed the new governor of the Kherson region.

3:50 p.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Biden approves $10 billion sale of rocket launchers to Poland

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

The Biden administration has approved a $10 billion sale of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Poland.

Congress was notified of the potential sale of 18 HIMARS and related equipment on Tuesday, according to a notice from the US State Department.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe,” the notice said. 
“The proposed sale will improve Poland’s military goals of updating capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies,” it continued. “Poland intends to use these defense articles and services to modernize its armed forces and expand its capability to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats. Poland will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”

Poland, which borders Ukraine, has served as a key partner to Kyiv in providing defense weapons, including Leopard tanks.

2:58 p.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Leopard 2 tanks will be ready for Ukraine at the end of March, German army says

From CNN's Inke Kappeler

Leopard 2 battle tanks from Germany will be ready for Ukraine to use at the end of March, the German army said in a tweet Tuesday. 

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited Kyiv Tuesday, where he met with soldiers who will soon go to Germany to train on Leopard 2 tanks.

He said he was "deeply impressed" by the "determination" and "solemn faces" of the Ukrainian soldiers.

3:26 p.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Germany, Denmark and Netherlands will send more than 100 tanks to Ukraine by spring 2024, official says

From CNN’s Inke Kappeler in Berlin 

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius attends a meeting in Kyiv on February 7.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius attends a meeting in Kyiv on February 7. (Press Service of the Defence Ministry of Ukraine/Reuters)

Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will send more than 100 Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine by spring 2024, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced during an unannounced visit to Kyiv Tuesday. 

A contingent of 20 to 25 Leopard 1 tanks will arrive in Ukraine by this summer, and up to an additional 80 by early next year, Pistorius told reporters during a joint press meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. 

The Leopard 1 had been in service since the 1960s until it was phased out in 2003. 

Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands will be providing “refurbished” Leopard 1 from their “industrial stocks” and the three countries will also provide required logistic support and training to operate the vehicles, the German defense ministry said in a news release. 

The German government on Tuesday approved up to 178 export licenses for Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine, according to the news release. 

Pistorius speaking at the news conference also announced imminent weapons deliveries to Ukraine. 

He said that by the end of the month, there will be more missiles, five additional Gepard tanks, and another five armored engineer vehicles. 

Training on Leopard 2 battle tanks will soon begin in Germany, Pistorius said, adding that he was “deeply impressed” by the Ukrainian trainee soldiers' “solemn faces” and “determination.” 

Ukraine’s Reznikov said he discussed the need for fighter jets with his German counterpart.  

“It could be different platforms” and Ukraine’s partners will decide the best platform to discuss the request, Reznikov said. 

Before deciding on fighter jets, the “first priority” for Ukraine's allies was to “deploy their Leopards" and “guarantee the training," Pistorius said. 

10:24 a.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Ukraine gets new Security Service chief and Interior Minister

From CNN's Maria Kostenko in Kyiv

Newly appointed Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko looks on during a session of Ukrainian parliament, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 7.
Newly appointed Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko looks on during a session of Ukrainian parliament, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 7. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters)

Ukraine’s parliament has approved the appointment of a new Interior Minister and head of the Security Service.

The new Interior Minister is Ihor Klymenko, formerly the National Police Chief. He had been serving as acting minister after Denis Monastyrsky, the former Interior Minister, was killed last month in a helicopter crash in the outskirts of Kyiv.

Vasyl Maliuk is the new head of the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He had been serving as acting SBU chief since last July, when President Volodymyr Zelensky suspended the previous SBU chief, Ivan Bakanov, over the presence of Russian collaborators in the SBU. Bakanov was not personally accused of wrongdoing. While he touted the SBU’s successes in countering Russia’s invasion, he admitted “there were also failures.” 

Zelensky on Tuesday praised Maliuk for his work protecting Ukraine so far during the Russian invasion. 

"I believe that such appointments correspond to the meaning and tasks of this stage of the war. Vasyl Maliuk is a combat officer who, from the first minutes of the full-scale invasion, stood up for the defense of the state of Ukraine and performs his work with absolute dedication and professionalism. During the actual management of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk proved that the SBU can be the way the people of Ukraine want to see it," Zelensky said, speaking to the Ukrainian parliament.

Zelensky added that the SBU carries out "successful and often truly unique special operations" and some of these operations "changed the picture of the war in favor of Ukraine." Zelensky said "heavy blows" were inflicted on the "internal enemy" and this is reflected in the decisions of the National Security Council.

Parliament also extended martial law in the country, as it has regularly done since Russia’s invasion nearly one year ago.

7:34 a.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Ukraine has removed millions of books from libraries in "de-Russification" effort

From CNN's Mick Krever in London and Maria Kostenko in Kyiv

Ukraine has removed millions of books from public libraries in its ongoing effort at “de-Russification,” according to Ukraine’s parliament.

“There were guidelines to withdraw books of authors who supported armed Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” said Yevheniya Kravchuk, a Ukrainian MP who is deputy head of the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy.

“There is a list of such authors who were sanctioned. Overall, the proportion of books in Ukrainian and in Russian in libraries is quite regrettable. Which is why we are now talking about the need to renew the collections and purchase books in Ukrainian as soon as possible,” she added.

As of November last year, 19 million books had been removed from public libraries following an initiative from the Ministry of Culture to withdraw “certain types of books.”

The parliament said that 44% of books in public libraries are still in Russian, with the rest in Ukrainian and other languages.

12:04 p.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Ukrainian defense minister thanks Germany for soon-to-be-delivered Leopard 2 tanks

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov on Tuesday thanked German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius for Berlin's pledge to send its Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

A tweet from Reznikov included an image of the pair posing with a miniature model of the Leopard 2, a German-made battle tank that several countries have announced they will to send to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

"There will be more of them," Reznikov said. "The tank coalition is marching... to victory!"

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the first Leopard 2 tanks have been delivered to Ukraine. It’s unclear when the tanks will arrive.

9:07 a.m. ET, February 7, 2023

Russia says Western supplies of heavy weapons to Ukraine prolonging conflict and drawing NATO into it 

From CNN's Radina Gigova and Anna Chernova

Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian positions from a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer in Kherson region, Ukraine, on January 9.
Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian positions from a U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer in Kherson region, Ukraine, on January 9. (Libkos/AP)

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has accused the US and its allies of trying to drag out the conflict in Ukraine for as long as possible by supplying heavy weapons to Kyiv, and that such steps are drawing NATO countries into the conflict. 

The US and its allies are trying to prolong the conflict as much as possible. With this purpose, they have commenced to deliver heavy offensive armament, openly urging Ukraine to capture our territories," Shoigu said during a meeting with Russian defense officials on Tuesday. 

"Indeed, this kind of steps involve NATO countries in the conflict, and can lead to an unpredictable level of its escalation," he added. "The groups of Russian forces continue grinding all the armament and hardware, delivered to Kyiv, both at the routes of their delivery, and at the combat positions."

CNN is unable to independently verify those claims. 

Shoigu's claim comes as Ukraine expects Russia to mobilize up to half a million additional soldiers in the coming months, according to a senior intelligence official.

Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, asserted in an interview that "Russia is going to mobilize 300,000 to 500,000 people in order to carry out offensive operations in the south and east of Ukraine in spring and summer of 2023."