US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered senior military officials to develop a budget plan that would slash defence spending by 8%, a dramatic cut which could reshape military end-strength and readiness for decades.

 

“February 20 is the day when we remember and commemorate those who made their choice — to be free, to build a strong, European Ukraine, and to resist subjugation. They sacrificed the most precious thing — their lives — so that we could live in a free state. It was during these days in 2014 that Russia chose war, taking its first steps towards the occupation of Crimea. While people in Kyiv were being killed defending their freedom, Putin decided to launch another strike — a very vile one. Since then, the world has been living in a new reality, where Russia is trying to deceive everyone. It is crucial not to fall for it, to stand together. It is crucial to support those who defend freedom. Eternal honour to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred. Eternal gratitude to all brave Ukrainians who have fought for Ukraine and its independence” – Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

 

– Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia NPP has been relying on a single off-site power line for over a week after losing its only remaining backup line, underscoring the fragile nuclear safety situation amid the ongoing military conflict. Nuclear power plants require a stable external power supply for reactor cooling and essential safety functions. The Zaporizhzhia NPP has faced repeated disruptions, temporarily losing all off-site power 8 times in the past 3 years. The latest issue began on 11 February, when its 330 kV backup line was damaged by military activity, leaving Europe’s largest nuclear power plant dependent on a single 750 kV line, down from the 10 lines available before the conflict. Meanwhile, at Chornobyl, firefighters continued battling smouldering fires on the roof of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) after a drone strike on 14 February pierced the structure. The IAEA team on-site, granted unrestricted access to assess the damage recorded normal gamma radiation levels. IAEA personnel stationed at Ukraine’s other NPPs — Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, and South Ukraine — also reported frequent air raid alarms over the past week – IAEA.

 

 Recent nationwide polling shows 63.3% of Ukrainians oppose any elections until the end of the war.