Victory Chronicles-DAY 728

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reported destroying an enemy Su-34 fighter-bomber, according to the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk. 

The pilot of the Su-35 fighter managed to evade danger during the encounter. However, the crew of the Su-34 will be honored in the “Eternal Flight, Brothers” section. Objective control confirmed the successful destruction of the enemy fighter. 

In recent days, the Ukrainian Air Force has shot down several enemy aircraft, including two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter on February 17, a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber on February 18, and a Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35S fighter jet on February 19. These enemy aircraft were attacking Ukrainian troops’ positions with guided bombs.

According to a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 73% of Ukrainians are willing to endure the war for as long as necessary. An additional 3% are prepared to endure the war for a year, while another 3% are willing to endure it for another six months. Furthermore, 18% believe they can withstand the conflict for several months. This sentiment has remained consistent since May 2022. The majority of Ukrainians, at 89%, believe in Ukraine’s victory, with 60% being completely convinced of it. Only 4% believe that Russia will be victorious, compared to 1% in May 2022. However, respondents are more cautious when assessing the current situation on the battlefield, with 24% believing it is in favor of Ukraine, 15% in favor of Russia, and 47% stating that it is in favor of neither side. Overall, Ukrainians remain optimistic in their belief in the eventual victory of their country.

The Public Relations Service of the Support Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published a photo report of the work of the engineer troops. “Engineer troops of the Support Forces are building fortifications 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All possible resources of the engineer troops are used at full capacity. This means maximizing technical knowledge, material resources, and manpower to strengthen defensive positions effectively. With our hands and metal, we are creating impenetrable barriers between our troops and the Russian occupiers. From buried trenches to minefields, we are digging earth and pouring concrete to provide our fighters with the best protection possible,” the statement said.

The Public Relations Service of the 71st Separate Ranger Brigade of the Airborne Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a video of the destruction of the Russian Starlink.

“Everyone has heard that the Russians have started using SpaceX satellite communication platforms, but we have not been able to film them. The company has repeatedly denied supplying its products to the aggressor. Operators of reconnaissance UAVs of the 71st Ranger Brigade spotted the stolen or smuggled modem. And our FPV drones “stood guard over international law and the business reputation of a respected company.” 

Ukraine has been defending itself against illegal Russian military intervention and aggression for 10 years. Russia violated its commitments to respect Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and began its now decade-long military intervention in Ukraine on February 20, 2014 when Russian soldiers without identifying insignia (also known colloquially as “little green men” and, under international law, as illegal combatants), deployed to Crimea.

The deployment of these Russian soldiers out of uniform followed months of protests in Ukraine against pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych for refusing to sign an association agreement with the European Union (EU) that the Ukrainian Rada had approved.

The Yanukovych government killed and otherwise abused peaceful Ukrainian protestors, leading to an organized protest movement calling for Yanukovych’s resignation. This Ukrainian movement — the Euromaidan Movement — culminated in Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity during which the Rada voted to oust Yanukovych who then fled to Russia with the Kremlin’s aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin viewed these events as intolerable and launched a hybrid war against Ukraine as the Euromaidan Movement was still underway with the goal of reestablishing Russian control over all of Ukraine.  Russia’s military intervention in Crimea and the Donbas in 2014 violated numerous Russian international commitments to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including Russia’s recognition of Ukraine as an independent state in 1991 and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in which Russia specifically committed not to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.

Russia’s grand strategic objective of regaining control of Ukraine has remained unchanged in the decade since its illegal intervention in Ukraine began. Russia’s overarching strategic objective in Ukraine, as first manifested in the 2014 invasion of Crimea and the Donbas, has been and remains the destruction of Ukraine’s sovereignty and the re-establishment of a pro-Russian Ukrainian government subservient to Moscow’s direction. Russia began immediate efforts to dismantle and eradicate Ukrainian identity in Crimea, consolidate its military presence on the peninsula, and forcibly integrate Crimea into the Russian Federation along multiple avenues, all while promoting a parallel political subversion campaign to destroy Ukraine’s ability to resist dominant Russian influence.

27-year-old fighter Matvii Aleksanov, with the call sign STARK, died on November 21, 2023, in a battle in the Bakhmut direction of Donetsk Oblast. When he went on a combat mission with his comrades-in-arms near the village of Klishchiyivka, the group came under enemy tank fire. The defender sustained severe injuries that were incompatible with life.

Matviy was born in the village of Muzykivka, Kherson Oblast. He graduated from a local school. He lived in Kherson. He worked as a seller of metal structures at METAL STROY LLC. He was fond of electronics.

After the de-occupation of the Kherson Oblast in the fall of 2022, the man joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the aerial reconnaissance of the 22nd separate mechanized brigade. He was responsible for an anti-drone rifle. He performed combat missions very professionally, for which he was awarded a certificate of merit from his commander.

“Since childhood, my brother was never afraid of anything in his life, he always went against all obstacles, purposefully and without any hesitation. He is a very friendly and well-mannered person thanks to his mother. People in the village loved and respected him very much because whenever someone needed help, he always came to the rescue. I still can’t believe it and still wait for a call from my brother. After every mission he completed, he always called and said he was alive…” said Mykhailo, the deceased’s older brother. The fighter was buried in his native village. Matvii is survived by his mother, older brother, and sister, wife and son.

*Matvii’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

• EU ambassadors agree on 13th package of sanctions against Russia
• UK Defense Ministry: Russia intensifying attacks near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
• Ukraine’s military intelligence chief: Russia lacks the strength to capture Luhansk, Donetsk oblasts in 2024 fully. 
• Pentagon: US can deliver aid to Ukraine quickly once Congress passes funding.
• US tells allies Russia may launch anti-satellite nuclear weapon into space this year.
• BBC: Ukrainian HIMARS strike in occupied Donetsk Oblast kills dozens of Russian troops.
• CNN: First group of Ukrainian pilots to complete US-led F-16 training by summer.