Published on: 02/23/2026 - 06:51 Last updated: 02/23/2026 - 22:29

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Monday the suspension of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine due to the interruption of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Ukrainian territory. “Given the seriousness of the situation and the state of oil emergency declared in Slovakia, we are forced to respond in kind immediately with this first measure,” Fico said in a video message posted on Facebook and sent to the media. “The suspension will be lifted as soon as oil transit to Slovakia resumes. Otherwise, we will respond in kind with other measures.”

Police Chief: 7 Ukrainian policemen were injured in an explosion in Mykolaiv

The Ukrainian police chief said that an explosion occurred in the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine on Monday, wounding seven police officers, two of them seriously, in the second attack targeting the police within three days. Ivan Vayevsky added that the security personnel were stopping their cars waiting for a shift change when the explosion occurred. He wrote on Facebook, saying, “Two days ago, there was a terrorist attack on police officers in Lviv,” referring to the city located in western Ukraine near the Polish border.

A setback for the European Union, with Hungary blocking the imposition of new sanctions against Russia

European Union foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas acknowledged Monday that the failure of the 27 member states to agree to impose new sanctions against Russia is a setback after Hungary used its veto, on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “It is a setback and a message that we did not want to send today, but the work continues,” she said after the European Union foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. Due to Hungary's opposition, member states have failed to adopt the 20th sanctions package against Moscow since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The Prime Minister of Slovakia announces the cessation of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine

Hungary obstructs European sanctions on Russia and funding for Kiev

Hungary on Monday used its veto to stop new sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia and block a huge loan to Ukraine, while a Ukrainian attack on a Russian pumping station serving the Druzhba oil pipeline threatened to further damage tense relations between Kiev and Budapest. Regarding the battlefield, Kyiv announced a rare advance on the battlefront. However, Moscow continued its campaign to target Ukrainian cities, which led to the death of two people in drone strikes in the south.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Monday the suspension of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine due to the interruption of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Ukrainian territory. “Given the seriousness of the situation and the state of oil emergency declared in Slovakia, we are forced to respond in kind immediately with this first measure,” Fico said in a video message posted on Facebook and sent to the media. “The suspension will be lifted as soon as oil transit to Slovakia resumes. Otherwise, we will respond in kind with other measures.”

Ukraine: Bombing of a facility belonging to the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia

An official in the Ukrainian Security Service said on Monday that Ukrainian drones bombed a Russian pumping station serving the Druzhba oil pipeline, which was established to supply Eastern Europe with Russian crude oil. The official added that the night attack caused a fire at the Kalikino station

Near the city of Almittevsk in the Russian Tatarstan region, more than 1,200 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border. The official has not yet provided details on any broader impact on the pipeline.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Monday the suspension of emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine due to the interruption of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Ukrainian territory.

“Given the seriousness of the situation and the state of oil emergency declared in Slovakia, we are forced to respond in kind immediately with this first measure,” Fico said in a video message posted on Facebook and sent to the media. “The suspension will be lifted as soon as oil transit to Slovakia resumes. Otherwise, we will respond in kind with other measures.”

Ukraine: Hungary and Slovakia cannot impose their will on the European Union

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sepha said on Monday that the "final ultimatums" issued by Hungary and Slovakia should be directed only to the Kremlin. This came at a time when Hungary pledged to prevent the European Union from imposing additional sanctions on Moscow, as well as preventing the provision of a loan worth 90 billion euros to Kiev due to the interruption of the flow of oil through a pipeline for which Hungary accuses Ukraine of being responsible.

Two members of a private Russian security company were on board an oil tanker seized by France

Two employees of a Russian private security company were on board a tanker suspected of being part of Russia's "ghost fleet" and seized by France in September, a French source and a lawyer told AFP on Monday. The source, who requested to remain anonymous, said that the two men worked for Moran Security Group and were tasked with monitoring the crew and collecting intelligence information.

An international report estimates the cost of rebuilding Ukraine at more than 500 billion euros

A joint report by Kiev, the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations issued on Monday stated that the cost of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine is estimated at approximately 588 billion dollars (more than 500 billion euros) over the next decade.

The report stated that "the cost of reconstruction is still rising and has become estimated at $587.7 billion over ten years, which is equivalent to three times the Ukrainian gross domestic product for the year 2025."

European sanctions on 8 individuals for human rights violations in Russia

The European Council said in a statement on Monday that the European Union imposed sanctions on eight people suspected of being responsible for gross human rights violations and undermining the rule of law in Russia.

The statement stated that these individuals are members of the judiciary responsible for sentencing prominent Russian activists on charges that the European Union describes as politically motivated, and managers of penal colonies where political prisoners are held in inhumane and degrading conditions.

Army Commander: Ukraine regains control of 400 square kilometers in the south

Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said on Monday that his country had “regained control” of 400 square kilometers of territory, including eight residential areas, along part of the southern battle front since the end of January.

Meretz denounces Moscow's "brutality" four years after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday denounced the "absolute aggression" practiced by Russia, headed by Vladimir Putin, in a speech he delivered on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Speaking during a ceremony held in Berlin in support of Ukraine in the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Mertz said, “Under this leadership, this country has now reached the deepest levels of absolute brutality,” stressing that “Russia is not about to win this war.”

Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said on Monday that his country had “regained control” of 400 square kilometers of territory, including eight residential communities, along part of the southern battle front since the end of January. It was not clear from Sirsky’s statement the size of the territory that was previously under Russia’s control, nor the area that was within the “gray zone” that neither side fully controls.

Poland announces the arrest of a Belarusian accused of espionage

Warsaw authorities announced on Monday the arrest of a Belarusian citizen at the beginning of the month, suspected of carrying out espionage activities in Poland, Germany and Lithuania, and formally charging him. The Polish National Public Prosecution Office explained in a statement that the internal security services suspected that the man who was arrested on February 9 was working for the military intelligence services in Belarus, Russia's main ally.

Kallas: Hungary is obstructing the adoption of new sanctions against Russia

European Union foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas confirmed that the bloc will not be able to adopt a new sanctions package against Russia on Monday due to Hungary's veto. "We heard very firm statements from Hungary, and unfortunately I don't really see how they can go back from the position they are defending today," Kallas said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers. She added, "We are of course doing everything we can to move forward with the sanctions package and approve it." The European Commission put forward the twentieth “package” of sanctions against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with the aim of adopting them before Tuesday, which marks the four-year anniversary of the outbreak of the war.

France 24/ Agencies

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