The ball was in Putin's court, who could have agreed to the 30-day ceasefire that had been negotiated between United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, but yesterday said "no". Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck on Thursday night to Friday two gas compression stations and an S-300 and S-400 missile depot located in three different regions of the Russian Federation.
One of the targeted gas compression stations is located in the Tambov region and the other is in the Saratov region, according to the SBU source, the Ukrainian intelligence structure responsible for the operation. The targeted missile depot is located in the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine.
Ukraine attacks various military and energy infrastructures of the Russian Federation every week to undermine the enemy's military and economic potential.
Finnish Court Sentences Russian Militant to Life Imprisonment for Crimes in Ukraine
The Helsinki District Court sentenced Voislav Torden, deputy commander of the Russian militia Rusich, to life imprisonment on Friday as the perpetrator of four war crimes committed in Ukraine in 2014 and 2015 while fighting alongside the Donbass separatists against Ukrainian army forces, reports Efe.
The court concluded that Torden, formerly known as Yan Petrovski until he changed his name in 2016, was the second in command in a unit of the mentioned militia, linked to the paramilitary group Wagner, which ambushed and killed 22 Ukrainian soldiers and wounded four others in the eastern Lugansk region.
The war crimes for which he was convicted also include the cold-blooded murder of several wounded soldiers and the degrading treatment given to captured or deceased personnel, one of whom was tattooed on the face with the militia's symbol using a knife.
Orbán: "The Future of Ukraine Will Be Decided at the Negotiation Table"
Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultranationalist Viktor Orbán, reiterated that most EU countries "want to continue the war" in Ukraine, a stance he has described as "crazy" and "wrong."
Orbán is a close ally of Moscow and has never supported military aid to neighboring Ukraine, attacked by Russia.
"The future of Ukraine will be decided at the negotiation table and not on the battlefield," he emphasized.
Ukrainian Air Force Announces Downing of 16 out of 27 Drones Launched by Russia Overnight
The Ukrainian army announced on Friday the downing of 16 out of 27 drones launched by Russia overnight, reports Reuters.
Another nine drones did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures, it added.
The drone attack, which occurred at dusk, injured seven people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
It also injured a woman and caused a fire in a hospital in the surrounding region, he added via the Telegram messaging app.
Bin Salman Tells Putin He Supports All Initiatives for War's End
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that he supports "all initiatives" leading to the end of the war in Ukraine, after hosting talks this week between Ukraine and the United States that resulted in a 30-day ceasefire proposal, reports Efe.
In a call, the two leaders discussed "efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine," with Bin Salman, also Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister, reaffirming "the kingdom's commitment to facilitate dialogue and support all initiatives aimed at achieving a political solution," according to a brief statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
China, Russia, and Iran Call for an End to Sanctions
Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, his Iranian counterpart Kazem Gharibabadi, and Russian Sergei Ryabkov called on Friday for "an end to all illegal unilateral sanctions" and to create "a favorable atmosphere" for diplomacy, reports Efe.
As reported by the state news agency Xinhua, in the trilateral meeting, marked by escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington, the three parties stated that "dialogue based on mutual respect" is the "only viable solution" and that "sanctions, pressure, and threats" must be abandoned, in a veiled reference to the United States.
The three countries emphasized that "all parties" must "work to eliminate the underlying root causes behind the current situation" and "abandon sanctions, pressure, and threats."
Robles Meets with Ukrainian Defense Minister on Friday
Defense Minister Margarita Robles meets on Friday in Madrid with her Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, to discuss Spain's support for Ukraine amid the ongoing debate on increased military spending.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Umerov's visit is not exceptional but is part of the "intense contacts" maintained by the ministers since the Russian invasion.
On this occasion, they will hold a bilateral meeting, discussions with their respective teams, and sign an agreement to continue the training and mentoring that Spain provides to the Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel. Umerov will also meet with representatives of the main defense industries that supply equipment and military material to Kiev.
Putin Speaks with Saudi Crown Prince over the Phone
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone Thursday night with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss, in particular, the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, announced the Kremlin in a statement, as reported by Afp.
The conversation with Mohammed bin Salman took place shortly after Putin said he was "in favor" of a ceasefire in Ukraine, proposed by the United States following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Saudi Arabia, but that "important issues" needed to be resolved before any truce.
According to the Kremlin, during this phone call with the Saudi prince, Putin "highly appreciated the mediation efforts of Saudi Arabia," which notably hosted the Russian-American talks on February 18.