Igor Zhdanov, the Minister of Youth and sports in Ukraine (2014-2019), a public and political figure, Maidan commandant during the Revolution of Dignity, member of the Maidan Council, candidate of political sciences, ATO volunteer, analyst of the NGO "Open Policy Foundation"

 

Informational Defense of Ukraine provides a daily review of the military-political situation in Ukraine on March 2nd, based on an analysis of open sources.

1. The operational and tactical situation has not changed drastically; the enemy is attacking our country in all directions, but receives a heroic rebuff from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of 6 am on March 2nd, the Podil direction, the enemy is trying to continue the offensive attack on the borders of Horenychy, Hostomel, Demydiv, in the direction of Kyiv, to block the capital from the northern and northwestern sides.

In the northeastern direction, up to 17 BTGs (Beaver Tail Grip Safety) of the occupying forces, despite the human losses and destruction of equipment inflicted by the AFU, continue offensive operations to block Kyiv. The invaders were stopped in the areas of Kozelets, Bobrovytsia, and Makiiv.

Enemy troops with forces up to 2 BTGs make unsuccessful attempts to surround the heroic Ukrainian cities of Sumy, Lebedyn, and Okhtyrka.

In the Slobozhanskyi direction up to 16 BTGr continue the offensive operation in the direction of Krasnohrad and part of the forces, up to 4 BTGr, on Izyum. The invader suffered casualties and was stopped near the settlements of Bohodukhiv, Chuhuiiv, Shevchenkove. Enormous shelling of Kharkiv was carried out.

The enemy approached Kherson and tried to storm the city.

Russian occupation forces tried to surround Mariupol, attacking it from both the Donetsk region and Melitopol.

The aggressor failed to fulfill the task of reaching the administrative borders of Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The situation in these areas has not changed significantly. There were reports that the Armed Forces took control of a part of occupied Horlivka.

In the Black Sea Operational Zone, the enemy deploys a naval group and continues preparations for a naval landing operation.

2. The Russian occupiers resorted to terrorist tactics of rocket bombings and artillery strikes on civilians.

For the second day, Russian occupation forces are using a new tactic: intense and targeted shelling of peaceful towns and villages. Therefore, in the morning, the occupiers hit a rocket on Freedom Square in the center of Kharkiv, damaging the Kharkiv Regional State Administration and the Philharmonic House. Seven people died and 24 were injured. An air strike between the second and third entrances of a five-story apartment building in Kharkiv killed eight people and injured six. The city of Chernihiv was also heavily shelled.

As a result of the shelling of the TV tower in Kyiv, 5 people were killed and 5 were injured.

According to Information Defense experts, such tactics of the Russian occupiers are aimed at sowing panic, achieving a psychological breakdown in the population, which, according to the Russian military, will lead to anti-war pressure on the Ukrainian government to surrender Ukraine. Nevertheless, the aggressor did not take into account that by such terrorist actions, the invader, on the contrary, creates powerful anti-Russian, anti-Putin, anti-occupation feelings.

The shelling of the Kyiv TV tower was connected with the occupiers' attempt to create an information vacuum in the country, in which it will be easy to launch fake news about the alleged Russian victory. However, their plan failed: within hours, leading national channels resumed digital broadcasting using backup channels.

3. Europe demonstrates strong political support for Ukraine.

The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved a resolution urging EU member states to work on granting Ukraine candidate status.

The resolution was approved by 637 votes in favor. Only 13 MEPs voted against, 26 abstained.

 

The resolution condemns Russia’s war against Ukraine, calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukrainian territory, and calls on EU institutions to work to grant Ukraine EU-candidate status.

The speech of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi was appreciated on a very high level, and after the speech, the MEPs stood and applauded for several minutes to Ukraine, its heroic people and the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Information Defense experts believe that we have no right to lose the chance of Ukraine’s accession to the EU, which we received at the cost of the lives of the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes, the Anti-Terrorist Operation, and the Patriotic War against the Russian occupiers.

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The Russian economy continues to fall; in particular, the Russian rouble continues to depreciate. Russia’s international isolation is gaining rapidly, especially in the cultural and sports realms. Russian football and hockey teams are generally excluded from international sports competitions. In contrast, Ukraine’s international political and economic assistance is growing every day.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully repel the enemies and destroy their units. “Everything will be Ukraine!”