Strike on Chernobyl, the return of fallen soldiers' remains, and Zelensky's meeting with Vens: key highlights from February 14.

Strike on Chernobyl

On the night of February 14, a Russian strike drone armed with a high-explosive warhead hit a shelter covering the destroyed reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

The sarcophagus sustained damage, and a fire broke out. In total, the Russians attacked Ukraine with 133 strike drones of the Shahed type and decoy drones. Ukrainian forces shot down 73 UAVs, while another 58 drones were lost to radar.

Return of the Deceased

With the assistance of the Red Cross, the bodies of 757 fallen Ukrainian soldiers who fought on various fronts have been returned to Ukraine.

Among the fallen defenders are those who fought in:

• Kurakhove direction;
• Pokrovsk direction;
• Bakhmut direction;
• Ugledar direction;
• Luhansk direction;
• Zaporizhzhia direction.

Bodies of Ukrainians have also been returned from morgues in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Zelensky Met with Vance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Munich with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. They agreed to continue working on a document regarding economic partnership between the countries.

The Ukrainian president also mentioned that Ukraine is expecting a visit from Kellogg and emphasized that Ukraine is ready to move "as quickly as possible towards a real, guaranteed peace."

U.S. Foresees Return of Ukrainian Territories

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset did not rule out that Ukraine could regain control over territories to the extent that existed before the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, but this remains part of the discussions during negotiations.

The American official believes that his role is to "shift to realism in discussing" the war in Ukraine, which includes the notion that it is "unlikely" to return to the borders of 2014, join NATO, and that American troops will not be sent to its territory.

Journalists Learned Who Will Participate in Peace Talks from Russia

From the Russian side, negotiations for peace in Ukraine will be led by the President's Assistant for Foreign Policy Yuri Ushakov, the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin, and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev.

The publication describes the Russian negotiators as a "team of heavyweights with many years of negotiation experience." Among them:

• Yuri Ushakov – chief foreign policy advisor to Putin in the Kremlin, with over 50 years of experience in diplomacy.
• The Kremlin's chief spy Sergey Naryshkin, who served alongside Putin in the Soviet KGB.
• Kirill Dmitriev – a financier educated at Stanford and Harvard, with ties to the Russian president's family.

Vance Criticized the EU and Agreed to Visit Russia

U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke at the Munich Security Conference, where he criticized European countries for their departure from democracy.

During his speech, he stated that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is concerned about European security, expressing hope that it can achieve a "smart resolution" to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Additionally, Vance condemned what he described as the suppression of freedom of speech in Europe, as well as "uncontrolled migration," which, he claimed, European countries have been unable to curb.

He also agreed to visit Russia.

Zelensky: Ready to Talk Only with Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that he will not meet with Russian officials in the framework of peace negotiations, and is only prepared to speak with the head of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

As the head of state explained, in Saudi Arabia he intends to discuss humanitarian issues with the Saudi side and does not plan to meet with the Russians.

“I will not meet with the Russians. I do not know if they will like it or not… I will only meet with one Russian – Putin,” the president said.

The Cabinet Banned Sending People with Disabilities to the Military Medical Commission

The government approved amendments to the regulations on the procedure for issuing military registration documents for conscripts, according to which people with disabilities are prohibited from being sent to the military medical commission for medical examination.

Moreover, the government allowed submitting a copy of the medical certificate for children with disabilities under 18 years of age instead of presenting original documents, as well as copies of other documents confirming disability.

Other Important News:

• President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the United States never viewed Ukraine as a NATO member, despite claiming otherwise. However, the head of state believes this position can be changed.
• As of November 2024, the total documented direct damage to Ukraine's infrastructure due to destruction during the war amounts to nearly 170 billion dollars.
• The Cabinet of Ministers plans to expand the "Affordable Medicines" program as part of the "Winter Support" initiative.
• Ukrainian men abroad will be able to obtain their passports next week.
• The State Bureau of Investigations reported that following inspections, more than 200 employees of state institutions have been stripped of their disabilities.