Key developments on Feb. 23:
- Ukrainian drones strike 'critical' Druzhba oil pipeline hub in Russia's Tatarstan, SBU source confirms
- Ukraine strikes logistics warehouse, ammunition depot, other military targets in Russian-occupied territories, General Staff says
- Ukraine has liberated 400 square kilometers, 8 settlements on southern front since January, Syrskyi says
- 'No coincidence' — Explosion in Mykolaiv injures 7 police officers, day after fatal terrorist attack in Lviv
- Ukraine signals new talks with Russia on Feb. 26–27, Kremlin yet to confirm
Drones operated by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) struck a "critical" Russian oil transportation hub, the Kaleykino oil pumping station, in the Republic of Tatarstan overnight on Feb. 23, an undisclosed source in the agency told the Kyiv Independent.
Residents in the Russian cities of Saratov and Engels reported hearing multiple explosions overnight, according to independent Russian Telegram news channel Astra.
Separately, residents in Tatarstan's Almetyevsk reported further blasts and a fire in the city, though officials have not yet released detailed information about the incidents.
Six explosions rocked the Kaleykino oil pumping station near Almetyevsk, 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) from the Ukrainian border, triggering a large fire, according to the source.
Oil tanks storing crude from Russia's Povolzhye region and Western Siberia before its export also ignited, though the source did not disclose the extent of the damage.
Ukraine strikes logistics warehouse, ammunition depot, other military targets in Russian-occupied territories, General Staff says
Ukraine has struck military targets in Russian-occupied Crimea and in Russian-occupied parts of Donetsk and Mykolaiv oblasts, Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff announced on Feb. 23.
The strikes were part of what Kyiv described as "systematic measures" aimed at reducing Russia's offensive capabilities.
In Crimea, Ukrainian forces struck a concentration of Russian troops, targeting the missile division of the 15th Separate Coastal Missile Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, reportedly armed with Bastion missile systems, the General Staff said.
The Bastion missile system is typically armed with 3M55 Onyx anti-ship cruise missiles, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers (185 miles) and a warhead weighing up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds). The system has been repeatedly used to strike civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine, particularly in the south.
In the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, an ammunition depot belonging to Russia's "South" military group was hit near the village of Nyzhnia Krynka. A logistics warehouse was also struck near the Velyka Novosilka settlement, the report said.
In the Russian-occupied part of Mykolaiv Oblast, the command post of a Russian airborne assault regiment was hit at Kinburn Spit.
Ukraine has liberated 400 square kilometers, 8 settlements on southern front since January, Syrskyi says
Ukrainian forces have regained control of eight settlements and liberated 400 square kilometers (154 square miles) of territory from Russian occupation since the end of January 2026, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Feb. 23.
Following the visit to Ukraine's Southern operational zone, Syrskyi said the Airborne forces and adjacent units regained control over the occupied territories in the Oleksandrivka direction, located at the intersection of three oblasts — Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Dnipropetrovsk.
Syrskyi added that, despite successful offensive operations, the situation in the area remains "complicated," as Russian forces continue to apply pressure with artillery, drones, armored vehicles, and small assault groups attempting infiltration.
'No coincidence' — Explosion in Mykolaiv injures 7 police officers, day after fatal terrorist attack in Lviv
Explosions injured seven police officers in the city of Mykolaiv on Feb. 23, Ivan Vyhivskyi, the chief of Ukraine's National Police, said.
According to Vyhivskyi, seven employees of the Patrol Police Department had arrived at a disused gas station in Mykolaiv for the shift change. Vyhivskyi said explosions occurred at 6:10 p.m. local time at the gas station.
Among the seven injured, two are in critical condition.
"The day before yesterday, a terrorist attack against police officers took place in Lviv. This is no coincidence. The enemy is deliberately trying to kill Ukrainian police officers who stand guard every day to protect the people and the state," Vyhivsky said.
"We view these events as a deliberate attack on the rule of law and an attempt to destabilize the situation within the country," he added.
Ukraine signals new talks with Russia on Feb. 26–27, Kremlin yet to confirm
A new round of U.S.-mediated peace talks between Ukraine and Russia could be held on Feb. 26–27, the President's Office head Kyrylo Budanov told reporters on Feb. 23.
The planned meeting would follow the latest round of negotiations held in Geneva on Feb. 17–18, which ended without a breakthrough on territorial issues or a ceasefire.
"Around Feb. 27, give or take a day or two. That means Feb. 26 falls within that time frame," Budanov said. "We are in the process of preparing. This is a matter of protocol. All three parties, or rather four parties, because there is a host, must agree."
The Kremlin has not confirmed the timeline. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 20 that no agreement had yet been reached on holding another round of talks.
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