Poland is preparing its 46th military package for Ukraine worth €200 million, says Polish Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. He says out of the 80-90,000 troops trained by the European Union, Poland has trained roughly 1/3 at 28,000 and will continue training Ukrainian soldiers. 

Additionally, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski announced that Poland has ordered 5,000 new Starlink satellite Internet terminals for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 

 

Recently rumors were spreading that Starlink was unavailable for the Ukrainian Armed Forces however, Starlink has denied that this was true and said that they are committed to keeping service available in Ukraine and for their armed forces.

The third solidarity campaign "Radarom!" in Lithuania has concluded and raised €5.614 million so far from businesses and citizens to purchase drones and counter-drone equipment for Ukraine. However, the number is not final as corporate donations have yet to be processed. In the previous two Radarom campaigns, businesses and citizens raised a combined €22.8 million, which was used to purchase 17 radars, 69 anti-drone systems, 4 special vehicles for mobile radars, and 1,141 sets of safety equipment for military personnel.

German defense company Rheinmetall plans to convert two of its automotive factories in Germany to produce military equipment as the company anticipates further growth due to the increase in demand for military equipment from European countries. This comes after European leaders at the recent Munich conference called for increased defense spending in the EU, and amidst a worsening diplomatic situation between Europe and the USA. Under the plan, both factories will become part of Rheinmetall’s Weapons and Ammunition division and serve as hybrid plants, continuing some automotive manufacturing that will take place simultaneously with the manufacture of military equipment. 

On February 25, Ukraine's parliament adopted a resolution declaring that elections cannot be held until the war with Russia ends. The resolution, titled "Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Supporting Democracy in Ukraine Amid Russian Aggression," passed with 268 votes. The Ukrainian lawmakers declared that both Parliament and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were elected in free, transparent elections recognized internationally, rejecting the notion that the Zelenskyy administration is a dictatorship and undemocratic. The statement noted that martial law prevents elections under Ukraine's Constitution and that elections will be announced once comprehensive peace is secured. Opposition party leader Petro Poroshenko came out in support of Zelenskyy and the current government stating, "Our political force has not questioned and does not question the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government, including the president." Poroshenko called the questioning of Zelenskyy's legitimacy a "Putin narrative" and said that unity is necessary to strengthen Ukraine's position in negotiations. The European Solidarity faction also pledged to suspend its parliamentary blockade and is counting on forming a "national unity coalition."

According to the Fourth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment released by the Cabinet of Ministers, Ukraine's post-war reconstruction and recovery could cost $486 billion over the next decade. Last year, an estimate was released stating this cost could be as high as $411 billion. $486 billion is about 2.8 times what Ukraine's GDP was in 2024. Direct losses have reached $176 billion. According to the Kyiv School of Economics, indirect losses for Ukraine were estimated at $1.164 trillion as of October 2024. Ukraine’s housing sector suffered nearly $84 billion in losses. The transportation sector is facing $78 billion in losses, energy and mining are facing $68 billion in losses, trade and industry are facing $64 billion in losses, and agriculture is facing $55 billion in losses. The cost of cleaning up and disposing of debris is estimated at nearly $13 billion. In 2024, the government allocated $1.2 billion from the state budget and donor funds to restore housing. In 2025, the government has allocated $7.37 billion with donor support. 

NASAMS air defense missile systems serving with the Ukrainian Air Force have destroyed about 900 aerial targets with 94% effectiveness, according to Colonel Per Steinar Tøyte, head of the Norwegian Air Force's support group for Ukraine, as reported by Aftenposten. Nearly 60% of the downed targets were cruise missiles. Ukraine has about 12 NASAMS batteries, with each battery typically having three firing units.

The Ukrainian military destroyed a launcher of an S-300V air defense system in the Zaporizhzhia region. It was supposedly armed with 2 missiles at the time of the attack. The vehicle was targeted by a drone that dropped some sort of munition on it. The drone then landed to record the aftermath of the attack. The vehicle burned heavily and was likely totally destroyed.Generally, these systems are a long distance behind the front, 100 km or more is pretty typical, meaning the drone that carried out the attack would have flown an abnormally long distance, possibly representing new technology coming into service.

Ukraine also published footage of a Strela-10 air defense system being struck with multiple drone-dropped munitions. The vehicle burned and was probably destroyed.  

More than 500 companies are now involved in drone production in Ukraine, according to Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation. Additionally, over 200 Ukrainian companies are working on ground-based remote-controlled systems that fulfill various roles. 

A National Guard soldier from the 4th Force of Freedom Battalion captured six Russian soldiers single-handedly. The battalion's press service released a video showing the soldier using grenades and a rifle to attack a Russian dugout. The Russians couldn't respond due to constant shooting and explosions and asked to surrender. They were disarmed, taken to Ukrainian positions, given medical care, and fed. The captured Russian soldiers said they were sent to fight without support or proper training, and said they gave their salaries to their commanders.

Soldiers of the 25th Sicheslav Separate Airborne Brigade have taken control of Kotlyne village, located 10 kilometers from Pokrovsk. In late January, the brigade was tasked with recapturing the village to prevent Russians from reaching the Pokrovsk-Dnipro highway, which is used as a vital logistical route for supporting Ukraine’s military. During the assault, Ukrainian paratroopers drove Russians out from the northern part of the settlement, took control of the area, and captured Russian soldiers.

Deepstate reported that the Russians have fully occupied the village of Zaporizhzhia in the Donetsk region and are trying to advance toward the Preobrazhenka-Troitske-Gorikhove sector. Fighting continues in the Kotlyne-Udachne, Uspenivka, Pishchanye, and Vozdvizhenka districts. Russian advances in the Pokrovsk region have decreased over the past week and a half, with fewer assaults taking place. Ukrainian assaults and successes have diverted Russian attention and resources, forcing Russians to focus on restoring lost positions instead of conducting new assaults.

Russian forces are experiencing logistics and resource problems in the Pokrovsk area. They’re struggling to do troop rotations, evacuate the seriously wounded, and transport ammunition, medicine, and food. Russians are increasingly using cars, donkeys, and horses for logistics. They continue to send small groups to attack Ukrainian positions to keep up the pressure. Russian activity is increasing near Velika Novoselka, with significant pressure toward Skudny and Burlatsky. Russians have completely occupied Novy Komar and much of Novoocheruvate. Their main target is Komar, which provides road access to Bogatyr and logistics routes to Ukrainian forces in the Andriyivka area.

Deepstate also reported that Ukrainian forces have “pushed back the enemy from Uspenivka,” an observation confirmed by Russian sources.

TEKEVER, a Portuguese drone manufacturer, is modernizing its drones based on experience from the war in Ukraine. At the Defense Innovation Forum 2025, a company representative stated that Ukraine is actively using its AR3 and AR5 systems, which are continuously updated relying on feedback from Ukrainian operators. The representative noted that the Russian-Ukrainian front is the most challenging electronic warfare environment in history, spurring the development of new technologies to counter EW, GPS jamming, and spoofing. The AR3 reconnaissance drone has a 3.5m wingspan, weighs 25 kg, carries a 4kg payload, and can fly for up to 16 hours with a 100km communication range. The larger AR5 has a 7m wingspan, weighs 170 kg, carries up to 50kg payload, and can fly for 20 hours.

Trump said the USA might make deals with Russia for minerals. "They have lots of rare earth metals we need," Trump said on February 25 while meeting with French President Macron. "They have valuable resources we could use, and we have things they could use." Putin has discussed a similar interest in striking up mineral deals with the United States. 

According to FT.com, Ukraine has agreed to terms with the US on a minerals deal that Ukrainian officials hope will improve relations with the Trump administration and secure long-term US security commitments. Ukrainian officials said they were ready to sign the agreement on jointly developing mineral resources after the US dropped demands for rights to $500 billion in potential revenue. The agreement establishes a fund where Ukraine would provide 50% of proceeds from future monetization of state-owned mineral resources, including oil and gas. The deal excludes resources already contributing to government revenue, such as existing operations by Naftogaz and Ukrnafta. President Zelenskyy planned to travel to Washington on February 28, 2025, to meet with Trump and formalize the agreement. The final version of the agreement, dated February 25, is significantly more favorable to Ukraine than the initial proposal. The agreement requires ratification by Ukraine's parliament before it is officially adopted.

The full text of the agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine regarding rare earth minerals has been published online. The full text is published below. 

This is reported to be the full text of the mineral agreement between the US and Ukraine. 

BILATERAL AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR A RECONSTRUCTION INVESTMENT FUND

WHEREAS the United States of America has provided significant financial and material support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022;

WHEREAS the American people desire to invest alongside Ukraine in a free, sovereign and secure Ukraine;

WHEREAS the United States of America and Ukraine desire a lasting peace in Ukraine and a durable partnership between their two peoples and governments;

WHEREAS the United States of America and Ukraine recognize the contribution that Ukraine has made to strengthening international peace and security by voluntarily abandoning the world's third-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons;

WHEREAS the United States of America and Ukraine wish to ensure that those States and other persons that have acted adversely to Ukraine in the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine following a lasting peace;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine (each, a “Participant”) hereby enter into this Bilateral Agreement Establishing Terms and Conditions for a Reconstruction Investment Fund to deepen the partnership between the United States of America and Ukraine, as set forth herein.

1. The Governments of Ukraine and the United States of America, with the aim of achieving lasting peace in Ukraine, intend to establish a Reconstruction Investment Fund (Fund), partnering in the Fund through  joint ownership, to be further defined in the Fund Agreement. Joint ownership will take into consideration the actual contributions of the Participants as defined in Sections 3 and 4. The Fund will be jointly managed by representatives of the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States of America. More detailed terms pertaining to the Fund’s governance and operation will be set forth in a subsequent agreement (the Fund Agreement) to be negotiated promptly after the conclusion of this Bilateral Agreement. The maximum percentage of ownership of the Fund’s equity and financial interests to be held by the Government of the United States of America and the decision-making authority of the representatives of the Government of the United States of America will be to the extent permissible under applicable United States laws.

Neither Participant will sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any portion of its interest in the Fund without the prior written consent of the other Participant.

2. The Fund will collect and reinvest revenues contributed to the Fund, minus expenses incurred by the Fund, and will earn income from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian Government), as defined in Section 3

3. The Government of Ukraine will contribute to the Fund 50 percent of all revenues earned from the future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets (whether owned directly or indirectly by the Ukrainian Government), defined as deposits of minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other extractable materials, and other infrastructure relevant to natural resource assets (such as liquified natural gas terminals and port infrastructure) as agreed by both Participants, as may be further described in the Fund Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, such future sources of revenues do not include the current sources of revenues which are already part of the general budget revenues of Ukraine. Timeline, scope and sustainability of contributions will be further defined in the Fund Agreement.

The Fund, in its sole discretion, may credit or return to the Government of Ukraine actual expenses incurred by the newly developed projects from which the Fund receives revenues.

Contributions made to the Fund will be reinvested at least annually in Ukraine to promote the safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine, to be further defined in the Fund Agreement. The Fund Agreement will also provide for future distributions.

4. Subject to applicable United States law, the Government of the United States of America will maintain a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine. Further contributions may be comprised of funds, financial instruments, and other tangible and intangible assets critical for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

5. The Fund's investment process will be designed so as to invest in projects in Ukraine and attract investments to increase the development, processing and monetization of all public and private Ukrainian assets including, but not limited to, deposits of minerals, hydrocarbons, oil, natural gas, and other extractable materials, infrastructure, ports, and state-owned enterprises as may be further described in the Fund Agreement. The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine intend that the investment process will lead to opportunities for distribution of additional funds and greater reinvestment, to ensure the sufficient supply of capital for the reconstruction of Ukraine as set out in the Fund Agreement.

The Participants reserve the right to take such action as necessary to protect and maximize the value of their economic interests in the Fund.

6. The Fund Agreement will include appropriate representations and warranties, including those necessary to ensure that any obligations the Government of Ukraine may have to third parties, or such obligations that it may undertake in the future, do not sell, convey, transfer pledge, or otherwise encumber the Government of Ukraine’s contributions to the Fund or the assets from which such contributions are derived, or the Fund’s disposition of funds.

In drafting the Fund Agreement, the Participants will strive to avoid conflicts with Ukraine’s obligations under its accession to the European Union or its obligations under arrangements with international financial institutions and other official creditors.

7. The Fund Agreement will provide, inter alia, an acknowledgment that both the Fund Agreement and the activities provided for therein are commercial in nature.

The Fund agreement shall be ratified by the Parliament of Ukraine according to the Law of Ukraine "On International Treaties of Ukraine."

8. The Fund Agreement will pay particular attention to the control mechanisms that make it impossible to weaken, violate or circumvent sanctions and other restrictive measures.

9. The text of the Fund Agreement will be developed without delay by working groups chaired by authorized representatives of the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States of America. Contact persons responsible for preparing the Fund Agreement on the basis of this Bilateral Agreement are: from the Government of the United States of America: the Department of the Treasury; from the Government of Ukraine: Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economy.

10. This Bilateral Agreement and the Fund Agreement will constitute integral elements of the architecture of bilateral and multilateral agreements, as well as concrete steps to establish lasting peace, and to strengthen economic security resilience and reflect the objectives set forth in the preamble to this Bilateral Agreement.

The Government of the United States of America supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace. Participants will seek to identify any necessary steps to protect mutual investments, as defined in the Fund Agreement.

11. This Bilateral Agreement is binding  and will be implemented by each Participant according to its domestic procedures. The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine commit to proceed forthwith to negotiate the Fund Agreement

Quote of the Day:

“A journey of a thousand hedgehogs begins with a single hedgehog.”

 – Lao Tzu