Zelensky will announce plans for the presidential election and referendum on the 24th!

According to CCTV News, on the 11th local time, sources said that Ukrainian President Zelensky will announce plans for the presidential election and referendum on the 24th.

Image source: video screenshot

Ukrainian President Zelensky signed a presidential decree on February 10th to amend the “Regulations on Service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces by Ukrainian Citizens.”

According to the decree, during a state of war, personnel over 60 years old are allowed to serve on a contractual basis with the approval of a military medical commission and written consent from the unit commander. The contract duration is one year and can be extended for another year. The revised provisions also clarify that if the state of war ends or is canceled, the contracts will be terminated early, and the relevant military personnel will be discharged according to legal regulations.

The presidential decree also adjusts management regulations regarding the scope of military rank promotion, restrictions on wartime postings, and procedures for transferring military personnel across different armed forces.

The EU Defense Ministers’ Meeting is expected to be held in Brussels, Belgium, on February 11.

It is reported that the meeting will discuss military support for Ukraine. Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov is expected to attend and will request the EU to provide more air defense systems to Ukraine.

On the 10th local time, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov stated that a new round of negotiations on Ukraine would be held soon, but no specific date has been set.

On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that negotiations regarding Ukraine are ongoing, but there is still a long way to go to resolve the issues. During a speech at Russia’s “Diplomats’ Day” celebration on the 10th, Lavrov also stated that Russia prefers to achieve the goal of eliminating threats through diplomatic means regarding Ukraine and seeks a negotiated solution based on the consensus reached at the Alaska summit between the Russian and U.S. leaders.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the 10th that in the past day, Russian forces targeted 139 areas of Ukrainian military objectives, including energy facilities and transportation infrastructure, assembly, storage, and launch sites for long-range drones, as well as temporary deployment points for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries. Russian air defense systems shot down over a hundred fixed-wing drones. Additionally, Russian forces took control of a settlement in the Zaporizhzhia region.

On the same day, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that there were 168 battles on the front lines in the past day, with Ukrainian forces repelling Russian attacks in multiple directions. The Ukrainian Air Force, missile troops, and artillery struck five Russian assembly areas and one transportation infrastructure site, shooting down a large number of Russian drones.

(Source: Daily Economic News)