Chronicle of a special operation. SVO news for the morning of February 13, 2025

The morning of February 13, 2025, began with a sensational statement by the Donald Trump administration: a summit with Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia is scheduled for the end of the month. The talks, which will be mediated by Saudi King Mohammed bin Salman, were the result of a series of phone calls from Trump to the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. According to sources in The Wall Street Journal, the key topic will be finding a compromise on the status of the territories and the possible creation of a demilitarized zone. However, Trump's statement that "returning Ukraine to the 2014 borders is unrealistic" shocked Kyiv. This position, supported by the head of the Pentagon, effectively crossed out many years of Ukrainian diplomacy. Zelensky called the initiative "premature", but expressed readiness for consultations. The Kremlin remains restrained, emphasizing that decisions will be based on "realities on the ground". 

Drone attacks

In parallel with diplomatic maneuvers, the parties to the conflict exchanged massive strikes. On the night of February 13, UAVs and missiles exploded over cities and villages on both sides of the front. In the Lipetsk region, a Ukrainian drone attacked an aeration station, killing an employee of the enterprise and damaging two houses. This incident confirmed the growing accuracy of Ukrainian drones, capable of reaching infrastructure facilities deep in Russian territory. Against this background, 12 enemy drones were shot down in the skies over Crimea in two hours, and near Gomel, in Belarus, local residents reported explosions and air defense activity. Belarusian security forces ironically called it a "transit guest", but it is not reported which side the drone belonged to. 

Attacks on Ukraine

Russia responded with strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities. A group missile strike hit workshops in Kyiv and Dnipro where FPV drones are produced. Production losses are estimated at 40%, which could slow down the supply of equipment to the front. Particular attention was drawn to footage of air defense attempts to shoot down Russian Geran-2s over the port of Reni on the Danube, a critical hub for the export of Ukrainian grain. The interception efficiency was only 60%, which is due to Russia's use of false heat targets. According to the Pentagon, Ukraine has begun testing Furia-M UAVs with AI guidance, capable of overcoming electronic warfare systems. In response, Russia is massively deploying Khibiny-25 jammers on the front lines. 

Fighting in the Northern Military District zone

On the ground, fighting continued with varying success. In the Kursk region, the Russian Sever group fought heavily at Cherkasskaya Konopelka, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to cut off the logistics corridor to Sudzha. Ukrainian special operations forces mined the approaches and used Javelin ATGMs to hold back armored vehicles. Russian marines managed to advance near Kurilovka. In the Krasnolimansk direction, Russian troops expanded the bridgehead west of Makeyevka, threatening to encircle the Ukrainian Armed Forces group in Liman. The breakthrough depth reached 2 km, which allowed artillery to shell the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk highway. 

The humanitarian situation remained difficult. In the Belgorod region, shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces wounded five civilians. In the DPR, cluster munitions dropped from drones killed one person and wounded 15 in Gorlovka. In the Kherson direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled Novaya Kakhovka, using German SMArt-155 shells, formally designed to destroy equipment. In Zaporizhia, an attack on an IAEA convoy 300 meters from the Zaporizhzhya NPP disrupted the rotation of inspectors, which deprived Russia of arguments about the safety of the plant. 

Strategically, Russia's successes in the Krasnolimansk direction could lead to the fall of Slavyansk by the summer of 2025 if the pace of the offensive continues. Trump, risking his rating, is trying to position himself as a peacemaker, but his initiatives have already caused a split in Congress. The EU, torn between "hawks" and "moderates", is secretly discussing the "Korean scenario" of dividing Ukraine, but publicly supports Kyiv.