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Moscow is implementing a psychological influence campaign of warnings to discourage the America from supplying long-range missiles to Ukrainian forces, according to military analysts. An influential legislator remarked: “We know these missiles very well, their operational characteristics, defensive countermeasures, we encountered them in Middle East operations, so this is not innovative. Only those who supply them and the deploying forces will have problems … We will identify methods to target those who create problems for us.”

Kyiv's Defensive Operations Developments

Kyiv's troops were inflicting heavy losses in a military operation in the Donetsk front, the central battlefield, Ukraine's leader reported on Wednesday. Zelenskyy's assessment, following a report by his top commander, contradicted the Russian president's remarks to high-ranking military personnel a prior day in which he claimed Russian troops maintained the operational control in throughout the battle lines.

Based on evaluation from the beginning of October, military analysts said Russia was incurring heavy casualty rates, particularly from Ukrainian drone attacks, in return for small operational progress. Kyiv's troops, Zelenskyy said, were “defending ourselves along multiple fronts”, highlighting especially Kupiansk, a heavily damaged urban area in north-eastern Ukraine under sustained offensive operations for an extended period.

Area Developments

Local authorities in southern Ukraine of southern Kherson said military strikes on Wednesday caused three deaths in and around the regional capital of Kherson city. The governor of Sumy region, on the northern frontier with neighboring Russia, said three people died in Russian drone attacks in various areas. Kyiv's air command said it neutralized or disrupted 154 out of 183 offensive unmanned aircraft overnight into Wednesday.

An offensive strike substantially impacted a Ukrainian energy facility, authorities said on midweek. Facility personnel were wounded in the assault, according to energy company officials. They provided limited details, about the site's whereabouts, but government officials said attacks targeted energy infrastructure in northern Ukraine, southern Ukraine and south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Civilian Impact

In the northern Ukrainian city of Shostka, severely affected by the military campaign against the energy infrastructure, authorities have created emergency spaces where residents may find shelter, drink hot tea, power electronic devices and obtain emotional assistance, based on information from regional head.

Global Response

The Ukrainian diplomat to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Wednesday encouraged European partners to increase acquisitions of US weapons for Ukraine. “It's not that we prioritize American weapons over European or alternative military systems – the challenge remains that we are requesting the United States for weapons which EU members are unable to supply,” said Ukraine's NATO envoy.

Germany's national police will immediately gain permission to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles, interior minister said on Wednesday, following multiple unmanned aircraft incidents suspected as Moscow's attempts to spy and intimidate. Unveiling a draft law, the minister said security forces could legally “to employ state-of-the-art technical action against unmanned aircraft dangers, such as electronic countermeasures, electronic interference, GPS interference, but also with kinetic methods”.

European Protection Issues

EU chief stated on Wednesday that the European Union should strengthen its protective capabilities to counter Russia's “hybrid warfare” following aerial violations, computer network operations and marine communications interference. “These aren't isolated incidents. It is a systematic and intensifying operation,” the representative said in a presentation to the European lawmakers. “Several occurrences are random chance, but multiple, repeated, numerous – this is a planned and specific grey zone campaign against the European Union, and the EU needs to react.”

Humanitarian Status

The Swiss authorities has continued its protection status offered to Ukrainian refugees to at least 4 March 2027. Protection status S, which allows people to journey internationally as well as be employed in Switzerland, is generally limited to one year but can be renewed. “The decision demonstrates the ongoing precarious security situation and persistent Russian attacks across significant Ukrainian territory,” said a federal announcement. “Despite global diplomatic initiatives, a permanent peace that would enable protected homecoming is not expected in the foreseeable future.”