Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 356

Here is the situation as it stands on Tuesday, February 14, 2023:

Fighting

• The Ukrainian military reported Russian shelling all along the front line and said 16 settlements had been bombarded near Bakhmut.
• Positions in Bakhmut have been fortified and only people with a military role were being allowed in, while any civilians who still wanted to leave the city would have to brave the incoming fire, a deputy battalion commander said on Monday.
• Bakhmut is a prime objective for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and its capture would give Russia a new foothold in the Donetsk region and a rare victory after months of setbacks.
• The United Nations’ human rights office said on Monday it had recorded 7,199 civilian deaths and 11,756 wounded since Russia’s February 24 invasion, mostly from shelling and missile and air strikes. However, it believed the actual figure was far higher.

Energy

• Ukraine is meeting consumers’ energy needs after carrying out repairs to the power network following the latest wave of Russian air strikes, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said. Galushchenko said emergency repairs had been completed after Russian attacks on Friday that struck energy facilities.

Diplomacy

• NATO defence ministers are due to meet in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday. NATO plans to increase its targets for munitions stockpiles, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that the alliance had completed a survey of remaining stocks.
• Moldova’s president accused Russia of planning to use foreign saboteurs to bring down her country’s leadership, stop it from joining the European Union and use it in the war against Ukraine. Russia denied last year wanting to intervene in Moldova.
• The United States has told its citizens to leave Russia immediately due to the war in Ukraine and the risk of arbitrary arrest or harassment by Russian law enforcement agencies.
• International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said his organisation was not on the wrong side of history after opening the door for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in next year’s Summer Games in Paris.