Controversial bill
The US Senate on February 13 passed a bill providing new aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as other spending, totaling $95.34 billion, even though the bill is likely to fail to pass the US House of Representatives.
Reuters reported that the vote in the US Senate was 70 votes in favor - 29 votes against, exceeding the minimum threshold of 60 votes to pass the bill. Of which, 22 Republican senators along with most Democratic senators supported the bill.
Billionaire Elon Musk
A day earlier, billionaire Elon Musk, the world's richest man, told Republican politicians that there was "no way" Russian President Vladimir Putin could lose the war in Ukraine, while opposing continued US aid to Kyiv.
"This spending does not help Ukraine. Prolonging the war does not help Ukraine," Mr. Musk said during a discussion with several Republican senators on X Spaces, a platform of social network X (formerly Twitter), according to Bloomberg.
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Russia wants Baltic leaders and officials
Russia has issued arrest warrants for Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and two other Estonian and Lithuanian officials in an undisclosed criminal case.
Russian authorities on February 13 declared Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas a wanted person, according to AFP. The Russian Interior Ministry's wanted person database shows that Ms. Kallas is wanted under the country's Criminal Code but does not specify the charges.
In addition to the Estonian Prime Minister, Estonian State Secretary Taimar Peterkop and Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Lairys were put on Russia's wanted list. TASS news agency quoted a source as saying that the above officials were accused of "vandalizing works honoring Soviet-era soldiers".
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Russia uses Zircon hypersonic missile?
Oleksandr Ruvin, director of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Medicine, said on Telegram on February 12 that his agency had completed a preliminary analysis of missile fragments collected after the Russian attack on February 7, according to Reuters.
Mr. Ruvien posted a video of what is believed to be the missile wreckage with specific markings on its surface. "In this case, we see elements characteristic of the 3M22 Zircon missile. Parts and fragments of the engine and steering gear have specific markings," he wrote.
If true, the February 7 attack would mark the first time Russia has used Zircon hypersonic missiles in its nearly two-year war in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately comment.
Russian airstrikes damaged Dnipro power plant?
Russia attacked the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro with missiles and drones, damaging a power plant and forcing authorities to close schools and evacuate a hospital, Ukrainian officials and media said on February 13.
The Ukrainian Air Force announced on Telegram that the city of nearly one million people was attacked by a missile and four groups of drones approaching from the south, east and north. The Ukrainian side shot down 16 of the 23 drones.
Zircon hypersonic missile first seen in combat in Ukraine conflict?
Ukraine's largest private electricity supplier DTEK said a thermal power plant was severely damaged, but there were no casualties.
The company did not say where the power plant was located, but Dnipro's water company said on Telegram that "due to a power outage" water supplies had been temporarily suspended, and Ukrainian media reported that a power plant in Dnipro had been attacked.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhiy Lysak said energy infrastructure had been attacked but gave no further details. He said 10 drones had been destroyed in the city of Dnipro.
Authorities closed schools in a nearby area and evacuated at least one hospital ahead of a cold snap expected to put increased pressure on the power grid, Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov said.
Russia did not immediately comment.
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