**Russia Plans to Declare “Victory” Over Ukraine**
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, says Russia plans to declare “victory” over Ukraine on February 24. This is the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Russia failed to take control of Ukraine quickly in 2022 and suffered some defeats that year. The Kremlin started claiming it was at war with NATO. But Western countries have only given Ukraine weapons, not troops, to avoid escalating the conflict.
**Russian Goals**
HUR says Russia wants to spread despair among Ukrainians, cause unrest in the country, and make Ukraine look bad in front of its allies. Russian propaganda will claim that Ukraine has been betrayed by the West and the US, HUR claims.
Russia will also question President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy and say that corrupt Ukrainian officials are stealing US aid.
**Previous Claims**
Some Western leaders have made similar claims about Ukraine’s president in the past. For example, former US President Donald Trump said Ukraine started the war and called President Zelensky a dictator. But this ignores Ukraine’s laws, which allow for extended terms during martial law.
**Recent Developments**
The recent meeting between American and Russian delegations sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe when Ukraine was not invited. This might be part of Russia’s plan to impose its terms on the world and show countries that back Ukraine as “enemies of peace.”
Ukraine’s Security Service, SBU, has warned about rising cases of Russia’s information and psychological operations against Ukraine. These include using fake social media accounts and bot farms to divide Ukrainian society and call for public order disruptions.
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