— When you look at footage of Operation True Promise-2 as opposed to Iran's operations during the 12-Day War, it's clear why preemptive strikes are so important.

During True Promise-2, Iran had the initiative, we attacked from multiple missile bases that were fully operational and when Israel did not expect it. As a result, at least 50 missiles hit their targets in one wave. Unfortunately Iran didn't target Tel Aviv metropolitan area during that operation, it would've been very effective.

Anyway, during the 12-Day War, Iranian missile bases were heavily suppressed, which led to a lesser volume of missiles being launched simultaneously and therefore less hits in each wave due to easier interceptions.

In my opinion it's a waste of missiles to wait for the enemy to attack first. Iran's missiles provide their primary advantage when used in an offensive context, when Iran is the attacker—not the attacked.

@Middle_East_Spectator

The reformists in power in Iran are delusional, and blinded by the "possibility" of a peaceful resolution. Never negotiate with the U.S. unless YOU KNOW the U.S. is going to get something significantly positive out of it, that wouldn't be feasible for them to obtain through war. By negotiating, the U.S. is stalling and working to build "justification" for the upcoming attacks, just like with the whole drug smuggling thing with Venezuela. They can pretend that they negotiated in good faith, and that "Iran was just too stubborn to come to an agreement, so they forced our hand".

The U.S. and Israel WILL strike Iran, and everyone knows this. Iran is essentially just waiting to be attacked, because they are scared that them attacking first will create justification for massive American attacks. What they seem to fail to realise is that the U.S. is very good at brainwashing its citizens into thinking that attacking/invading a country that they knew nothing about 6 months ago is for the greater good. The "justification" can always be created one way or another, and if worst comes to worst, they can just false flag them.

Ukrainian forces have recaptured the village of Verbove, Pokrovs'ke direction, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Pre-war population: ~236.
Total land area: ~0.85 km².

The second battle for Verbove lasted approximately 8 days.

Overnight, Russia intensified their shelling of rear areas of Ukrainian-controlled Donetsk Oblast.

KAB strikes were carried out on targets in/near the cities of Mykolaivka, Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkivka, as well as on the town of Oleksijevo-Druzhkivka. MLRS strikes targeted the city of Dobropillya and the surroundings of Kramatorsk/Slovyansk.

The attached image is from Druzhkivka.

The Ukrainian General Staff reports that a Russian S-300VM air defence system was struck by a Ukrainian drone near Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast.

Due to a recent sharp increase in the number of Russian FPV drone strikes on this area, Ukraine has begun constructing anti-drone nets along the M-04 Pavlohrad - Pokrovsk Highway in eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

2 Russian S-400 surface-to-surface missile strikes on a Ukrainian HIMARS GMLRS launcher near the village of Serednii Burluk, Kharkiv Oblast. This was presumably one of the HIMARS launchers which has been attacking Belgorod City recently.

Also, I believe this is the first confirmed footage of Russian S-300/400 missiles being used in a surface-to-surface format, confirming what I and others have been saying for years about these missiles being used this way.

Coordinates: 49.88832, 37.26744

I never want to hear anyone ever say "Its Tornado-S every time, trust me bro" again.

Update on Russian strategic aviation movements:

- After the most recent combined missile attack on Ukraine, half of the aircraft which were involved (1 Tu-160M and 2 Tu-95MS) landed at Engels-2 Airbase, Saratov Oblast. The other 1 Tu-160M and 2 Tu-95MS landed at Olenya Airbase, Murmansk Oblast.

- Since then, 1 Tu-160M and 1 Tu-95MS have redeployed from Engels-2 Airbase to Ukrainka Airbase in the far east. 1 Tu-160M also redeployed from Olenya Airbase to Ukrainka Airbase. This leaves 3 Tu-95MS at Engels-2, and 3 Tu-95MS at Olenya. 1 Tu-160M also remains at Engels-2, but currently is only there for training purposes.

- An IL-76MD cargo plane landed at Olenya Airbase yesterday, delivering a batch of Kh-101 cruise missiles for the 3 Tu-95MS stationed there. Some/all of these aircraft are now in the air, along with some aircraft from Engels-2 Airbase, redeploying to Ukrainka Airbase.

- 1 Tu-160M redeployed from Borisoglebskoe Airbase, Republic of Tatarstan, to Ukrainka Airbase, after undergoing repair/modernisation. It will probably either be used to train young pilots or carry out combat sorties.

- 1 IL-76MD cargo plane landed at an airbase in Rostov Oblast, likely delivering Iskander-M ballistic missiles to OTRK installations near Taganrog.

- 1 IL-76MD landed at Shaykovka Airbase, Kaluga Oblast, likely delivering Kh-22/32 cruise missiles for the 2-3 Tu-22m3 strategic bombers which recently redeployed there from Olenya Airbase.

The IDF claims that their wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon overnight targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including weapons warehouses, rocket launchers, and other military sites.

From approximately 12am to 6am on the morning of February 21, Kyiv time (approximately 41 hours from now), Russia will likely carry out another large-scale, combined missile and drone attack on Ukraine, primarily targeting Kyiv City and Kyiv Oblast.

This is the attack that I have been warning about for the last 2 days. As I have already stated, it will not involve Tu-95MS or Tu-160M strategic bombers.

So what will be used?

- At least 3 Tu-22m3 strategic bombers. 3 of these were equipped with Kh-22/32 cruise missiles at Shaykovka Airbase, Kaluga Oblast, as I reported earlier. They may redeploy back to Olenya Airbase in the next 24 hours.

- At least a dozen Iskander-M ballistic missiles. These were delivered to Khalino Airbase, Kursk Oblast, Baltimore Airbase, Voronezh Oblast, and delivered to OTRK installations in Kursk Oblast, Voronezh Oblast, and Bryansk Oblast. There were also likely deliveries to Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, however it is unclear if these will be used in this upcoming attack.

- Likely 16-24 Kalibr cruise missiles from 3 surface Kalibr carriers at Novorossiysk Naval Base, Krasnodar Krai.

- Possibly Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles from MiG-31K fighters at Savasleika Airbase, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

The primary target will be energy infrastructure Kyiv Oblast. The highest threat is to the CHP-5, CHP-5 and CHP-6 combined heat and power plants, the "Kyiv" 750 kV substation, and Trypillya Thermal Power Plant. Targets in other regions will probably also be hit - likely in Dnipropetrovsk and/or Kharkiv Oblasts.

Ukrainian FPV drone strikes from the 412th Unmanned Systems Brigade on two Russian Tor-M2 short-range air defence systems.