Brief Frontline Report – February 16th, 2026
Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
Part 2
Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'South' Group, as a result of ongoing operations, have liberated the settlement of Minkovka in the Donetsk People's Republic."
The Russian Armed Forces have advanced in the center of the Slavyansk direction towards the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive hub of Kramatorsk and liberated the large settlement of Minkovka (48°42′10″ N 37°50′53″ E, population 800 in 2001). This is a key enemy defensive area on the 1st Slavyansk-Konstantinovka defensive line of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Units of the South Group have captured a strongpoint area for developing the offensive towards the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and for reaching the enemy's defensive area of Malinovka-Tikhonovka, where the enemy's forward command posts are located in this sector of the direction.
After expanding the Privole-Novomarkovo bridgehead, the Russian Armed Forces gained operational space for developing further actions. On the right flank, in coordination with the Bondarnoe area, there is a possibility of advancing towards the settlement of Fedorovka 2, enveloping enemy positions in the Kopanki ravine area and forcing the enemy to withdraw to the Dibrova area. On the left flank, they can advance from the Novomarkovo settlement, outflanking enemy positions in the area of the Markovskaya and Bely Yar ravines, expanding the bridgehead to the beginning of the Krugly Yar and Buzinovsky Yar ravines, threatening the southern areas of the Malinovka-Tikhonovka hub.
The bridgehead along the watershed ridge of these ravines could become a line from which they can then begin enveloping the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive area in the Belokuzminovka settlement.
See Part 1
Read this report and many others on Marat Khairullin's Substack! That's where I post the high-definition maps, and frankly, the formatting on Substack makes the reports easier to follow. Any questions for Marat and Mikhail will be answered there.
#MaratBattlefieldSummaries
🌒 @EastCalling
Summary by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
Part 2
Message from the Russian Ministry of Defense: "Units of the 'South' Group, as a result of ongoing operations, have liberated the settlement of Minkovka in the Donetsk People's Republic."
The Russian Armed Forces have advanced in the center of the Slavyansk direction towards the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive hub of Kramatorsk and liberated the large settlement of Minkovka (48°42′10″ N 37°50′53″ E, population 800 in 2001). This is a key enemy defensive area on the 1st Slavyansk-Konstantinovka defensive line of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Units of the South Group have captured a strongpoint area for developing the offensive towards the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and for reaching the enemy's defensive area of Malinovka-Tikhonovka, where the enemy's forward command posts are located in this sector of the direction.
After expanding the Privole-Novomarkovo bridgehead, the Russian Armed Forces gained operational space for developing further actions. On the right flank, in coordination with the Bondarnoe area, there is a possibility of advancing towards the settlement of Fedorovka 2, enveloping enemy positions in the Kopanki ravine area and forcing the enemy to withdraw to the Dibrova area. On the left flank, they can advance from the Novomarkovo settlement, outflanking enemy positions in the area of the Markovskaya and Bely Yar ravines, expanding the bridgehead to the beginning of the Krugly Yar and Buzinovsky Yar ravines, threatening the southern areas of the Malinovka-Tikhonovka hub.
The bridgehead along the watershed ridge of these ravines could become a line from which they can then begin enveloping the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive area in the Belokuzminovka settlement.
See Part 1
Read this report and many others on Marat Khairullin's Substack! That's where I post the high-definition maps, and frankly, the formatting on Substack makes the reports easier to follow. Any questions for Marat and Mikhail will be answered there.
#MaratBattlefieldSummaries
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Ukrainian military sources declare there is no AFU counteroffensive, as this is impossible, and the AFU hasn't achieved anything offensively since 2022.
🌒 @EastCalling
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Kim Dotcom claimed that the major American IT company Palantir is spying on world leaders and creating nuclear and biological weapons for Ukraine.
🌒 @EastCalling
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Zelenksy imposed sanctions against ten Russian athletes - a decree about this was published on his website.
The list includes:
1. Evgeny Baidusov (wrestling)
2. Imam Ganishov (wrestling)
3. Svetlana Dashanimaeva (archery)
4. Arkady Dvorkovich (FIDE president)
5. Yana Egorian (fencing)
6. Vladislav Larin (taekwondo)
7. Angelina Melnikova (gymnastics)
8. Madina Taimazova (judo)
9. Maxim Khramtsov (taekwondo)
10. Fedor Chudinov (boxing)
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This "Zelensky" guy seems to have a screw loose.
🌒 @EastCalling
The list includes:
1. Evgeny Baidusov (wrestling)
2. Imam Ganishov (wrestling)
3. Svetlana Dashanimaeva (archery)
4. Arkady Dvorkovich (FIDE president)
5. Yana Egorian (fencing)
6. Vladislav Larin (taekwondo)
7. Angelina Melnikova (gymnastics)
8. Madina Taimazova (judo)
9. Maxim Khramtsov (taekwondo)
10. Fedor Chudinov (boxing)
This "Zelensky" guy seems to have a screw loose.
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Risks associated with starting a war against Iran: Regional dislocation, refugee crisis, thousands dead on both sides, global economic shock.
Risks of doing nothing: ...
Regardless, it isn't the responsibility of a nation on the other side of the planet to control the lives of the people and their destinies.
🌒 @EastCalling
Risks of doing nothing: ...
Regardless, it isn't the responsibility of a nation on the other side of the planet to control the lives of the people and their destinies.
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Good news! Democrats strategy to defeat Trump is to say that he didn’t go far enough in Venezuela and taking out Maduro.
Brilliant.
Genius.
Game changer.
🌒 @EastCalling
Brilliant.
Genius.
Game changer.
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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is practicing maneuvers for taking control of the straight of Hormuz.
🌒 @EastCalling
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Part of the Ukrainian F-16s are operated by American and Dutch veteran pilots, according to Intelligence Online.
According to the publication, an F-16 squadron has been established in Ukraine, which includes Ukrainian, American, and Dutch pilots. The squadron was formed in recent weeks in strict secrecy to operate the new F-16s.
It includes American pilots with combat experience in Afghanistan. One of them recently participated in operations in the Middle East, after which he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
From the Netherlands, pilots trained in elite European air combat schools, specializing in modern interception tactics and high-tech aerial warfare, have been recruited.
Intelligence Online clarifies that Western veterans have signed temporary contracts with rotations of 6 months (with the possibility of extension). They do not have official ranks in the Ukrainian structure and do not appear in public rosters.
🌒 @EastCalling
According to the publication, an F-16 squadron has been established in Ukraine, which includes Ukrainian, American, and Dutch pilots. The squadron was formed in recent weeks in strict secrecy to operate the new F-16s.
It includes American pilots with combat experience in Afghanistan. One of them recently participated in operations in the Middle East, after which he joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
From the Netherlands, pilots trained in elite European air combat schools, specializing in modern interception tactics and high-tech aerial warfare, have been recruited.
Intelligence Online clarifies that Western veterans have signed temporary contracts with rotations of 6 months (with the possibility of extension). They do not have official ranks in the Ukrainian structure and do not appear in public rosters.
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A shooting at a hockey match in the USA was opened by a 56-year-old representative of the LGBT movement*.
The police reported that they identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan, who preferred to be called Roberta. During the shooting, Dorgan's son's mother was killed, and her relative later died in the hospital from his injuries. Dorgan himself committed suicide at the scene of the incident.
* The LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and is banned in Russia
Source: RIA Novosti
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🌒 @EastCalling
The police reported that they identified the suspect as Robert Dorgan, who preferred to be called Roberta. During the shooting, Dorgan's son's mother was killed, and her relative later died in the hospital from his injuries. Dorgan himself committed suicide at the scene of the incident.
* The LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and is banned in Russia
Source: RIA Novosti
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The data showed a powerful formation of ice in the bay in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, reported the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Scientists noted that the eastern and central parts of the bay are covered with solid ice.
Source: Zvezda
Global warming, right 😁
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FPV drone operators neutralized the enemy's reconnaissance drones and disrupted their logistics, destroying "Baba Yaga"-type transport drones on approach.
Zapasnoye was completely liberated from Ukrainian military forces over several days. The militants realized they could not hold Zapasnoye, retreated, leaving their dead and wounded behind. The remaining nationalists who refused to surrender were eliminated.
Source: Zvezda
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