Explaining complex things in simple words: Fate of Minsk agreements, frozen Russian accounts, inefficiency of Zircon missiles

The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security pursues efforts to provide a brief explanation to foreign audiences on the current topics of particular interest as regards Ukraine.      

THE FATE OF THE MINSK AGREEMENTS 

On February 12, the UN Security Council met at the request of the Russian Federation on the 9th anniversary of the adoption of the resolution approving the Minsk-2 agreement.

▪ Russia convened a meeting of the UN Security Council to accuse Ukraine of disrupting the Minsk agreements. Thus, Moscow seeks to shift its responsibility for the full-scale aggression and war towards Ukraine.

▪ In fact, Russia violated the Minsk-2 agreement immediately after its signing because it did not cease hostilities in the Debaltseve area.

▪ Over the following years of the so-called “commitment of the Russian Federation to its obligations” under the Minsk agreements, Russia-controlled fighters continued to carry out systematic attacks and shelling of Ukrainian positions and rear settlements.

▪ Russia withdrew from the mechanism for verifying compliance with the ceasefire in 2016. Moscow also sabotaged the decisions taken during the Paris Summit in December 2019.

▪ It was Putin who announced the cancellation of the Minsk agreements on February 22, 2022, recognizing the “independence” of the so-called DPR and LPR. Until the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the possibility of maintaining the truce remained. 

FROZEN ACCOUNTS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

On February 12, the EU Council approved a resolution making it possible to use the profits from the frozen assets of Russia in favor of Ukraine.

▪ Western sanctions have frozen approximately USD 300 bln of Russian assets; most of them are in EU countries.

▪ On the eve of January 29, EU ambassadors approved the decision to transfer profits from frozen Russian assets to a separate account. 

▪ Belgium has already announced the provision of more than EUR 600 mln of military assistance to Ukraine from funds accumulated from interest on profits from frozen Russian assets. 

▪ Russian aggression has caused and continues to cause significant damage to Ukraine. In addition, Russia illegally misappropriates Ukrainian property seized in the temporarily occupied territories, as well as the assets of Western countries that remain in this territory.

▪ Using frozen assets of Russia to rebuild Ukraine is a fair and expedient decision. The aggressor must compensate for the damage caused. 

INEFFICIENCY OF ZIRCON MISSILES

According to the conclusion of the Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, Russia used the 3M22 Zircon missile when shelling Kyiv on February 7.

▪ Experts carefully studied the wreckage of the Russian missile and confirmed the previously voiced version that it was the Zircon missile.

▪ A Zircon missile is another Russian “super weapon,” pompously presented by Putin in 2019. This is an experimental anti-ship cruise missile with a hypersonic air-jet propulsion system.

▪ On February 7, the air defense of Ukraine shot down the Zircon missile over Kyiv, the enemy missile did not reach its target. 

▪ According to experts, the Russians exaggerated the capabilities of the Zircon missile. It is absolutely obvious that the missile does not meet the declared tactical and technical characteristics.

▪ Similarly, the statement of Russian propaganda about the impossibility of intercepting the Kinzhal missile is also untrue.

Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security