Blogger's case
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has declared EU-based Ukrainian pro-Russian blogger Anatoliy Shariy a suspect in the case on high treason and fueling of interethnic and interfaith tension. It summoned him for questioning for 22 February.
A popular guest on Russian propaganda TV, Shariy, who is believed to reside in Spain, dismissed the allegations as "politically motivated".
Coronavirus
Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said that, following the talks with vaccine suppliers, the start of the vaccination campaign may be delayed until the end of this week or the beginning of the next one.
The Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium's Comirnaty, AstraZeneca/Oxford and Sinovac vaccines are undergoing state registration in Ukraine, the Health Ministry has said.
On the morning of 16 February, Ukraine reported 3,143 new Covid-19 cases and 50 fatalities.
Donbas
Russia-backed militants have violated the ceasefire four times since midnight, the Joint Forces Operation HQ said in its evening update. They fired with 82-mm mortars near Krasnohorivka, various grenade launchers near Vodyane, and sniper arms near Pivdenne.
The area of Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied by Russia is 1,400 sq km bigger than the one set in the Minsk agreements, a representative of the Ukrainian delegation to the trilateral contact group, Serhiy Harmash, has said. He added that Russian representatives had been ignoring the question on what they understood as "certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions", therefore it is unclear to which area the Minsk agreements apply.
Crimea
Over the period of occupation, Russia has significantly boosted its military presence in Crimea, having increased the number of combat ships by 45%, combat planes 3.5 times and helicopters nine times. There are up to 40,000 Russian servicemen on the peninsula now, Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksiy Neyizhpapa has told Ukrinform.
Naftogaz
Acting Energy Minister Yuriy Vitrenko has said he demands the dismissal of Naftogaz's management and change of its supervisory board because the company allegedly did not allow the State Audit Service to inspect the Ukrnafta oil company and the Ukrhazvydobuvannya gas extraction company. Also, according to Vitrenko, Naftogaz has failed to increase the extraction of Ukraine's own gas.
Incident
One teenage girl in Boyarka died and another ended in emergency ward after consuming 40 pills of drotaverine each.