Coronavirus
On the morning of 18 February, Ukraine reported 6,237 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number since 17 January. Most cases were registered in Ivano-Frankivsk Region (799), Vinnytsya Region (514), Kyiv (513), Transcarpathian Region (500) and Zhytomyr Region (438).
The number of Covid-19 patients taken to hospital in recent weeks has stabilized, but the situation in the country remains tense as the spike in cases in five regions covers the decline in other 20 regions, the results of modeling by the Kyiv School of Economics show.
According to Andriy Slavutskyy, who is in charge of UNICEF medical programmes in Ukraine, the Pfizer vaccine will arrive in Ukraine in late February-early March.
As of 19 February, schools in Chernivtsi will take classes online while kindergartens will remain open.
The State Investigation Bureau has exposed Defence Ministry officials who bought faulty lung ventilators worth 11m hryvnyas at the state expense.
Donbas
Russia-backed militants have committed two ceasefire violations since midnight, prompting the Ukrainian army to return fire, the Joint Forces Operation HQ said in its evening update. Near Pivdenne, they fired with a heavy machine-gun. Near Shumy, they opened targeted fire with a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher, small and sniper arms.
Security
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) went down on 18 February due to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. It may be connected to the SBU's activities on protecting the country's national interests, in particular in the information space.
The SBU suspects Russian Deputy Defence Minister Col-Gen Andrey Kartapolov of encroachment on Ukraine's integrity, waging of aggressive war, and violation of laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder. In January-February, Kartapolov, who was the chief of the main operative department and deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, planned and coordinated the actions of Russian units and puppet paramilitary groups when they captured Debaltseve and adjacent locations.
Constitutional Court
Parliament has appointed Viktor Kychun a judge of the Constitutional Court. He was nominated by the pro-presidential Servant of the People party.
Media
Ex-President Petro Poroshenko has bought the news-based Pryamyy TV from Yevhen Makeyenko through Prime Assets Capital. Makeyenko told Poroshenko that he was in a difficult financial situation because of the channel's debts.