Day 1,448 of the conflict: Russia says 'there's still a long way to go', Ukraine reforms its army

Moscow [Russia], February 11: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there is still a long way to go to reach a peace agreement for the conflict in Ukraine, while Kyiv enters phase 2 of its military reforms.
Reuters reported on February 10, citing Russian-appointed management at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine , that one of the two external power sources supplying the plant had been cut off due to an attack by Ukraine.
In addition, the supply of heat to residential buildings and social facilities in the city of Enerhodar (Zaporizhzhia province) has been temporarily suspended, the announcement added.
On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces had gained control of the village of Zaliznychne in Zaporizhzhia, according to RIA.
Ukraine has not immediately commented on the information. Ukraine's electricity company DTEK said on February 10 that Russian attacks had damaged energy infrastructure in the Odessa region .
"The damage is very serious. Repairs will take a long time to get the equipment working again," DTEK said on the Telegram messaging app.
Earlier, Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper said that some residential areas in the region had experienced partial power outages.
In Donetsk province, Governor Vadym Filashkin accused Russia of airstrikes that killed a woman and her 11-year-old daughter, in addition to injuring 14 others.
The Sloviansk and Kramatorsk areas in Donetsk are two of the "fortified cities" located near the front lines and are frequently targeted by Russian attacks.
Russia wants Kyiv to relinquish the remaining 20% ​​of the Donetsk region that Moscow's forces do not yet control in order to reach a peace agreement, a demand that Ukraine has refused.
There has been no comment from Russia on the attack. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians in the conflict.
Ukrainian army reforms phase 2
The Kyiv Independent reported on February 10th that Ukrainian Army Chief of Staff Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that the transition of the country's army to a corps-level command system has entered its "second phase," and much work remains to be done to improve the operational efficiency of each corps on the battlefield.
The reforms, officially announced in early 2025, are a response to criticism of the old structure, in which brigades fought under large-scale provisional command without direct responsibility for subordinate units.
"The increase in enemy losses is one of the results of the corps reform," Syrskyi said on the Facebook page of the General Staff of Ukraine.
According to the general, brigades continue to be transferred back to the areas of responsibility of their original corps, a process made more dangerous by a lack of reserves and Russia's readiness to attack during larger unit rotations.
In addition, Syrskyi said the corps' ability to bolster the combat power of its regional brigades is expanding, with each corps now having its own artillery brigade and unmanned systems battalions expanded to regimental scale.
Peace talks still have a long way to go.
The Kremlin said on February 10 that it had not yet set a date for the next round of peace talks on Ukraine, but said that the talks were likely to take place soon.
Commenting on the prospects for peace, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was no reason to be optimistic about US President Donald Trump's pressure on Europe and Ukraine because peace negotiations in Ukraine still have a long way to go.
The U.S. has mediated negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on various drafts of a plan to end hostilities in Ukraine, but no agreement has yet been reached.
"There is still a long way to go," Russian news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said the agreement must also take into account security guarantees for Russia.
"We recognize that a peace agreement in Ukraine must take into account Ukraine's security interests, but of course, a crucial element is Russia's security interests. If you look closely and study the statements of European Union leaders, no one is talking about security guarantees for Russia. This is a key element of a peace agreement. Without it, an agreement is impossible," Grushko said.
Specifically, these demands included things Moscow had long insisted on, such as banning Ukraine from joining NATO, rejecting any deployment of troops from NATO countries in Ukraine as part of a settlement agreement, and ending what he described as the use of Ukrainian territory to pose a "threat" to Russia.
In related developments, EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said she would propose a list of concessions that Europe should demand from Russia as part of an agreement to end hostilities in Ukraine .
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper