Saturday, February 1
Russia’s war against Ukraine
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack on downtown Odesa in Ukraine’s south on Jan. 31, 2025. At least seven people were injured in the attack. (Oleh Kiper/Telegram)
North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Special Forces say. “These are standard measures – rotation due to large casualties,” a military intelligence source commented for the Kyiv Independent, confirming the reports.
Ukrainian drones strike ‘one of 10 largest oil refineries in Russia,’ military says.
“This refinery is one of the 10 largest oil refineries in Russia in terms of design capacity and is involved in supplying the Russian occupatying army,” the General Staff said in a statement.
SBU probes alleged leak of Budanov’s statement on threat to Ukraine’s existence. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has launched a criminal investigation following media reports alleging that Ukraine’s spy chief made a statement about a threat to the country’s existence during a closed-door parliamentary meeting, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Jan. 31, citing the SBU.
Ukraine’s arms procurement chief asks Zelensky to ‘stop the destruction’ of the agency. “Further delays threaten critically important supplies to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and destroy the trust of donors and partners,” Bezrukova said.
Arms procurement chief Bezrukova dismissed, Defense Ministry says after disputes. The Defense Ministry cited several reasons for Maryna Bezrukova’s removal, including alleged failure to fulfill planned deliveries for the front, poor procurement planning and delays, lack of timely communication with the General Staff, and leaks of classified information, which are reportedly expected to be investigated.
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Ukraine destroys Russian command post in Kursk Oblast, General Staff claims. “As a result of the coordinated and precision strike, (Russia’s) command and control post was destroyed,” the statement read.
‘Dishonest’ to suggest Ukraine could have fully defeated Russia, retake Crimea, Rubio says. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. has been “fund(ing) a stalemate” that “set (Ukraine) back a 100 years” and called for a swift resolution.
Ukraine deploys long-range drone capable of 2,000 km strike, military says. Ukrainian soldiers are now using a long-range drone capable of traveling up to 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and carrying a 250-kilogram air bomb, the Unmanned Systems Forces said on Jan. 31.
Defense Ministry approves Ukrainian-made Hromylo drone for military use. The Ukrainian-made Hromylo unmanned aerial vehicle has been approved for military use, the Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 31.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast
North Korean troops have not been seen for roughly three weeks in the areas of Kursk Oblast where Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces are fighting, the unit’s spokesperson, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 31.
Photo: Ed Jones / AFP / Getty Images
US foreign aid transformed Ukraine.
Its suspension threatens decades of work
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump halted projects that have supported Ukraine’s democratic development since its independence in 1991. The White House imposed a 90-day suspension on U.S. foreign aid-funded initiatives worldwide.
Photo: Oleksii Samsonov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Ukraine’s unlikely ally against Russian attacks on energy sector — warm weather
Climate change — which has been causing warmer winters each year in Ukraine — has also become Ukraine’s unexpected ally in resisting Russia’s tactic of freezing Ukrainians into submission.
Photo: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images
How two female entrepreneurs from Ukraine are reshaping the fashion industry
The digital fashion industry is among the fastest-growing sectors, projected to hit $2.4 billion in value in 2024, with exponential growth driven by the increasing influence of gaming, virtual reality and augmented reality in daily life.
Illustration: DressX
Human cost of war
Russian missiles strike Odesa’s historic center, injuring 7. Videos and photos shared on social media show damage to Odesa’s five-star Bristol Hotel.
How Russia profits from arms exports despite sanctions
Opinions and insights
Norway should cede its war windfall to Ukraine
“Norway must transfer its recent ‘super-profits,’ excess profits above the normal level, in full, directly to Ukraine,” Håvard Halland and Knut Anton Morkr write in their latest op-ed.
Photo: Silje Katrine Robinson / NTB / AFP via Getty Images
International response
Trump claims he and Putin could take ’significant’ steps to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. “We will be speaking, and I think we will perhaps do something that’ll be significant,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Jan. 31. “We want to end that war. That war would not have started if I was president.”
Norway detains Russian-crewed vessel over undersea cable damage suspicion. The vessel, which operates under the Norwegian flag and travels between St. Petersburg and Murmansk, was seized in Tromso at Latvia’s request following a local court order.
Finland announces $206 million military package for Ukraine. This brings Finland’s total defense aid provided to Ukraine since the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 to 2.5 billion euros ($2.6 billion).
Netherlands to send more F-16s in 2025, Ukrainian defense minister says. The Netherlands will deliver another batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in 2025, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Jan. 31.
Lithuania’s president calls for Ukraine’s involvement in peace talks, stronger regional defense against Russia, AP reports. In an interview with the Associated Press, Gitanas Nauseda warned that a peace settlement without proper deterrents would allow Russia to consolidate its forces and prepare for further military action.
In other news
Ukrainian director Chernov wins Documentary Directing award at Sundance. Ukrainian journalist and director Mstyslav Chernov won the Best Documentary Direction award at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 31 for his “2,000 Meters to Andriivka” film in the World Cinema category.
Ukraine’s inflation set to peak by mid-2025, cool to 8% by year-end, central bank says. Ukraine’s inflation rate is expected to peak at 15% by mid-2025 before dropping to 8.4% by year’s end, Ukraine’s Central Bank said on Jan. 31.
Putin clears Goldman Sachs’ exit from Russia with sale to Armenia-based firm. Goldman Sachs has entered into a binding agreement to offload its Russian subsidiary, making it one of the few Western banks to exit the country entirely, Bloomberg reported.
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