Thursday, January 30
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A wounded Ukrainian soldier is being treated at a stabilization point as Russia’s advance continues in the direction of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, on Jan. 29, 2025. (Piotr Sobik/Anadolu via Getty Images)
‘4 out of 4’ — Russian Lukoil oil refinery struck by multiple Ukrainian drones, military intelligence source claims. According to a military intelligence source, the Lukoil oil depot in the city of Kstovo was targeted by four drones, all of which struck their target and caused “significant damage.”
Ukrainian drones hit Russian missile arsenal, oil pumping station in Tver Oblast, SBU source claims. Drones operated by the SBU and the Special Operations Forces attacked the oil pumping station, which is part of the Baltic Pipeline System-2 operated by Russian state-owned oil pipeline company Transneft.
Australian POW feared executed by Russia is alive, Penny Wong says. Oscar Jenkins went missing on Dec. 16 in 2024 while on a combat mission near the village of Mykolaivka in Luhansk Oblast.
Russian assault intensity declines, centers on Pokrovsk sector, monitoring group reports. Despite suffering heavy losses, Russian forces have reportedly been able to replenish their combat strength.
Zelensky looks to domestic, EU funders for key projects amid US aid freeze. Following an initial report into U.S.-funded projects affected by the freeze, Zelensky said the government was prioritizing the energy sector, military veterans, and border crossings.
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Ukrainian lawmakers seek to temporarily replace USAID with European funding. The pause in U.S. funding could last for three to six months, according to the Ukrainian parliament’s humanitarian and information policy committee.
Nearly 100 companies in Ukraine quietly change Russian ownership in 6 months, monitoring service reports. Within the last six months, 93 companies in Ukraine have removed signs of Russian ownership and continue to do business in the country, despite a moratorium on altering the registration of companies with Russian owners, the monitoring service Opendatabot reported.
Finland, Ukraine develop warfare drone, media reports. The Finnish company Insta describes the system as a combination of an “explosive charge and a drone.” The drone can be used to transport an explosive charge that can detonate above a target.
Russian army recruitment centers in Moscow see five-fold drop in applicants, media reports. Russia is currently suffering around 1,500-1,750 casualties daily on the battlefield.
Russia’s 25% military budget hike demands stronger sanctions, more Ukraine aid, PM Shmyhal says. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said “peace through strength” must guide the response to Russian aggression.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones hit Lukoil oil refinery, missile arsenal in Russia, sources claim
Ukrainian drones hit the Andreapol oil pumping station and missile arsenal in Russia’s Tver Oblast overnight on Jan. 29, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Philosopher Slavoj Zizek: Leftists falsify the choice that Ukrainians face during wartime
In an interview with the Kyiv Independent, Zizek addressed the role of humor in war, the long-standing romanticization of Russia in the West, and the failures of the left.
Photo: Samuel de Roman/Getty Images
Human cost of war
General Staff: Russia has lost 834,670 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 1,670 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Opinions and insights
Trump must call Putin’s bluff on Ukraine talks
“Russia’s wartime economy is under severe strain: inflation, crippling labor shortages, and a wave of newly announced sanctions targeting its oil exports spell significant trouble in the year ahead,” writes Daniel Kochis, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.
Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
International response
Rubio issues humanitarian waiver for Trump’s foreign aid freeze. Those programs not covered by the waiver include “abortions, family planning conferences… transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance.”
EU to propose phased ban on Russian aluminum in new sanctions package, Bloomberg reports. The sanctions will also cut off more Russian banks from the SWIFT banking system, and target an additional 70 vessels suspected to be part of Russia’s “shadow-fleet.”
NATO on track to send Kyiv over $40 billion in 2025. “Allies are on track to deliver on the pledge made at the Washington summit,” a NATO press statement said following a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on Jan. 29.
Slovakia summons Ukrainian ambassador over Zelensky’s criticism of Russian gas purchases. According to the statement, the Slovak ministry delivered the Ukrainian ambassador “a strong protest” against statements by the Ukrainian side.
Polish envoy on moving past painful history with Ukraine
In other news
Syria demands Russian compensation for ‘past mistakes’ in first talks since Assad’s fall. Russia deployed troops to Syria in 2015 to support Assad regime’s brutal crackdown against anti-government forces.
Syria calls on Russia to hand over Assad, key aides, media reports. The demand was allegedly raised during the first negotiations between Syrian officials and a Kremlin delegation following Assad’s ouster in December. After his overthrow by rebels, Assad fled to Moscow, where he now resides.
Georgia withdraws from PACE, calls demands for new elections ‘blackmail.’ Georgia withdrew its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Jan. 29 after the Assembly passed a resolution calling for Tbilisi to hold new parliamentary elections.
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