Friday, February 3
Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen rest as they make a trench near Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, on Feb. 1, 2023. (Getty Images)
European Commission President, EU foreign policy chief arrive in Kyiv for Ukraine-EU summit. European Commission Head Ursula von der Leyen and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said they arrived in Kyiv for the upcoming Ukraine-EU summit. On the eve of the summit set to take place on Feb. 3, consultations will be held between the European Commission and the Ukrainian government.
Reuters: Putin claims Russia ready to draw on entire arsenal as Germany sends tanks to Ukraine. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin criticized Germany for providing Ukraine with the Leopard 2 main battle tanks, saying he is ready to draw on Russia’s entire arsenal, according to Reuters.
Media: North Korea intends to send personnel to Russian-occupied Donetsk, Luhansk oblasts. North Korea’s government intends to send up to 500 soldiers or police personnel to Russian-occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts “to take part in reconstruction efforts,” Daily NK, a South Korean-based newspaper, reported citing a source in Russia.
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Zelensky: ‘Ukraine deserves negotiations on EU membership in 2023.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he believes Ukraine deserves negotiations on European Union membership in 2023.
Ukrainian military: Russia abducts high school students from occupied Luhansk Oblast. Russia has abducted 50 high school children from occupied Lysychansk in Luhansk Oblast to Russia’a Tatarstan region, the National Resistance Center, an organization operated by Ukraine’s Special Forces, reported on Feb. 2.
Corruption crackdown
Ukrainska Pravda: Court arrests ex-deputy defense minister, sets bail at $10.96 million. A court arrested Former Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov for 60 days, and set bail at Hr 402.6 million ($10.96 million), Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news outlet, reported citing an unnamed source. Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) suspects Shapovalov of lobbying for contracts for food for the military at inflated prices. According to the report, he is also suspected of purchasing bulletproof vests, helmets, and clothing of poor quality for military needs for over Hr 1 billion ($27.2 million).
Ukraine’s Security Service suspects Sumy Oblast officials of alleged embezzlement. Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) suspects two Sumy Oblast officials, including the deputy governor, of embezzlement of state funds. According to the SBU report, officials allegedly embezzled government-allocated funds for the reconstruction of the northern region, damaged by hostilities and constant Russian shelling.
Chief accountant of Zhevago’s company charged with tax evasion, forgery. The chief accountant of Poltava Mining and Processing Plant, part of Ferrexpo group, was charged with tax evasion and forgery, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) reported. Ukrainian billionaire Kostyantyn Zhevago is the controlling shareholder of the iron pellet producer Ferrexpo.
SBU detains local official in Odesa over alleged corruption. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Feb. 2 its employees had detained the deputy head of one of the Odesa Oblast Military Administration’s departments. The official allegedly offered local businessmen his assistance in the “unobstructed” allocation of land plots in the southern region.
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‘Europe will stand with Ukraine to win, rebuild’: Top EU officials arrive in Kyiv ahead of historic summit
Photo: Getty Images
Ukraine war latest: Intelligence warns Russia preparing for ‘massive offensive’ to capture Donbas by March
Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/ AFP via Getty Images
The human cost of Russia’s war
Rescuers retrieve body of woman from under rubble in Kramatorsk, bringing death toll to 4. Rescuers retrieved the body of a woman who was killed by a Russian missile attack on Feb. 1 from under the rubble in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, Kramatorsk Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko reported.
Russia attacks Komyshany in Kherson Oblast, killing 1, injuring 4. Russian troops struck the village of Komyshany in Kherson Oblast on the morning of Feb. 2, hitting a private house and killing a woman, according to regional military administration. Later in the day, the local authorities reported that the village was under another Russian attack, and four more people were wounded, including a 5-year-old boy.
Russian attacks across 9 Ukrainian oblasts kill 7, injure at least 31 over past 24 hours. Russian attacks were reported in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Luhansk oblasts in the east, south, and north of Ukraine.
General Staff: Russia has lost 129,030 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Ukraine’s General Staff reported on Feb. 2 that Russia had also lost 3,211 tanks, 6,382 armored fighting vehicles, 5,064 vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,212 artillery systems, 458 multiple launch rocket systems, 222 air defense systems, 293 airplanes, 284 helicopters, 1,951 drones, and 18 boats.
International response
EU adopts new $546 million military assistance package for Ukraine. The Council of the European Union adopted on Feb. 2 additional assistance measures under the European Peace Facility to provide Ukraine with further military assistance. It consists of the seventh security package worth 500 million euros ($546 million) for Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
FT: US expected to send Ukraine longer-range smart bombs in new aid package. The next batch of U.S. military aid for Ukraine that could be announced on Feb. 3 is expected to include ground-launched small-diameter bombs (GLSDB), people familiar with the matter told Financial Times.
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Budget Commissioner: EU to announce 400 million euro assistance package for Ukraine. The European Union will announce an additional 400 million euro ($440 million) aid package to Ukraine to support its reform process, Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said on Feb. 2, cited by Bloomberg.
Austria expels 4 Russian diplomats. Austria is expelling four Russian diplomats for engaging in acts “incompatible” with international agreements, the Austrian Foreign Ministry reported on Feb. 2. Two of the diplomats worked at the Russian Embassy in Vienna, and the other two were from the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN, reads the report.
US to confiscate $5.4 million from Russian oligarch, Ukraine may receive funds. U.S. prosecutors may seize $5.4 million from sanctioned Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev and direct the funds towards rebuilding Ukraine, Reuters reported.
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Power Lines Bonus Ep. 10 — Reporting on corruption in Ukraine
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