Parliament approves Laputina's resignation as veterans affairs minister
The resignation of Veterans Affairs Minister Yuliia Laputina was approved by 302 lawmakers, with no votes against the move.
Nate Ostiller
Articles
Sweden ends investigation into Nord Stream explosion, claims lack of jurisdiction
Sweden's Prosecution Authority said the primary purpose of their investigation was to determine "whether Swedish citizens were involved in the act and whether Swedish territory was used to carry out the act, and thereby risked damaging Swedish interests or Sweden's security."
Zelensky, Western leaders react to Russian morning attacks across Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his condolences to those killed and wounded in the attacks and said that Ukraine "definitely retaliate against Russia; terrorists will always face the consequences of their actions."
Leading Chinese bank halts operations in Russia, Belarus
Major Chinese banks have reportedly strengthened their compliance with Western sanctions after new U.S. restrictions targeting financial institutions that help support Russia's war effort were announced in December 2023.
Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar has begun construction of factory near Kyiv
The plant aims to employ around 500 people, said Baykar CEO Haluk Bayraktar.
Ex-Wagner commander who fled to Norway has asylum request rejected
Andrey Medvedev's lawyer told Reuters that his asylum request was rejected because the Norwegian government did not consider him to have been an official member of the Russian armed forces.
Kuleba meets with Portuguese FM in Kyiv
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked his Portuguese counterpart, Joao Cravinho, for his "personal firm position in support of Ukraine" and said the two discussed Ukraine's peace formula, Ukraine's accession into NATO and the EU, and further Portuguese military assistance.
Russia orders arrest of exiled writer Akunin in absentia over terrorism, spreading 'fake news' about army
Russian authorities added Boris Akunin to the so-called "terrorist list" and announced in December 2023 that he was charged with supporting terrorism and spreading "fake news" about the army.
Parliament approves 90-day extension of martial law, mobilization
Ukraine's parliament previously extended martial law and mobilization from November 2023 until Feb. 14, 2024.
UPDATED: Russian attacks in Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk oblasts injure 4
Russian attacks on Feb. 6 injured two people in Kherson Oblast and two in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, regional officials reported.
Head of Russian Orthodox church in Estonia confirms he is leaving country after expulsion order
Estonian authorities have accused Metropolitan Yevgeniy of public statements and actions in support of Russian aggression.
Media: Russian agents pose as activists, filmmakers to reportedly spy on domestic civil society organizations
The alleged agents, who The Insider said posed as a human rights activist, a documentary filmmaker, and a journalist, are allegedly associated with the GRU unit 29155, best known for reportedly being responsible for the 2011 Novichok poisoning of Russian dissident Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the U.K.
Von der Leyen: EU aims to start payments of $54 billion Ukraine Facility fund in March
"Last night’s political agreement on the 50 billion euro ($54 billion) Ukraine Facility is a major step forward," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Feb. 6.
Media: Finland to extend border closure with Russia
A new decision on the status of the border is expected on Feb. 8, but sources in the government told Ilta Sanomat that the situation remains the same and that the government is looking for a more sustainable solution beyond simply temporarily extending the closure again.
NYT: Russia possibly helping North Korea access international financial system
Sources told the New York Times that Russia had helped unblock $9 million in North Korean funds frozen at a Russian bank.
Kazakh government resigns, President Tokayev appoints new PM
The reason for the government's resignation was not immediately clear.
Portuguese delegation arrives in Kyiv
Portugal's Foreign Ministry said that the delegation had planned a two-day visit "with the war and the recovery of Ukraine on the agenda."
Kremlin declines to comment on US far-right commentator Carlson's reported visit to Moscow
Tucker Carlson was spotted in Moscow on Feb. 3 attending a ballet at the famed Bolshoi theater, the Russian Telegram channel Mash reported. As of Feb. 5, Carlson has not publicly commented on his alleged trip to Russia.
Georgian authorities seize explosives allegedly in transit from Ukraine to Russia
The explosives were allegedly transported by van from Odesa. Georgia's State Security Service said that at least 12 people were involved in the transit of the explosives, including seven Georgians, three Ukrainians, and two Armenians.
Russian election commission says signatures collected by anti-war candidate Nadezhdin surpass invalidity threshold
According to rules set by Russia's Central Election Commission, if more than 5% of signatures are deemed invalid, the prospective candidate is not allowed to be registered on the ballot.
FT: German hesitation over EU defense fund reforms could delay Ukraine aid
Countries like France and Germany with existing military-industrial capacity would like to see a shift away from the reimbursement model to the EU directly funding arms contracts and are pushing for such a transition to occur quickly.
Reuters: 13th EU sanctions package against Russia not likely to include new import bans
The European Commission aims to have the 13th sanctions package in place to mark the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, Reuters said.
British lawmakers caution that UK military remains unprepared for all-out war
U.K. generals have criticized the hollowing out of the country's military in recent decades, pointing to a decrease of almost 30,000 service members from the standing army, including reservists, to a current total of 73,000 soldiers.
Georgians likely rank first among foreign fighters killed fighting for Ukraine
Estimates vary, but Georgian media approximates that between 50-60 Georgian soldiers have been killed fighting for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, making it likely the highest death toll of any foreign nationality fighting on the Ukrainian side.
Defense Ministry official suspended in alleged connection to weapons procurement fraud case
The suspension was allegedly related to a corruption scheme revealed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Jan. 27 that involved the procurement of almost 100,000 mortar shells, amounting to Hr 1.5 billion ($40 million).
US State Department: If Russia wants demilitarized zone in Ukraine, it should remove its own troops
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was responding to a comment reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in which Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested creating a "demilitarized" or "sanitary" zone in Ukraine that would put Russian territory and illegally occupied parts of Ukraine out of range of Ukrainian weapons.
Media: Ally of Latvian lawmaker accused of spying for Russia calls allegations 'witch hunt'
Miroslavs Mitrofanovs is the co-chair of the Latvian Russian Union political party along with Tatjana Zdanoka, the lawmaker accused of spying for Russia.
Media: Ukrainian-born advisor to far-right German AfD lawmaker allegedly FSB agent
Vladimir Sergienko works as an aide to Bundestag AfD member Eugen Schmidt, where he reportedly helps write speeches. In his public capacity, Sergienko reportedly "took direct actions aimed at hampering Ukraine’s defensive efforts, and he took them at his FSB handler’s request."
Media: Orban's request to review Ukraine aid annually rejected
The aid deal includes a provision for a yearly discussion on the package and the potential to review it in two years "if needed," but there is no explicit veto for Hungary or any other member state.
Reuters: China cautions Ukraine over inclusion of Chinese companies in 'sponsors of war' list
"The (Chinese) ambassador said that all this (sponsors of war list) could have a negative impact on our relations," an unnamed Ukrainian source told Reuters.
Foreign Ministry: ICJ decision 'leaves no doubt Russia is in violation of international law'
The ICJ decision on Jan. 31 stemmed from a case brought by Ukraine in 2017, which has taken seven years to conclude. The case originated from Ukraine's argument that Russia had financed terrorism during the conflict in Donbas.
Military intelligence: Russian missile ship sunk off occupied Crimea
Ukraine's military intelligence said that the ship costs approximately $60-70 million.
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