The following is the Feb. 4, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. President Donald Trump came out on Feb. 3 saying he wanted to make a deal with Ukraine by
North Korea is expected to begin drone production this year with Russian technical assistance, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Feb. 8, citing undisclosed sources.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that 36 Ukrainian drones had been shot down by air defense. These include 18 drones over Rostov Oblast, 11 over Volgograd Oblast, five over Belgorod Oblast, and two over Krasnodar Krai.
The Kyiv Independent spent a night shift with a Vampire team fighting between Kurakhove and Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, the hottest part of the front line, on a mine-laying mission.
According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, 66% of Russian equipment destroyed in January resulted from various types of Ukrainian attack drones.
"Confirmed hit and explosions in the target area," the General Staff reported.
Ukraine has become a war lab for the future since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Driven by necessity, it has had no choice but to rely on rapid innovations to fight back. As a result, Ukraine is at the forefront of military technology, leveraging robotics and automation to
Despite the uncertainty surrounding a potential resolution to the war, Ukrainians know one thing for sure: we must ramp up our defense capabilities to effectively defend against current and future Russian aggression. This requires the rapid development of asymmetrical solutions to counter Russia's advantages in personnel, material, and financial resources.
Key developments on Feb. 3: * Trump seeks Ukrainian rare earths in exchange for aid, Kyiv keen to agree * Kursk operation, long-range strikes in Russia — Syrskyi outlines Ukraine's priorities * Ukraine's laser technologies 'already hit certain objects,' commander says * Biden admin's escalation fears, 'chaotic' organization delayed aid to Ukraine, Reuters reports
"Our units have conducted over 220 operations to engage the enemy on Russian territory. More than 3,500 weapons have been launched so far," Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi said.
The drones, operated by the SBU and the Special Operations Forces, targeted the flare farm, two primary processing units, and two technological units at the Volgograd oil refinery, an SBU source said.
Key developments on Feb. 1-2: * Poland scrambles jets, puts air defense on high alert during Russian missile attack on Ukraine * Russia’s new naval base raises fears of Georgia’s involvement in Ukraine war, WSJ reports * Massive fire breaks out at Kharkiv warehouse after Russian drone attack * 15,000 Russian
Key developments on Jan. 31: * North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Special Forces say * Ukraine deploys long-range drone capable of 2,000 km strike, military says * Ukrainian drones strike "one of 10 largest oil refineries in Russia," military says * Russian missiles
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.
The Ukrainian-made Hromylo unmanned aerial vehicle has been approved for military use, the Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 31.
"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.
The wreckage of a downed drone fell on the refinery, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished, Governor Andrey Bocharov said.
Huless, a Ukrainian company developing tethered drone systems, secured over $1 million in private financing, loans, and a grant from Ukrainian Defense Tech cluster Brave1, the company said in a press release on Jan. 30.
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.
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.
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."
"The railway loading equipment has been damaged. There have been no railways loadings, they stopped oil processing," an industry source said.
Key developments on Jan. 25-26: * Ukraine strikes drone storage facility in Russia's Oryol Oblast and destroys 200 Shaheds, General Staff reports * Rubio halts most foreign aid, including Ukraine assistance, Politico reports * Russia launched over 1,250 bombs, 750 drones at Ukraine during Trump's first week in office * Ukrainian troops avoid
Ukrainian Air Force units and Defense Forces struck drone storage facilities in Russia's western Oryol Oblast on Jan. 26, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Facebook on Jan. 26.
Russia fired 1,250 aerial bombs, over 750 attack drones, and 20 missiles at Ukraine in the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan 26.
The reported strike comes two nights after Ukrainian forces launched a joint attack against the refinery that allegedly damaged multiple on-site facilities.
The 78th Air Assault Regiment on Jan. 21 announced an internal investigation after a soldier of the unit pointed to excessive demands on his comrades that supposedly lead to exhaustion and fatal accidents when handling explosives.
"Keeping Ukraine safe means taking care of our security. We have as much time as Ukraine has," Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said.
Russia launched 39 drones, including Shahed-type, and four ballistic missiles of either the Iskander-M or the North Korean KN-23 model overnight, the Air Force reported.
Romania's Defense Ministry confirmed on Jan. 17 that it had found Russian drone fragments in two communities situated on the Romania-Ukraine border.
U.S. intelligence officers reportedly assisted in advancing Ukraine's drone capabilities, helping to design a new generation of drones intended to revolutionize modern warfare.
Ukraine has targeted Russia's fossil fuel infrastructure as part of its strategy to undermine a key funding source for Russia's war effort.
(Updated: )
