In a comment to Russian state-controlled RIA Novosti, Denis Pushilin, the leader of the Kremlin’s proxies in Donetsk Oblast, said a so-called "referendum" for this territory to join Russia will be held if Russian forces capture the whole of the two oblasts.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal reported "a cascade shutdown" in Ukraine's power grid in the morning on Jan. 31.
Since the media outlets' last update in mid-January, the names of 4,536 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.
Polish authorities temporarily closed the airspace along the northern part of Poland's border with Belarus overnight on Jan. 30-31 after unidentified objects — believed to be Belarusian smuggling balloons — were detected in the region.
Russian Envoy Kirill Dmitriev held "productive and constructive meetings" with U.S. officials in Miami, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Jan. 31.
Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin's threat comes a few days after Ukrainian, Russian, and U.S. officials held the latest round of peace talks in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 23-24.
The Air Force said on Jan. 31 that Russia launched 85 drones against Ukraine overnight, of which 55 were Shahed-type drones. It said that it had downed 64 drones in the north, south, and east of the country.
Ukraine says it is working with SpaceX to stop Russian drones from using Starlink, after reports that satellite-connected UAVs are extending their range to strike deeper into Ukrainian territory.
The number includes 880 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary traveled to Russia on Jan. 30 for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev will meet with members of the Trump administration in Florida on Jan. 31, a White House official confirmed to the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 30.
"I can just as well invite him to Kyiv, let him come. I'm openly inviting him, if he dares," Zelensky said during a briefing with journalists.
The Shadow Fleet Sanctions Act, introduced by Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen in September 2025, expands Washington's authority to penalize shadow fleet vessels and slaps new penalties on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other energy sector projects.
