Exclusive
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Ukraine moves to plug loopholes, demand equal sacrifice in mobilization. With manpower shortages mounting, exhausted Ukrainian soldiers lacking rest demand overhauled mobilization, enacting defined terms and universal obligations as lawmakers debate new law. |
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Blood Gold: How Kremlin mercenaries loot Africa to wage war in Ukraine. Seizing African gold mines and building smuggling networks, the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group has generated over $2.5 billion to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. But there is a way to close the tap on Wagner’s Africa blood gold pipelines. |
Military
General Staff: Ukraine destroys Russian Su-34 bomber in Luhansk Oblast. Ukrainian troops downed another Russian Su-34 bomber aircraft on 29 January, bringing the total of destroyed Russian fixed-wing assets to 332, Ukraine’s General Staff says.
Ukraine downs 15/35 Russia’s explosive drones overnight. Overnight, Russia attacked Ukraine with 35 Shahed “kamikaze” drones, hurting no one. Ukraine downed 15 of those, according to Ukraine’s military.
Intelligence and technology
Politico: Ukraine to receive first GLSDB rocket-propelled bombs with 150 km range on Jan. 31. Ukraine will receive the first ground-launched small-diameter bombs with 150 km range on 31 January, per Politico sources. The US announced GLSDB supplies early last year, but the new weapon’s testing lasted months.
UK intel: Aircrew fatigue, poor training behind Russia’s repeated bombing blunders. Repeated accidental bombings of Russian villages by Russian military aircraft this month point to aircrew fatigue and deficient aerial mission training, per UK intelligence.
Ukraine builds its own weapons to fight Russia. Ukraine has a clear plan to win the war with Russia by increasing the number of secret bases and factories where new weapons are tested and produced, Ukraine’s Minister for Strategic Industries tells Time.
Rheinmetall to build new ammo factory to meet needs of Germany and Ukraine. Ukraine, which is in dire need of ammunition after the US cut off military aid, will receive a boost from a leading German arms manufacturer.
Netherlands boosts military aid to Ukraine by €122 million. The Netherlands will help Ukraine buy 155-mm artillery ammunition and strengthen its cyber defense.
International
EU imposes sanctions on Russian internet censorship agency. The European Council also sanctioned Russian judicial figures for human rights violations, including the detention of activist Vladimir Kara-Murza.
ISW: Russia using nationalist sentiments to drive wedges between Ukraine and its Western neighbors. Russia appears to be fueling and seizing on neo-imperialist and nationalist sentiments in Europe in order to drive wedges between Ukraine and its Western neighbors, the US-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says.
Humanitarian and social impact
Russian soldiers kill family of three in occupied Kreminna. A 60-year-old woman, her daughter, and her son-in-law were shot dead by Russian soldiers in cold blood, according to Russian social media.
Political and legal developments
Ukraine ranks 104th out of 180 in the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, achieving one of the world’s best results. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks 180 countries and territories around the globe by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
RFE/RL: Russian figure skaters lose Olympic gold amid doping scandal. The International Skating Union (ISU) has demoted the Russian figure-skating team that took part in the 2022 Beijing Olympics from gold to bronze due to the disqualification of Russian teen skater Kamila Valiyeva, 17, for a doping offense.
New developments
Ukrainian cyberattack disrupts Russian MoD server. The cyber operation halted the information exchange between the Russian Ministry of Defense units using the Moscow-based server.
Read our earlier daily review here.
As of 30 Jan 2024, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
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- Personnel: 384140 (+960)
- Tanks: 6300 (+10)
- APV: 11725 (+29)
- Artillery systems: 9144 (+31)
- MLRS: 972
- Anti-aircraft systems: 663 (+3)
- Aircraft: 332 (+1)
- Helicopters: 324
- UAV: 7084 (+35)
- Cruise missiles: 1846
- Warships/boats: 23
- Submarines: 1
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 12191 (+42)
