Russo-Ukrainian war, day 714: Russian missiles rain down on Kyiv, killing 4; US Senate block aid for Ukraine

Exclusives

Russian war’s cruel whims: some Ukrainian towns rebuild, others remain decimated. Thirty kilometers from the Ukrainian capital, the villages that saved it from the Russian invasion are now either ghost town or success story

Bihus exposé: Ukraine’s SBU illegally surveilled investigative journalists. Bihus.Info journalists revealed this week that Ukraine's SBU security force secretly recorded their team, igniting concerns over eroding press freedoms.

Military

Russia’s morning missile attack on Kyiv kills four, injures 40. This morning's Russian missile attack killed four and injured 40 civilians in Kyiv, with at least one more killed and three injured elsewhere in Ukraine. Russian missile assault kills one, injures at least 16 civilians, including a pregnant woman. Russian forces launched a massive missile attack on multiple locations in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Lviv oblasts. The attack killed one, injured at least 16 civilians, damaging residential buildings and infrastructure. Explosion hits Russian ballistic missile plant. Russian state media insists the blast occurred during routine "missile engine tests." Warfare history’s first: Ukrainian combat robot adjusted via UAV engages Russian positions. Ukraine's drone forces made history by deploying an unmanned, robotic ground vehicle equipped with a machine gun which was reportedly adjusted via air drone to eliminate Russian personnel. As of 06 Feb 2024, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

• • • Personnel: 390580 (+1020)
    • Tanks: 6365 (+17)
    • APV: 11857 (+35)
    • Artillery systems: 9367 (+18)
    • MLRS: 979
    • Anti-aircraft systems: 665 (+1)
    • Aircraft: 332
    • Helicopters: 324
    • UAV: 7173
    • Cruise missiles : 1848
    • Warships/boats: 24
    • Submarines: 1
    • Vehicles and fuel tanks: 12453 (+41)

Intelligence and technology

Defense Express: Missile debris in Kyiv resembles Russia’s secret Zircon “hypersonic”. Putin showcased Zircon missile in 2019 as Russia's latest innovation, but experts doubt its stated capabilities. 2 out of 5 missiles Russia launched at Kharkiv are from North Korea. Despite mounting evidence, Russia and North Korea deny that Pyongyang is supplying Moscow with ammunition. NYT: Moscow allegedly helps North Korea with access to international financial system in exchange for weapons. Moreover, a North Korean front company recently opened an account at another Russian bank in a step that reportedly says about potential assistance from Moscow in bypassing UN sanctions that restrict dealings between most banks from doing business in North Korea. These sanctions have severely constrained North Korea’s economy, isolating the country from international financial networks, according to intelligence officials.

International

US Senate Republicans block own demanded border-Ukraine aid deal; Democrats to offer passing stand-alone aid bill. Despite earlier demanding the border security add-ons, US Senate Republicans now obstructed passage of the compromise border-Ukraine aid bill following opposition from Trump, prompting Democrats to call a vote on the standalone assistance package without the extra immigration measures. US Senate majority leader to push Ukraine, Israel aid bill stripped of US border security provisions. US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer intends to advance a pared-down aid package for Israel and Ukraine, omitting border security provisions, in response to Republican resistance against a comprehensive bipartisan bill, per NBC News. Borrell: “Ukraine’s future is in EU”. The EU decided in December 2023 to start accession talks with Ukraine pending reforms. EU pledges over 1 million ammunition rounds for Ukraine by end of 2024. The EU has already pledged to provide Ukraine with 1 million rounds of ammunition in 2023 but fulfilled only about half that amount so far. Tucker Carlson risks EU entry ban for Putin interview. Airing expected any day now. Carlson said he also requested an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Politico: EU aluminum producers call for embargo on Russian imports amid sanction talks. While Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine nears its two-year mark, Europe continues to procure 9 percent of its aluminum imports from Russia, contributing approximately €2.3 billion in 2022 Moscow's war machine.

Political and legal developments

Ukraine Parliament passes mobilization bill in first reading amid disputes. If the bill is adopted in the second reading, it could come into force in April. Media: Putin will not visit Türkiye on Feb 12. The trip may occur in late spring instead.

New developments

Study: Use of Ukrainian increased on social media amid Russia’s all-out war. Study shows over 50% of Russian-tweeting Ukrainians switched to their native tongue since the full-scale invasion, seen as opposing Moscow, embracing national identity and linguistic roots as Ukrainian tweeting takes off. IAEA: Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant facing 50% staff shortage, expiring fuel. Ukraine's Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has just half of the highly trained and licensed personnel required for safe operation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned on 6 February, dangerously threatening nuclear safety at Europe's largest facility. Read our earlier daily review here.