Exclusives
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Is this the hour of Europe again?. Europe’s moment of truth arrives as US support crumbles, forcing EU leaders to confront their biggest security challenge since World War II. |
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The EU banned Russian timber—then bought € 1.5 billion worth anyway. Poland, Ukraine’s strongest EU ally, has emerged as the largest importer of banned Russian timber, taking in a third of all suspect shipments since sanctions began. |
Military
Russians trapped in Donetsk’s Velyka Novosilka basements, Ukrainian brigade says. Deep State OSINT group claimed on 27 January that Russian forces occupied the settlement on 27 January.
Frontline report: Russian supply lines collapse near Kupiansk as Ukrainian drones annihilate convoys and armor. Ukrainian drone operators exploit 40km Russian supply line near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, destroying 15 armored vehicles in 5 days.
Death toll from Russia’s Poltava missile strike rose to 14, including two children. Russia struck an apartment building in the city on 1 February using the Kh-22 missile.
As of 1 FEB 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:
- Personnel: 840360 (+1320)
- Tanks: 9908 (+6)
- APV: 20667 (+14)
- Artillery systems: 22538 (+45)
- MLRS: 1267 (+1)
- Anti-aircraft systems: 1050
- Aircraft: 369
- Helicopters: 331
- UAV: 23793 (+99)
- Cruise missiles: 3054
- Warships/boats: 28
- Submarines: 1
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 35709 (+80)
- Special equipment: 3729 (+2)
Intelligence and technology
ISW: Russia deploys ship-based Orion drones as Ukraine cripples Black Sea fleet. Russia’s Black Sea fleet has suffered severe damage from Ukrainian naval drone attacks, prompting the deployment of ship-based Orion UAVs for the first time.
British intel: Russia sends injured troops back to combat. Over 400,000 Russian troops have required treatment, but military hospitals discharge them early to maintain combat strength amid sustained heavy casualties.
Forbes: Ukraine deploys FPV drones as stealth roadside bombs to strike Russian convoys. Ukrainian forces are hiding FPV drones in roadside grass along supply routes in Kursk Oblast, enabling remote strikes on Russian vehicles without exposing operators to danger.
Bloomberg: For the first time, Russia’s fuel output in doubt as Ukrainian drones hit three key refineries. Ukrainian drones have recently struck oil refineries operated by major producers Lukoil and Rosneft, raising concerns over Russia’s ability to sustain fuel production.
International
Former Czech PM Babiš’s party vows to stop shell purchases for Ukraine. Czech opposition party ANO threatens to suspend the Prague-led ammunition initiative for Ukraine if it wins October elections, risking vital supply.
Moldova’s Russian-controlled Transnistria receives gas supplies from EU as Russian deliveries halt. This marks an end to a long-standing arrangement where Russia provided free gas to the breakaway region in Europe.
Humanitarian and social impact
Russian drones hit residential house, infrastructure facilities as Ukraine downs most UAVs. Of 55 Russian explosive drones, two might have reached their targets, Ukraine’s Air Force data suggest. No casualties were reported.
Russian attacks damage over 1,300 cultural monuments across Ukraine, Culture Ministry says. The Russian invasion damaged 1,333 cultural heritage sites and 2,185 cultural infrastructure facilities across Ukraine, with January 2025 seeing 78 additional sites affected.
Political and legal developments
Trump’s envoy Kellogg pushes for Ukrainian elections in 2025 after potential ceasefire. Zelenskyy’s potential main rival in a presidential race, MP Poroshenko, warned against holding elections under martial law, arguing they would fracture unity and give Putin a strategic advantage.
Zelenskyy warns against Ukraine’s exclusion from US-Russia peace talks. Also, after Rubio’s claim that the war had set Ukraine back 100 years, Zelenskyy invited him to visit and witness Russia’s destruction and Kyiv’s resilience firsthand.
Armed assailant kills military recruitment officer, while deadly explosion rocks recruitment center in Ukraine. A military serviceman escorting newly mobilized recruits was fatally shot at point-blank range.
Read our earlier daily review here.
