Exclusives
 | The Yalta conference: Putin’s favorite peace deal that buried Europe behind the Iron Curtain. 80 years ago, the West betrayed an ally to Russia for the sake of peace — plunging the world into decades of Cold War Putin yearns to revive in Ukraine |
 | Ukraine’s contested cultural ban strikes at the heart of Putin’s imperial strategy. Ukraine’s cultural blockade of Russian art is more than wartime nationalism —it’s a frontline defense against Putin’s “Russian world” colonial ideology. |
Military
Frontline report: Ukraine’s drone strikes cripple 25 Russian oil sites only in January, significantly cutting Russia’s war revenues . Systematic Ukrainian deep strikes on Russia’s largest oil facilities reveal a vulnerable energy giant whose air defenses struggle to protect its most vital economic assets
Ukrainian mystery drone penetrates Russian air defense, strikes oil depot 250 km from front (updated). The only operational oil depot in Kanivsky district became the latest target in a series of deep strikes against Russian infrastructure
As of 5 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: 842930
- Tanks: 9938
- APV: 20709
- Artillery systems: 22655
- MLRS: 1269
- Anti-aircraft systems: 1053
- Aircraft: 369
- Helicopters: 331
- UAV: 24003
- Cruise missiles : 3054
- Warships/boats: 28
- Submarines: 1
- Vehicles and fuel tanks: 35921
Intelligence and Technology
Export controls need Cold War-style overhaul to stop weapons tech flow – FP. The collapse of post-Cold War pax technica becomes evident as analysis reveals extensive use of Western electronics in Russian, Iranian, and North Korean weapons.
International
Telegraph: Finnish foreign minister says Russia’s economy shows “serious cracks,” urges to strengthen economic sanctions . Economic forecasts show Russian GDP dropping to under 1% in 2025 from 3% currently, while the central bank has pushed interest rates to 21% amid mounting pressure from international sanctions.
“They are fighting for all of us”: Former UK MP joins Ukraine’s International Legion. “Dictators have to be defeated or they never stop,” said Jack Lopresti, who will be taking on diplomacy responsibilities in Ukraine’s International Legion
Humanitarian and Social Impact
The cost of “easy money”: Russian services eliminate their own sabotage recruits in recent attacks on Ukraine’s military recruitment centers. Three separate incidents in February have exposed a systematic Russian approach of using young Ukrainian men as disposable agents who are often unaware they are being set up for certain death.
“Disposable agent”: Russia kills own recruit in Ukraine military center bombing plot, SBU says. The unemployed man carried a bomb-laden backpack into the center. Russian agents pressed the button while he still wore it
Ukraine returned 150 defenders from Russian captivity, some held over 2 years. “For them and their families, this day carries more weight than all the years of waiting,” President Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy reveals 45,100 Ukrainian troops died, contrasting with independent estimates. Western intelligence sources and independent trackers challenge Ukraine’s official military death toll, suggesting casualties far exceed the government’s latest figure
Political and Legal Developments
“Justice is coming”: EU moves closer to establishing special tribunal for Russia. Unpunished crimes encourage further aggression, said the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas
New Developments
Kremlin’s latest propaganda machine unmasked. A new multilingual website funded by the Kremlin is spreading carefully crafted Russian propaganda under the guise of international journalism.
Zelenskyy claims ready to negotiate directly with Putin if “it’s only way to achieve peace”. Russia also expressed openness to negotiations while simultaneously questioning Zelenskyy’s “legitimacy” as a president.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs nuclear weapons if NATO entry takes decades. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenges Western allies to either accelerate NATO membership or provide nuclear deterrence capabilities as alternative security guarantee against future Russian aggression.
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