Saturday, February 3

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers of the 22nd Brigade in a trench during training, at an undetermined location in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Feb. 2, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Top UN court rules Russia-Ukraine genocide case can go forward. The United Nations’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that it will hear a part of Ukraine’s lawsuit against Russia over false allegations of genocide that Moscow used to justify its full-scale invasion, Reuters reported on Feb. 2.

Air Force: Ukraine damages 3 Russian aircraft in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian forces damaged at least three Russian military aircraft at the Belbek military airfield near Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed on Feb. 2.

Zelensky meets Canadian foreign minister in Kyiv. “We discussed continued support for Ukraine, joint steps to implement the Peace Formula, the development of a system of security commitments for Ukraine, and the work of the International coalition for the return of Ukrainian children,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the social media platform X.

Official: Ukraine evacuates over 100 people from Russian-occupied outskirts of Avdiivka. Ukraine has evacuated over 100 civilians over the past week from the Russian-held outskirts of embattled Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, an official within the regional police told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Feb. 2.

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NGO: 4 more Ukrainian children rescued from Russian occupation. Save Ukraine, a Ukrainian humanitarian NGO, reported on Feb. 2 that it rescued four more children from Russian-occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Air Force: Ukraine downs 9 of 14 Russian drones launched overnight. Ukrainian air defense destroyed nine of the 14 Shahed-type drones Russia launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk and from Chauda in Russian-occupied Crimea, the Air Force reported on Feb. 3.

Military: Over 70,000 Russian soldiers deployed on Dnipro River’s east bank. Over 70,000 Russian personnel are currently stationed on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Nataliia Humeniuk, spokesperson of Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command, said on national television on Feb. 2.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry demands explanation after Germany’s TV report from occupied Mariupol. A visit by the German ZDF TV channel’s correspondent to Russian-occupied Mariupol without Kyiv’s consent violated Ukrainian law, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said on Feb. 2.

Fire breaks out at Russian refinery in Volgograd. A fire broke out at the Volgograd oil refinery overnight on Feb. 3, regional governor Andrei Bocharov reported via Telegram.

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Ukraine war latest: Military says Crimean airfield attack damaged 3 Russian warplanes

Ukraine damaged at least three Russian military aircraft at the Belbek military airfield near Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat confirmed on Feb. 2.

Photo: Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency

Ukraine’s path to EU accession paved with reforms

When European leaders agreed to Ukraine’s accession talks in December 2023, the historic move was hailed in Kyiv as a recognition of years of struggle to get closer to the bloc since the EuroMaidan Revolution.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Mediazona confirms identities of over 43,400 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. Through open source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 43,460 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Georgians likely rank first among foreign fighters killed fighting for Ukraine. Estimates vary, but Georgian media approximates that between 50-60 Georgian soldiers have been killed fighting for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, making it likely the highest death toll of any foreign nationality fighting on the Ukrainian side.

Governor: Russian air strike on Kherson injures 2, damages residential buildings. Russian forces launched an air strike on central Kherson, wounding two people and damaging residential buildings, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Feb. 2.

International response

Bulgarian minister says pledged armored vehicles bound for Ukraine. Months after approval by Bulgaria’s parliament and government, 100 armored vehicles once belonging to the country’s Interior Ministry are now en route to Ukraine, Defense Minister Todor Tagarev said on Feb. 2.

Lithuania delivers detonation systems, ammunition to Ukraine. Lithuania delivered detonation systems and thousands of ammunition rounds for anti-tank grenade launchers to Ukraine, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry announced on social media on Feb. 2.

Spain teaches Ukrainian military personnel to service Patriot missile system. Spain has begun to provide technical maintenance training for the Patriot missile system to Ukrainian military personnel, Spanish media outlet Cope reported on Feb. 2.

Romanian government reaches agreement with farmers, truckers to end protests at Ukrainian border. Romania’s coalition government reached an agreement with the country’s farmers and truck drivers to end a weeks-long protest against the import of products from Ukraine and other non-EU countries, the Romanian government announced on Feb. 2.

Polish farmers to stage more protests at Ukrainian border, nationwide. Polish farmers’ Solidarity trade union announced a nationwide strike on Feb. 1 that will start with the blockading of all Polish border crossings with Ukraine.

Is NATO getting ready for escalation with Russia?

In other news

Court imposes preventative measures on suspended Defense Ministry official with alleged linked to fraud in weapons procurement. Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) imposed preventative measures against a former Defense Ministry official in connection to an alleged case of fraudulent weapons procurement, the HACC announced on Feb. 2

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Nate Ostiller, Dinara Khalilova, Teah Pelechaty, Dmytro Basmat, and Olena Goncharova.

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