Tuesday, February 6

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A Ukrainian serviceman sits in a tank while crew members check it after a maintenance not far from Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 5, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)

Commander: Ukraine ‘waiting for’ missiles with 300-500 km range from allies. Ukraine expects to receive F-16 fighter jets and missiles with a range between 300 and 500 kilometers “in further military aid packages” from its allies, Joint Forces Commander Serhii Naiev said on Feb. 5.

Official: 2 Ukrainian teenagers rescued from Russian occupation. Two Ukrainian teenage girls were returned to the Ukraine-controlled territory from the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast, Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor, said on Feb. 5.

Authorities ban foreign humanitarian workers from parts of Kherson Oblast after French citizens killed in Russian attack. Foreign volunteers, NGO workers, and embassy staff are banned from entering parts of Kherson Oblast without permission from the authorities after two French citizens were killed in a Russian strike on Feb. 1, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration announced on Feb. 5.

Economy Ministry: Ukraine reaches record monthly export level since full-scale invasion. Ukraine exported 12 million metric tons of goods in January 2024, reaching a monthly record level since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Economy Ministry announced on Feb. 5.

Zelensky meets civilians, military in 2 central Ukrainian oblasts. President Volodymyr Zelensky visited both civilians and the military in Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad oblasts in central Ukraine on Feb. 5.

Zelensky on resignation of veterans affairs minister: Ukraine needs ‘fresh energy.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 5 that he discussed “strengthening the state policy on veterans” with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, likely referring to the resignation of Veterans Affairs Minister Yuliia Laputina.

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Russian attacks on cities, settlements increased by 25 percent last week. According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, more than 570 settlements were attacked last week, most of them in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Russian forces destroy hotel in Kharkiv Oblast, civilian remains trapped under rubble. Russian forces destroyed a three-story hotel in the Bohodukhiv region of Kharkiv Oblast during the early hours of Feb. 6. Local officials report that one civilian remains trapped under the rubble.

Budanov asks Canada to hand over 83,000 decommissioned rockets. Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), hopes that Canada could hand over to Ukraine tens of thousands of rockets that are awaiting demolition at one of the country’s military bases.

ISW: Kremlin intensifying rhetoric pushing for hypothetical partition of Ukraine. The Kremlin is intensifying efforts to normalize Western discussions of a hypothetical partition of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in their daily assessment.

Russian election commission says signatures collected by anti-war candidate Nadezhdin surpass invalidity threshold. According to rules set by Russia’s Central Election Commission, if more than 5% of signatures are deemed invalid, the prospective candidate is not allowed to be registered on the ballot.

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Ukraine war latest: Netherlands to send 6 more F-16s to Ukraine

The Netherlands is preparing to send Ukraine an additional six U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced on Feb. 5, bringing the total number of jets pledged to Ukraine by the Netherlands to 24.

Photo: Jan Langhaug / NTB / AFP via Getty Images

Russian banks post record profits. Is war helping them?

Russia’s Central Bank announced last week that the country’s banks had achieved record profits last year, raking in some 3.3 trillion rubles ($36.8 billion). The news sparked jubilation among Russia’s political elite.

Photo: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attack on Kherson kills 4, injures 1. Russia launched an attack against the southern city of Kherson around noon on Feb. 5, killing at least four residents and injuring one, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast communities kill 1, injure 8. Russian forces launched at least 51 separate attacks throughout the day, firing at 10 communities along the border on Feb. 5, injuring eight civilians and killing one, the regional administration reported.

Russia claims senior official killed in alleged attack on occupied Lysychansk. The shelling of a bakery in Russian-occupied Lysychansk in Luhansk Oblast on Feb. 3 killed a minister of Russia’s illegal occupation administration, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti claimed on Feb. 5, citing a source in law enforcement.

International response

Portugal, Ukraine sign memorandum on restoring Ukrainian schools. Portuguese officials visited the third international forum on the reconstruction of Zhytomyr Oblast and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on rebuilding Ukrainian schools affected by the war, Portugal’s Foreign Ministry reported on Feb. 5.

Netherlands to send 6 more F-16 jets to Ukraine. This brings the total number of jets pledged to Ukraine by the Netherlands to 24. The Dutch Defense Ministry explained that the six jets became available for Ukraine since an agreement to sell these planes to the Draken International company was canceled.

Speaker Johnson says bill on Ukraine aid, border security ‘worse than expected.’ The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said on Feb. 5 that the recently unveiled bipartisan deal on Ukraine aid and border security is “worse than expected.”

Latvian farmers protest Russian, Belarusian food imports. Farmers protested in 16 towns and cities across Latvia to demand an immediate ban on the import of food products from Russia and Belarus, Latvian media outlet Delfi reported on Feb. 5.

In other news

Bihus.info investigative outlet says SBU behind illegal surveillance of its team. Ukrainian investigative media outlet Bihus.info reported on Feb. 5 that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was behind illegal surveillance of the outlet’s team, after which a video appeared online showing some staff members allegedly using drugs during a private party.

Ukrainian Supreme Court official charged with supporting Russian invasion. A Ukrainian Supreme Court official has been declared suspected of supporting Russia’s invasion, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Feb. 5.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Nate Ostiller, Elsa Court, Toma Istomina, Dinara Khalilova, Rachel Amran, and Olena Goncharova.

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