Russia said28 people, including one child, have died in Saturday’s shelling of a bakery in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lysychansk, which is under Russian occupation. A further 10 people were rescued from under the rubble by emergency services, according to officials.
More than two dozen people, mostly journalists, were detained on Saturday at aprotest in central Moscow where wives and other relatives of Russian servicemen mobilised to fight in Ukraine called for their return, according to a Reuters witness and independent Russian news reports.
Belgium is asking G7 countries to considerusing €260bn in seized Russian assets held by the west as collateral for loans to Ukraine, according to a report in the Financial Times. This would avoid questions around the legality of seizing the assets outright, as has also been considered by Ukraine’s allies, according to the paper.
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko set a world record for the total amount of time spent in space on Sunday. As of 8:30GMT, Kononenko overtook his compatriot Gennady Padalka who logged more than 878 days in orbit, according to Russia’s space corporation, Roscosmos.
US senators are racing to release a highly anticipated bill that pairs border enforcement policy with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and other US allies. The proposal is the best chance for president Joe Biden to resupply Ukraine with wartime aid. The Senate was expected this week to hold a key test vote on the legislation, but it has already run into a wall of opposition from conservatives.
Russia accuses Ukraine of 'monstrous' attack on bakery
VoA News
This grab from a video released by the Russian Emergencies Ministry on Feb. 3, 2024, shows rescuers clearing rubble, taking out victims' bodies and searching for survivors inside a destroyed bakehouse hit by recent shelling in the city of Lysychansk.
Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of carrying out what the Kremlin called a “monstrous” attack on a bakery in a Russia-occupied city in eastern Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov further called Saturday’s attack in Lysychansk a “terrorist act” on peaceful infrastructure. Russia said the attack killed 28 people. Lysychansk had a population of about 110,000 people before Russia’s invasion. It fell to Russia in the summer of 2022 and is 15 kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Ukrainian officials did not comment about the attack. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of conducting attacks on civilian sites, including Ukraine reporting frequent Russian missile and drone strikes targeting Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was considering replacing several senior officials, and not just in the military, in order to appoint the best people leading Ukraine. In an interview broadcast with Italian state RAI television Sunday, Zelenskyy said “a reset is necessary,” as he considers who would be the best people to lead various sectors in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said the changes could include the dismissal of his top military chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Last November, Zelenskyy rebuked Zaluzhnyi for telling a Western media outlet that the war in Ukraine had entered a new phase of attrition. Earlier Sunday, Zelenskyy visited Ukrainian troops on the southeastern front. Zelenskyy awarded medals to pilots and was briefed on a series of Russian attacks on targets in the Dnipropetrovsk region and on how to use Western and hybrid air defense systems to protect Ukraine’s skies.
Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Russia’s ambassador to France will be summoned to the foreign ministry on Monday over the deaths of two French aid workers last week in a bombardment in Ukraine
- a diplomatic source told AFP. The ministry “will also denounce reinforced disinformation targeting France,” the source said, days after defence officials flagged a “coordinated Russian scheme” to spread false information. The two aid workers were killed on Thursday in a strike on Beryslav, a small Ukrainian town close to the frontline on the north bank of the river Dnipro, France’s foreign ministry said. Three more French citizens, according to the ministry, were injured in the attack, which Paris has called an act of “barbarism”. French terrorism prosecutors have opened an investigation into it.
The European Commission will not add any new import bans in its package of sanctions on Russia, EU diplomats said, as a 13th package proposal takes its final shape.
The commission and EU member states want to quickly pass a new set of measures to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Despite calls from some EU countries to ban more Russian exports like aluminium, the commission will propose a package it hopes will cause minimal debate among member states so it is passed quickly, according to Reuters. Member states need to vote unanimously to adopt new sanctions. “There will be hundreds of listings … entities and individuals. No big (company) names,” one of the diplomats said.
The Kremlin warned the west that any attempt to use frozen Russian assets as collateral to raise funds for Ukraine would be illegal and undermine the entire global economic system, Reuters reports.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, was speaking after [url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-04/g-7-eye-russian-assets-as-collateral-to-raise-funds-for-ukraine?leadSource=uverify wall]Bloomberg reported [/url]that G7 countries are considering using frozen Russian assets as collateral to raise funds for Ukraine. Under the proposal, Ukraine’s allies could sell debt to contribute to the country’s reconstruction, using the frozen assets as collateral.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said he is considering replacing several senior officials, including state leaders.
The Guardian In an interview with Italian TV, Zelenskiy said “a reset is necessary”, adding that “I have in mind something serious that does not concern a single person, but the direction of the country’s leadership.” The comments come amid continued speculation that the president is about to dismiss the commander of Ukraine’s military, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, criticised the possibility of the firing of Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the popular commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, saying it was due to the general’s leadership that “many Ukrainians truly trust the armed forces”.
“Today is a moment when politics might prevail over reason and country’s interests,” Klitschko said on social media. The mayor of Ukraine’s capital city has been a vocal critic of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The presidency in turn has accused Klitschko’s office of inefficiencies.
Zelenskiy asks Ukrainian parliament to extend martial law and general mobilisation
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has submitted a proposal to the Ukrainian parliament to extend martial law and general mobilisation for another 90 days. The Kyiv Independent reports:
The president first declared martial law and general mobilisation on 24 February 2022, when Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The measure has been repeatedly extended since then. Ukraine’s parliament previously extended martial law and mobilization from November 2023 until Feb. 14, 2024. Zelenskiy’s proposal would extend the two measures until 14 May. Lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said this would be the 10th vote of the parliament on martial law since the beginning of the war. Under martial law, Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60, with some exceptions, are not allowed to leave the country as they may be called up for military service.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks at a press conference in Switzerland. Photograph: Reuters
Russia carried out attacks against nine of Ukraine's regions over the past day - authorities
Russia carried out attacks against nine of Ukraine’s regions over the past day, killing at least one civilian and injuring at least five people, regional authorities said. Russian forces launched 36 attacks against Kherson oblast over the past day, injuring one person and damaging residential areas and a museum in the city of Kherson, the regional governor, Oleksandr Produkin, wrote on Telegram. In the region of Donetsk, Russia attacked Toretsk, killing one civilian and injuring four people across the region, governor Vadym Filashkin said. The Russian military also reportedly hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, injuring two people, according to the Kyiv Independent. Russia launched artillery and mortar attacks on roughly 18 settlements in Kharkiv oblast, governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Vesele, Hatishche, Budarky, Synkivka, Tabaivka, Ivanivka, Berestovka were among the areas targeted. There were no reported casualities. Russian attacks damaged a power substation, houses, the glazing and facade of an administrative building, a warehouse and agricultural equipment in the region, Syniehubov said. Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, Sumy, and Mykolaiv oblasts also reportedly came under attack. There were no casualties reported.
Russian shelling of Kherson kills four, official says
Kyiv Post
Among the dead were two men aged 45 and 50 who were in a car, a woman on the street and a 60-year old man in the city centre.
Russian shelling of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson killed four people and injured one other person on Monday, a local official said. Since being recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November 2022, Kherson has faced near continuous Russian bombardment. "As of this hour, there are four dead and one wounded," said Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson city military administration. Among the dead were two men aged 45 and 50 who were in a car, a woman on the street and a 60-year old man in the city centre, he said. He shared a video showing the burnt out chassis of a car surrounded by debris, while another clip showed a small crater on the ground. The city lies on the western shores of the Dnipro river, the de-facto frontline between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the south of the country. Pushing Russia back from the river's shores has been a priority for Kyiv, which has been trying to sustain a bridgehead on the eastern bank. Last week two French nationals were killed and three other foreigners wounded by a strike in Beryslav, a town near Kherson.
Hungary’s ruling party reportedly boycotted a parliamentary session on Sweden’s Nato membership, postponing a vote by the last alliance member to approve the expansion of the defensive alliance.
“The Netherlands' Ministry of Defence is readying six additional F-16 fighter aircraft for delivery to Ukraine,” Kajsa Ollongren, the Dutch defence minister, announced.
Russia launched an attack against the southern city of Kherson on Monday, killing at least four residents and injuring one other person, interior minister Ihor Klymenkosaid.
US senators on Sunday evening released the details of a highly anticipated $118bn package that pairs federal enforcement policy on the US-Mexico border with wartime aid for Ukraine, Israel and others. However, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, said the deal was “worse than expected” and that it “will be dead on arrival” were it to reach his chamber.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said he is considering a “reset” to replace several senior officials, amid ongoing speculation that he is preparing to fire the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces. “It is a question of the people who are to lead Ukraine. A reset is necessary, I am talking about a replacement of a number of state leaders, not only in the army sector,” Zelenskiy said. Speculation has gripped Ukraine for weeks that the president is close to dismissing the highly popular commander of the armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Zelenskiy submitted a proposal to the Ukrainian parliament to extend martial law and general mobilisation for another 90 days. The president first declared martial law and general mobilisation on 24 February 2022, when Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The measure has been repeatedly extended since then.
Frontline report: Russians crossed the “death valley” and entered Avdiivka
Euromaidan Press
Russia crosses “death valley” killing field at night to access fortified Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, threatening encirclement of now cut-off Ukrainian defenders struggling to hold the critical town.
February 5, 2024
Today, the biggest news comes from the Avdiivka direction, Donetsk Oblast.
Here, the most dynamic clashes are taking place in the central part of the region. First of all, Ukrainian forces managed to localize the Russian breakthrough by retaking key positions that allowed them to establish fire control over the roads.
Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
This way, Russian heavy mechanized assault units cannot enter the region and reinforce those inside the bridgehead, and Russians have to rely exclusively on small supplies via the underground pipe. Russian sources also released several videos showing how they are delivering additional small supplies with aerial drones. Due to continuous Ukrainian shelling and tank raids, Russians did not manage to improve their situation, while Ukrainians still have not found and destroyed the entry point to the pipe, causing the frontline here to get stuck. Such a setting forces Russians to return to and double down on their previous idea of partial encirclement of the town. The partial encirclement of the town implies penetrating the settlement right between its two most fortified areas: the chemical plant and the area with high-rise buildings. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
Moreover, in order to achieve encirclement in this scenario, it is sufficient to advance just from one side because this is where the main Ukrainian supply roads are located. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
By advancing in the center and cutting it off, Ukrainians in the southern part of the town will basically have no connection to the mainland, apart from risky dirt roads along the tree lines in the field. The first major attempt happened a few weeks ago when Russians tried to use mechanized columns. Ukrainian fighters from the 110th Mechanized Brigade released a video showing this attack. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
According to the fighters, Russians tried to split them and open multiple vectors of attack. However, they were spotted well in advance by Ukrainian reconnaissance drone operators and gradually demolished by the time they reached the front line. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
Unfortunately, Russians made reasonable adjustments, abandoned the idea of using large armored groups, and switched to pure infantry assaults. Prior to making each push, Russians would send small units of two to four people one after another into the small residential zone to accumulate forces. Even though Russian soldiers complained that Ukrainians were targeting even such small groups, overall, the Russian tactic worked, and they expanded the area of control over the so-called Ivushka dacha area on the northern outskirts of Avdiivka. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
As a result, the Ukrainian Army withdrew from the tree lines north of the quarry, inevitably giving Russians more freedom of movement in the area. This reduced Ukrainian fire control over the region and allowed Russians to start reinforcing their infantry with armored fighting vehicles once again. Geolocated footage shows multiple Russian pieces of equipment amid demolished houses. Nonetheless, the additional reinforcements did not seem to help, and despite having more forces in the Ivushka dacha area, they had less progress. The main reason for the reduced pace of the operation lies in the topography of the region. If we look at the topographic map, we can see that there is a small valley between Avdiivka and the Ivushka dacha area. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
Crossing it required getting exposed, which inevitably led to high losses and retreats. Geolocated combat footage released by Ukrainian special operators reveals that many Russian forces were eliminated by drones. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
However, suddenly, the fights did break out on the streets of Avdiivka, implying that Russians penetrated the Ukrainian defense. Russian sources reported that Russians advanced by up to five hundred meters, reached the railways, and cut off Ukrainian supplies. Other sources started amplifying the news, with some claiming that the whole residential area had fallen. Nonetheless, based on geolocation, Russians were spotted only on Sapronova Street, implying a significantly narrower zone of operations. A Ukrainian fighter from the twenty-fourth battalion reported that there was no need to be concerned because good news would soon be released. The freshest updates received several hours ago from the soldiers on the ground indicate that the Russian bridgehead was completely eliminated. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
Another soldier released a video showing how they cleared the street and took captive all Russian soldiers that survived. Still, the shifting of fighting left many Ukrainian analysts wondering how the Russians achieved it. Fortunately, Russian sources have promptly revealed it. One Russian source alluded to the fact that the operation was conducted at night to minimize the risk of drone attacks.
Another source alluded to the fact that a special new technology was used to ensure that assault units remained undetected for as long as possible. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
The analysts concluded that Russians used the so-called invisibility cloak against thermal cameras, which is exactly what Ukrainians are heavily relying on to monitor the perimeter at night.
Now, Ukrainians need to adjust their practices to monitor the region more effectively and use a combination of night vision, thermal cameras, and movement detection systems. Screenshot from a Reporting From Ukraine video.
All these tools are already available; there is just a question of quantity. Hopefully, they will be put to use immediately. In our daily frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
by 
The president first declared martial law and general mobilisation on 24 February 2022, when Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The measure has been repeatedly extended since then.
by 
61-BLUES
