Armed Forces of Ukraine
Today, January 30, marks the Day of the Specialist of Military and Social Management of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The activities of these specialists are aimed at improving the combat capability of the Ukrainian army, rooting its positive image in society
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine made its first statement amid rumors of possible resignations of Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Valeriy Zaluzhnyy from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is noted that the "chair" of the Kyrylo Budanov, who has previously headed the Main Directorate of Ukrainian Intelligence, will now take over the post of Commander-in-Chief.
Russians shelled Kupiansk district of Kharkiv region. Residents of Khatne and Velykyi Burliuk villages came under fire. The shelling damaged infrastructure and several agricultural enterprises.
The Ukrainian military destroyed more than 15 pieces of Russian military equipment on the left bank of the Dnipro River. These include tanks, artillery systems, armored vehicles and a boat.
In December 2023 and January 2024, the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine implemented 18 more NATO standards, bringing the total number to 315. Another 50 standards are planned to be implemented in 2024.
Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language Taras Kremin announced plans to create Ukrainian language courses for the military of the Armed Forces.
Ukraine's military is testing new ground drones, including a mine-laying drone, a combat drone with a machine gun, and kamikaze drones that can travel long distances to attack targets.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto paid tribute to the fallen soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Three men from Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhya and Sumy regions were detained by border guards in Chernivtsi region while trying to illegally cross the border with Romania on foot, hundreds of metres from the border. The men paid €6,000 each to a guide who remotely accompanied them.
Russia is sending reinforcements to units on the left bank of the Kherson region after they suffered heavy losses, according to Ukrainian officials. There is also some activity in Crimea to replenish Russian troops.
On Kruty Heroes Remembrance Day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of those who died in the struggle for Ukraine's independence. He laid flowers at the memorial signs, emphasizing that all the heroes who sacrificed themselves for the sake of Ukraine's freedom have forever gone down in the nation's history.
Russian troops have no important tactical successes in the Kupyansk sector.
On the 106th anniversary of the battle near Kruti, Valeriy Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, honoured the memory of those who died in the fighting the Russian invaders in 1918. He drew parallels with the Ukrainian soldiers who today are again fighting the Russian invaders and defending the Russian occupiers. Russian invaders and defending Ukraine's freedom and independence.
Maryna Bezrukova has been appointed Director of the Defense Procurement Agency of Ukraine. This is the first step in reforming the agency in line with NATO standards and preventing corruption in defense procurement.
The Ukrainian military denies Russia's claims that it has allegedly captured the village of Tabayivka in Kharkiv region. Lieutenant Colonel Volodymyr Fitio said that fighting continues in the area.
On the night of Monday, 29 January, Russian drones flew towards Ukraine's western border. The Ukrainian armed forces shot down all eight drones over the Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi regions.
In Mykolaiv region, the Security Service of Ukraine detained a woman who secretly recorded the locations of Ukrainian troops and transmitted information to the Russian military through an anonymous chat room. The woman was caught trying to pass on intelligence that could have exposed the troops' movements.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have stated that infantrymen are currently the most sought-after military specialists.
President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has an army of one million. He noted that between 6.5 and 7.5 million Ukrainians have left the country since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.
Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops have lost approximately 383,180 personnel and 6,290 tanks.
Overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force shot down eight Russian Shahid drones that were used to attack several regions of Ukraine. Russia also fired one Iskander missile and S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems from the occupied territories, but these attacks were repelled by Ukrainian forces.
Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian military aviation carried out 6 air strikes against Russian troops, reports the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukrainian air defense also shot down one Russian cruise missile, and missile forces struck one Russian artillery installation and one electronic warfare station.
German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems has begun delivering 100 Trinity drones of various models to Ukraine to help the Ukrainian military reconnoiter enemy positions. The company is donating drones worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An air alert has been declared in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine due to the threat of a Russian ballistic missile attack. Residents are advised to take shelter and not to ignore the air raid alert.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down a Russian X-59 cruise missile over the Dnipro region on January 28. Later that evening, Russia launched ballistic missiles and attack drones, four of which were intercepted by Ukraine.
Ukraine's Navy commander says they will gladly accept two British frigates that the UK plans to decommission in 2024 due to a shortage of sailors. The UK Defense Secretary has previously stated that 2024 will be a crucial year for Ukraine's fate and that the UK will continue to support Kyiv.
Ukraine and Lithuania are identifying joint steps to increase the production of drones for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The two countries plan to combine Lithuanian drone production technologies with Ukraine's ability to scale up production.
The Netherlands has joined the IT coalition to support Ukraine's defense efforts by allocating 10 million euros. Together with the Netherlands, 12 countries have joined the coalition to support Ukraine in the field of IT, communications and cybersecurity.
Ukrainian Special Forces destroyed a Russian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle and a communication antenna in Kherson region using unmanned aerial vehicles. The BMP-2 was firing at Ukrainian positions on the right bank of the region. Special forces also shot down a Russian flag flying on the antenna.