Ukraine

In Kupyansk, two people were injured in the shelling and a private house caught fire. Over the past day, hostile attacks were recorded in Kharkiv and two districts of the region, damaging buildings and cars.

Several senior FBI officials appointed by Christopher Wray have been ordered to resign or retire. The changes affected about five “executive assistant directors” who are in charge of key investigations.

The SBU detained a regional council deputy and his driver for attempting to organize the murder of an agricultural company owner. The customer planned to take over the victim's business by forging documents after staging a suicide.

U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the war in Ukraine has reached a deadlock and should end in negotiations. According to him, this is Donald Trump's position, and both sides will have to make concessions.

The European Commission has approved a €1. 065 billion European Defense Fund program for joint defense projects. The funds will be used for research in cyber defense, naval operations, and other critical areas.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 102 Shahed drones and imitator drones from different directions. The defense forces destroyed 59 attack UAVs. Sumy, Odesa, and Cherkasy regions were affected by the Russian attack.

The NBU has set the official hryvnia exchange rate at 41. 82 UAH/USD, which is 10 kopecks stronger. In banks, a dollar can be bought for 42.20 UAH and a euro for 44.10 UAH.

There were 150 combat engagements in the frontline, including 71 attacks in the Pokrovsk sector. The enemy launched 55 air strikes and made over 6,500 artillery attacks.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released data on the losses of Russian troops as of January 31. Over the past day, 1670 occupants were eliminated, 3 tanks, 17 armored personnel carriers and other military equipment were destroyed.

The U. S. Court of Appeals has ruled unconstitutional a federal law that prohibits the purchase of guns by people under 21. The decision is based on the Second Amendment, which protects the right to arms for all citizens over 18 years of age.

On January 31, Ukraine is expected to have partly cloudy weather with some rains in the west, north and center. The temperature will range from +5° to +15° in the south of the country.

The scientific director of the Valdai Club revealed the Kremlin's position on the upcoming negotiations with the United States. Russia does not intend to make territorial concessions in Ukraine and will try to position Putin as an equal to Trump.

January 31 is International Zebra Day, World Jeweler's Day, and Saints Athanasius and Cyril's Day. Each holiday has a special meaning and is accompanied by themed events.

Employees of the Kivertsi National Park recorded two flocks of gray cranes totaling 32 individuals. Experts attribute the early return of the birds to climate change and a warm winter.

Rafael Grossi will visit Kyiv on February 4 to discuss nuclear safety during the war. IAEA experts continue to record military activity and drones near Ukrainian NPPs.

The European Commission has officially denied information about the possibility of resuming purchases of Russian gas in exchange for peace talks. The spokesperson for the EC President confirmed the course of refusal from Russian gas.

The Russian occupation authorities are introducing a scheme of forced confiscation of apartments of Ukrainians who have left the occupied territories. Pushilin announced the creation of a “maneuverable fund” of confiscated housing.

President Zelenskyy had his first conversation with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. The parties discussed the creation of a food hub in Lebanon and strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The Hill has published a forecast stating that without US military support, Ukraine will lose effective air defense by 2026. This will allow Russia to carry out large-scale bombings and capture Kyiv.

Over the last day, 125 combat engagements took place, Russians conducted 44 air strikes and launched 1007 kamikaze drones. The most active fighting continues in the Pokrovske, Kramatorsk and Toretsk sectors.

The flow of oil through the Russian port of Ust-Luga stopped on January 29 after a Ukrainian drone attack. The port handled about 20% of Russia's maritime oil exports, and repairs to the damaged infrastructure will take at least a month.

The President of Ukraine had a lengthy conversation with the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Budanov on tasks and possible scenarios. He also listened to a report by Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Syrskyi on the situation at the front and noted the success of military units.

Alexander Stubb said that Putin understands only harsh rhetoric and ultimatums. The President of Finland supported Trump's approach to forcing Putin into peace talks.

The Slovak police are preparing to deport a Ukrainian citizen born in 1966 on charges of threatening national security. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance to the detainee.

A Russian strike on a residential building in Sumy killed 9 people and injured 13. President Zelenskyy called on the world to respond to every such terrorist act by Russia.

Taras Stepanenko retires from playing for Shakhtar Donetsk after 15 seasons, 439 matches and 25 trophies. Rumors link the experienced midfielder with a move to Turkish side Euapspor.

Today at 22:00, Dynamo will play against Latvian side RFS in the final round of the Europa League. The match will take place in Hamburg, and Kyiv will try to win their first victory in the tournament.

The European University of Viadrina documents the environmental damage caused by Russia's war in Ukraine, which could reach 72 billion euros. 220 nature reserves have been damaged, 25 thousand hectares of forest destroyed, and 1 million hectares of land mined.

Over the past 6 months, more than 20 Americans have gone missing on the front line in Ukraine. At least 5 volunteers were killed and their bodies could not be recovered from the battlefield.

US GDP in the fourth quarter of 2024 grew by 2. 3% instead of the expected 2.7%. For the whole year, the economy grew by 2.8%, which is lower than in 2023 but higher than in 2022.