Closing summary
Thank you for following the Guardian’s Russia-Ukraine war live blog. It will be closed shortly but you can follow updates from the Brussels EU leaders summit, where a deal was reached on Thursday for a €50bn aid package for Ukraine, via this blog. You can also find the latest news on Russia here, and on Ukraine here.
Here is a summary of the latest events:
Charles Michel, the European Council president, announced that a deal had been reached on €50bn for Ukraine at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday. “All 27 leaders agreed,” he said, adding that “this locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine.” The agreement comes after the bloc’s most influential politicians sat down with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán this morning.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he is grateful to EU leaders for establishing a new €50bn facility for his country. “It is very important that the decision was made by all 27 leaders, which once again proves strong EU unity,” he added.
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal welcomed the EU’s decision to approve an additional €50bn aid package for Ukraine.He said he was “grateful” to Charles Michel, the European Council president, and the leaders of EU member states for their “unwavering support”.
The Russian national guard, a force also known as Rosgvardia, is incorporating three former Wagner assault detachments into its first volunteer corps formation, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD). The MoD said that Russian president Vladimir Putin had signed a law on the 25 December last year, authorising the Russian national guard to form its own volunteer formations. Rosgvardia is often referred to as Putin’s “private army”.
Ukraine’s spy chief on Thursday said Kyiv’s forces were planning to step up their attacks on Russian infrastructure sites, after a spate of drone strikes on Russian energy facilities this year. “The number of attacks on Russian infrastructure is likely to increase,” Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence unit, said in a social media post.
A North Korean delegation will visit the lower house of Russia’s parliament on 13 February, state news agency RIA quoted a deputy from the opposition Communist party as saying on Thursday. According to Reuters, lawmaker Kazbek Taysaev also said that a Russian parliamentary delegation planned to travel to North Korea in March.
Latvia’s parliament voted on Thursday to ban its national teams from playing any national teams of Russia and Belarus regardless of what flag they may compete under, as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine, reports Reuters.
Ukraine said on Thursday that four people had been injured in a Russian missile attack on a medical facility in the eastern Kharkiv region, which has recently been under continuous bombardment. The interior ministry said the missile attack late on Wednesday targeted a village near Kupiansk, a frontline town Russian forces have been trying to capture. It added that 38 people were evacuated.
Russia’s defence ministry said air defences shot down 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight. “Air defences intercepted and destroyed drones over the regions of Belgorod (four drones) and Kursk (one drone)“, it added. About 03.30am (GMT), four more drones were shot down over the Belgorod region and two over the Voronezh region, according to the statement.
Kyiv also said Russian forces had launched four drones at Ukraine overnight and that air defence systems had downed two over Kharkiv.
Ukraine has reportedly carried out heavy missile strikes on military targets in Crimea including the Balbek airfield used by occupying Russian forces, with possible losses of Russian aircraft and personnel. Ukrainian news outlets citing military sources said Scalp and Storm Shadow missiles were used in the attacks on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s air force commander, General Mykola Oleshchuk, acknowledged the Balbek attack, sharing online a video of an explosion and calling it a “cleansing of Crimea from the Russian presence”. A Russian military radar was hit earlier in apparent preparation for the Crimea attacks.
US legislation for more aid to Ukraine will probably be split from a $110bn “national security” package that also covers US-Mexico border security, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has told visiting speakers from the Baltic countries, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
The US president, Joe Biden, has continued to use presidential powers to work around the Republican blockade. His secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has notified the Greek government that the US will transfer to Greece’s military surplus equipment including C-130 planes; 60 Bradley armoured fighting vehicles which are prized by the Ukrainians; ships; trucks; and other equipment. There is an agreement that Greece will make an equivalent transfer of equipment to Ukraine, according to Greek media reports.
A Russian bomb struck a hospital in Velykyi Burluk, north-east of Kharkiv, on Wednesday, smashing windows and equipment and prompting the evacuation of dozens of patients, regional officials said.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted a major prisoner of war exchange, one week after a previous swap was shelved when a Russian Il-76 transport plane was shot down. Russia and Ukraine both said that about 200 prisoners were exchanged on Wednesday, although their exact figures differed. Russia has produced no proof for its claim that the plane shot down last week contained Ukrainian PoW.
The EU expects to reach 52% of its target to send 1m rounds of shells to Ukraine by March this year and plans to train another 20,000 soldiers, said the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell.
Olaf Scholz and four other European leaders admitted that the EU had “fallen short” of its goals to supply Ukraine with artillery ammunition on the eve of an emergency EU summit of EU leaders designed to break the deadlock between member states and Hungary’s Putin-allied Viktor Orbán over a €50bn aid package.
The international court of justice (ICJ) has found Russia violated some parts of a UN anti-terrorism treaty by not investigating financial support for separatist groups in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The top UN court declined to rule specifically on alleged Russian responsibility for shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014. The ICJ ruled that Russia violated the UN anti-discrimination treaty by failing to protect education in the Ukrainian language in Crimea.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said Russian troops were holding ground on the outskirts of the east Ukrainian industrial town of Avdiivka. Russian troops have failed to take the town in repeated and extremely bloody attempts that have cost Russia thousands of casualties and hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles.
Ukraine claimed to have carried out another drone attack on an oil facility deep inside Russian territory, according to a military intelligence source.
Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told military manufacturers to “stop fooling around” and further increase the production of self-propelled artillery systems during a visit to arms-producing factories in the Urals.
Putin will visit Nato member Turkey to meet its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on 12 February, a Turkish official has said. Because of an international criminal court (ICC) warrant for war crimes, Putin can’t travel to many places abroad, but Turkey does not recognise the ICC.
Latvia bans national teams from playing Russia or Belarus under any flag
Latvia’s parliament voted on Thursday to ban its national teams from playing any national teams of Russia and Belarus regardless of what flag they may compete under, as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine, reports Reuters.
National and club teams from Russia and its ally Belarus have been banned from competing in numerous international events after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, including from Belarus’ territory.
The Latvian Olympics Committee said the move will not impact the country’s participation at the Olympics in Paris as the International Olympic Committee only allows individual Russian or Belarusian athletes – not teams – to take part as neutrals without flags.
Athletics, the Olympic Games’ biggest event, has maintained a blanket ban on both nations’ athletes, including individuals.
EU-member Latvia, which borders both Russia and Belarus, passed the law “to re-emphasise Latvia’s solidarity with Ukraine and to fundamentally block any Russian efforts to legitimise its war crimes through the sports industry”, parliament said in a statement.
UEFA in September reinstated under-17 Russian sides in European competitions, saying “children should not be punished for actions whose responsibility lies exclusively with adults”.
That decision was reversed within weeks, however, after other national sides threatened boycotts, including the UK.
Last April, Ukraine barred its national sports teams from competing in Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic events that have competitors from Russia and Belarus. The ban was watered down in July to allow athletes to compete against Russians or Belarusian’s playing under a neutral flag, as worries mounted that such a tough stance would exclude Ukraine from the Paris Olympics.
‘Very important’ that all 27 EU leaders agreed to funding Ukraine aid deal, says Zelenskiy
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he is grateful to EU leaders for establishing a new €50bn facility for his country.
“It is very important that the decision was made by all 27 leaders, which once again proves strong EU unity,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader added:
Continued EU financial support for Ukraine will strengthen long-term economic and financial stability, which is no less important than military assistance and sanctions pressure on Russia.
Grateful to @CharlesMichel and EU leaders for establishing the €50 billion Ukraine Facility for 2024-2027.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 1, 2024
It is very important that the decision was made by all 27 leaders, which once again proves strong EU unity.
Continued EU financial support for Ukraine will strengthen…
The Guardian’s Lisa O’Carroll reports from Brussels:
Viktor Orbán has agreed a deal with fellow EU leaders on a €50bn support package for Ukraine, the spokesperson for Charles Michel has confirmed.
He finally succumbed to pressure after a series of meetings last night and this morning with the Italian, French and German prime ministers.
They agreed two compromises – there would be a European Commission review of the spending in two years’ time. But there would be vote on this.
There was also an additional measure on the rule of law conditionality mechanism, the spokesperson said.
After the deal was struck, the European Council president then quickly consulted with other EU leaders and they agreed “quickly”, said the spokesperson.
Here is some more information on the €50bn aid deal for Ukraine, from the Guardian’s Lili Bayer:
Leaders have agreed on the following text, according to a document seen by the Guardian:
On the basis of the Commission annual report on the implementation of the Ukraine Facility, the European Council will hold a debate each year on the Facility with a view to providing guidance. If needed, in two years the European Council will invite the Commission to make a proposal for review in the context of the new MFF.
Ukraine's PM welcomes EU's approval of major aid package
Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal welcomed the EU’s decision to approve an additional €50bn aid package for Ukraine.
Posting on X, Shmyhal wrote: “EU member states one more time show their solidarity and unity in the actions to Ukrainian people to withstand the war.” He said he was “grateful” to Charles Michel, the European Council president, and the leaders of EU member states for their “unwavering support”.
Welcome an approval by #EUCO the decision on establishing of Ukraine Facility of up to €50 billion for 2024-2027.
— Denys Shmyhal (@Denys_Shmyhal) February 1, 2024
EU Member States one more time show their solidarity & unity in the actions to Ukrainian people to withstand the war.
Grateful to @CharlesMichel, the Leaders of EU…
EU leaders are celebrating today’s deal on funding for Ukraine, writes my Guardian colleague Lili Bayer who is updating the live blog for today’s Brussels summit. She posted:
“Excellent news for the security of Latvia and all of Europe,” wrote the Latvian prime minister, Evika Siliņa.
Agreement! 27 #EU countries have fulfilled our commitment to provide #Ukraine with predictable, long-term support of 50 billion euros. This will strengthen 🇺🇦 in its fight for freedom. Excellent news for the security of #Latvia and all of Europe. 🇱🇻🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/YeXhRQ2nxG
— Evika Siliņa 🇱🇻🇺🇦 (@EvikaSilina) February 1, 2024
Deal reached on 50 billion euros in EU aid for Ukraine at summit in Brussels
Charles Michel, the European Council president, has announced that a deal has been reached on 50 billion euros for Ukraine.
“All 27 leaders agreed,” he said, adding that “this locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine.”
The agreement comes after the bloc’s most influential politicians sat down with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán this morning.
Orbán had vetoed an agreement during a summit in December, and efforts have been ongoing to bring him onboard.
Michel’s announcement indicates leaders succeeded in convincing the Hungarian leader.
We have a deal. #Unity
— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) February 1, 2024
All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50 billion support package for Ukraine within the EU budget.
This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for #Ukraine.
EU is taking leadership & responsibility in support for Ukraine; we know what is…
Updated
Agreement on Ukraine aid not certain at EU summit, says Orbán aid
Most EU member states are trying to “blackmail” Hungary in Brussels to approve a €50bn ($54bn) aid package to Ukraine, prime minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff said on Thursday, adding that a deal was not guaranteed.
“The prime minister conducts continuous discussions at the EU summit, we continue to strive to reach an agreement taking national interests into account, but it is not certain that this will happen,” Gergely Gulyas told a briefing, reports Reuters.
Updated
More attacks on Russian infrastructure likely, says Ukraine's spy chief
Ukraine’s spy chief on Thursday said Kyiv’s forces were planning to step up their attacks on Russian infrastructure sites, after a spate of drone strikes on Russian energy facilities this year, reports AFP.
“The number of attacks on Russian infrastructure is likely to increase,” Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence unit, said in a social media post.
“Hypothetically, there is a plan according to which all this is happening. I think that this plan may include all major critical and military infrastructure in Russia,” he added in a statement.
For months Ukraine did not comment publicly on drone strikes and other attacks on Russian territory that it was believed to be involved in. But in recent months its military agencies have begun to claim public responsibility for a series of drone attacks hundreds of kilometres behind the frontlines.
It calls the strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities “fair” retribution for Russia’s wave of attacks against its own energy infrastructure, says AFP.
Budanov’s comments come after a senior US diplomat said the Russian president Vladimir Putin should expect some “surprises on the battlefield”.
In Kyiv on Wednesday, Victoria Nuland, a US under secretary of state, said she was confident that “as Ukraine strengthens its defences, Mr Putin is going to get some nice surprises on the battlefield and that Ukraine will make some very strong success.”
Budanov also called on the US to deliver A-10 fighter jets – also known as Thunderbolts – to Ukraine to boost its offensive capabilities. “A-10 assault aircraft could significantly strengthen Ukraine’s frontline capabilities,” Budanov said.
Washington is Ukraine’s main supplier of weapons, but the latest multibillion-dollar package of support has been held up amid political wrangling in Congress.
Updated
A Ukrainian couple, held as prisoners of war by Russia, have been finally reunited, reports Reuters. The young couple were captured separately by Russians early in the war but are now back together in western Ukraine after release and reunion, says the news agency.
Illia Muzyka, a 29-year-old border guard in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, was captured soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion. He told Reuters he feared he would never see his fiancee again: “I did not know whether she had been or still was in captivity. I kept thinking so much that it messed with my head. I must have buried her a thousand times in my head.”
His fiancee, Alina Panina, was also taken as a prisoner of war (PoW) a few weeks later in the same city.
Muzyka and Panina have been together since 2019, having met through work. In 2021, they were posted to Mariupol’s busy commercial port as dog handlers, inspecting cargo with their spaniels, Jessie and Sonia.
When Russia invaded nearly two years ago, its forces quickly surrounded Mariupol, razing much of the city and turning it into the deadliest battleground of the conflict.
Panina and Muzyka told Reuters that they took up arms and were deployed to the Azovmash factory to defend it, but were separated on 10 April when Panina moved to a new location, taking both dogs with her. Two days later, Muzyka was captured by the Russians.
Speaking next to Muzyka at their home in Novovolynsk, in the far west of Ukraine, the 27-year-old said she was separated from the male fighters as well as from the two spaniels when she was taken prisoner on 17 May. Reuters could not independently verify their accounts.
Panina was released in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia in October 2022, not knowing what had happened to Muzyka. He was freed more than a year later on 3 January.
After Muzyka was freed, his first question to his father was where Panina was. When told she had been back home for more than a year, he said: “I was beside myself, overwhelmed by emotions.”
“We had waited for so long to speak, to embrace, to talk,” Panina added. “We were so happy.” Muzyka and Panina have decided to postpone their wedding. They had been planning to marry in March 2022, but Muzyka needs more time to recover.
They have a new spaniel, Roxy, who is a sniffer dog working with Panina in her new job as a customs guard in the western city of Lutsk.
Russia’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the accounts of Muzyka and Panina, say Reuters.
Ukrainian authorities estimate about 8,000 Ukrainians, both civilian and military, are being held captive by Russia. They say there have been about 50 exchanges involving about 3,000 people, mostly in the armed forces. Moscow does not provide overall figures on the number of Russians being held by Ukraine.
Updated
EU's chief diplomat calls for 'urgency' on Ukraine support at Brussels summit
The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, has said he wants to see a greater “sense of urgency” at today’s summit in relation to military support for Ukraine.
“I want to stress the war of Russia against Ukraine is the biggest threat to European security ... We can and we should do more to support Ukraine,” he said.
“This is the biggest threat to European security, that is why if we don’t do it, we will pay a higher price.
“My proposal is to increase the military support to Ukraine inside the European Peace Facility.
“I will urge them [the leaders] to reach an agreement as soon as possible because there is no more time.”
He added:
“We have in the next month to increase our military support to Ukraine as we have been doing by increasing the numbers of ammunition, but it is still not enough.
“More has to be done. I don’t think we have the sense of urgency when we deal with that. This is going to be an intense discussion.”
Updated
Russia incorporating former Wagner units into its national guard, says UK Ministry of Defence
The Russian national guard, a force also known as Rosgvardia, is incorporating three former Wagner assault detachments into its first volunteer corps formation, according to the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In its daily intelligence update posted on X, the MoD said that Russian president Vladimir Putin had signed a law on the 25 December last year, authorising the Russian national guard to form its own volunteer formations. Rosgvardia is often referred to as Putin’s “private army”.
The statement continues:
“Rosgvardia will likely deploy its new volunteer detachments to Ukraine and Africa. Rosgvardia is reportedly offering volunteers six- month contracts for service in Ukraine, and nine-month contracts for service in Africa.
The incorporation of former Wagner assault detachments into Rosgvardia’s volunteer corps highly likely indicates that Wagner has been successfully subordinated to Rosgvardia, increasing the Russian state’s command and control over the Wagner group.”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 01 February 2024.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) February 1, 2024
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/J67zk0ezE3 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/bMMsbx2CXL
Updated
Four injured in a Russia missile attack on Ukraine medical facility, says ministry
Ukraine said on Thursday that four people had been injured in a Russian missile attack on a medical facility in the eastern Kharkiv region, which has recently been under continuous bombardment.
According to news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), Kyiv also said Russian forces had launched four drones at Ukraine overnight and that air defence systems had downed two over Kharkiv.
The interior ministry said the missile attack late on Wednesday targeted a village near Kupiansk, a frontline town Russian forces have been trying to capture. “The facade of the two-story building of the medical institution, windows and roof were damaged,” it said in a statement, adding that four people were injured and that 38 people were evacuated.
Russia’s defence ministry meanwhile said air defences shot down 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight. “This night, an attempt by the Kyiv regime to commit a terrorist attack with aerial drones against sites on Russian territory was foiled,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Air defences intercepted and destroyed drones over the regions of Belgorod (four drones) and Kursk (one drone)", it added. About 03.30am (GMT), four more drones were shot down over the Belgorod region and two over the Voronezh region, according to the statement.
My colleague Lili Bayer is blogging all the developments from Brussels today, as a key summit of EU leaders meets in an attempt to unblock the Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán’s veto on Ukraine aid. She writes that diplomats expect a deal today:
Senior diplomats who spoke with the Guardian this morning were optimistic that a compromise could be reached on a funding package for Ukraine.
One senior diplomat said:
The mood is both of determination and frustration. The deal will be there in any event, just the question is how much Orbán wants to deepen his self-isolation.
Asked if Orbán would agree to a deal, a second senior diplomat said:
I think he will.
Petteri Orpo, the Finnish prime minister, said “we have [a] very important day today.”
We have very good solution from December between 26 member states. Today, best result would be the solution between 27. If it is not possible, we have to be ready to finalise the decision to help Ukraine and finalise our budget between 26 member states.
He added:
I want to say that we are ready to negotiate, but our values are not [for] sale – and we have to understand that the situation in Ukraine is so difficult, it is crucial to find a solution. And for me it’s unacceptable that one country can block such an important decision.
The Finnish leader stressed: “No one can blackmail 26 EU countries.”
Updated
North Korean delegation to visit Moscow, say Russian lawmaker
A North Korean delegation will visit the lower house of Russia’s parliament on 13 February, state news agency RIA quoted a deputy from the opposition Communist party as saying on Thursday.
According to Reuters, lawmaker Kazbek Taysaev also said that a Russian parliamentary delegation planned to travel to North Korea in March.
Russia has stepped up ties with North Korea and other countries hostile to the US such as Iran since the start of the war with Ukraine – relations that are a source of concern to the west.
Russian president Vladimir Putin last year accepted Kim Jong-un’s invitation to visit North Korea, though the date of the trip is still unclear. The Kremlin said last month that a Putin visit would take place in the foreseeable future.
The US has accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells and missiles used in the Ukraine war. Both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the US accusations, but vowed last year to deepen military relations.
EU leaders have returned to Brussels for a second showdown in two months with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán over his refusal to sanction a new €50bn assistance package for Ukraine. Lisa O’Carroll reports from Brussels, and Lili Bayer will blog all the developments:
A mixture of frustration and anger prevailed in the city as leaders arrived for dinner on Wednesday night on the eve of the emergency summit, with aides lamenting the failure of the Hungarian PM to shift position since December, when he first blocked the funds. “We are really at a crossroads,” said one EU official.
Diplomats in Brussels stress that Ukraine will not run out of funding for military equipment and ammunition as this comes through individual member states through the European Peace Facility. But they are worried about liquidity in the Ukrainian economy and the signal a lack of unity will give to Putin.
Efforts to persuade Orbán to budge have redoubled in the past 24 hours, with representatives of the other 26 EU states agreeing to insert a compromise paragraph in the draft text of the agreement being sought at the summit on the budget.
Summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the war in Ukraine for Thursday 1 February 2023. Here are the top lines:
Ukraine has reportedly carried out heavy missile strikes on military targets in Crimea including the Balbek airfield used by occupying Russian forces, with possible losses of Russian aircraft and personnel. Ukrainian news outlets citing military sources said Scalp and Storm Shadow missiles were used in the attacks on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s air force commander, General Mykola Oleshchuk, acknowledged the Balbek attack, sharing online a video of an explosion and calling it a “cleansing of Crimea from the Russian presence”. A Russian military radar was hit earlier in apparent preparation for the Crimea attacks.
US legislation for more aid to Ukraine will probably be split from a $110bn “national security” package that also covers US-Mexico border security, the Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has told visiting speakers from the Baltic countries, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
The US president, Joe Biden, has continued to use presidential powers to work around the Republican blockade. His secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has notified the Greek government that the US will transfer to Greece’s military surplus equipment including C-130 planes; 60 Bradley armoured fighting vehicles which are prized by the Ukrainians; ships; trucks; and other equipment. There is an agreement that Greece will make an equivalent transfer of equipment to Ukraine, according to Greek media reports.
A Russian bomb struck a hospital in Velykyi Burluk, north-east of Kharkiv, on Wednesday, smashing windows and equipment and prompting the evacuation of dozens of patients, regional officials said.
Russia and Ukraine have conducted a major prisoner of war exchange, one week after a previous swap was shelved when a Russian Il-76 transport plane was shot down. Russia and Ukraine both said that about 200 prisoners were exchanged on Wednesday, although their exact figures differed. Russia has produced no proof for its claim that the plane shot down last week contained Ukrainian PoW.
The EU expects to reach 52% of its target to send 1m rounds of shells to Ukraine by March this year and plans to train another 20,000 soldiers, said the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell.
Olaf Scholz and four other European leaders admitted that the EU had “fallen short” of its goals to supply Ukraine with artillery ammunition on the eve of an emergency EU summit of EU leaders designed to break the deadlock between member states and Hungary’s Putin-allied Viktor Orbán over a €50bn aid package.
The international court of justice (ICJ) has found Russia violated some parts of a UN anti-terrorism treaty by not investigating financial support for separatist groups in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The top UN court declined to rule specifically on alleged Russian responsibility for shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014. The ICJ ruled that Russia violated the UN anti-discrimination treaty by failing to protect education in the Ukrainian language in Crimea.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said Russian troops were holding ground on the outskirts of the east Ukrainian industrial town of Avdiivka. Russian troops have failed to take the town in repeated and extremely bloody attempts that have cost Russia thousands of casualties and hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles.
Ukraine claimed to have carried out another drone attack on an oil facility deep inside Russian territory, according to a military intelligence source.
Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told military manufacturers to “stop fooling around” and further increase the production of self-propelled artillery systems during a visit to arms-producing factories in the Urals.
Putin will visit Nato member Turkey to meet its president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on 12 February, a Turkish official has said. Because of an international criminal court (ICC) warrant for war crimes, Putin can’t travel to many places abroad, but Turkey does not recognise the ICC.
