Following rumors of the postponement of the Russia-Ukraine meeting in Abu Dhabi, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky announced that representatives of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine will meet in Abu Dhabi on February 4 and 5, not February 1. The reason for the postponement is unclear.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting will focus on security issues and upcoming direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow. “Russia maintains its position that if Zelenskyy wants talks with Putin, they should take place in Moscow. The Ukrainian agreement is a complex and multifaceted process. Some issues have been resolved, while others remain unresolved; Dmitriev leads a working group on economic cooperation, and these issues are primarily his responsibility. At this time, there are no details on the organization of contacts between Putin and Macron.”
The United States hosted Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Investment Fund, in Miami on January 31. “The talks were productive,” said Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East, regarding his meeting with Dmitriev. The United States is encouraged by Russia’s efforts to achieve peace in the Ukrainian conflict. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner; and Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum attended the talks on behalf of the United States, he added.
Concluding a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine will only be the first step toward resolving the conflict, said US Permanent Representative to NATO, Matthew Whitaker. “A peace agreement, which is ultimately the first step, is very complex. It involves territories, defining borders, controlling them, and monitoring the ceasefire,” Whitaker said in an interview with Fox News. Previously, the US Ambassador to NATO stated that it will be clear in the coming “weeks or days” whether Russia and Ukraine can find a compromise solution to the territorial issue.
The United Kingdom has taken action against the Russian cargo ship Sinegorsk, suspected of sabotaging an undersea cable. The Royal Navy towed the vessel after it anchored near several transatlantic communications cables. The High Court of England and Wales has ordered billionaire Vladimir Potanin to find and disclose documents related to the allegations against Russia. Vedomosti learned from the case documents that Potanin himself was accused of violating the Norilsk Nickel shareholders’ agreement. Potanin himself will have to identify the specific documents subject to disclosure during the search. Rusal holds a 26.39% stake in Norilsk Nickel, while Potanin holds a 37% stake through Interros and his position as chairman.
The European Union is considering abolishing the price cap on Russian oil and replacing it with a ban on shipping services as part of its sanctions package, according to Bloomberg. “European countries must be able to engage in direct dialogue with Russia,” says French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. He believes such dialogue should be conducted “provided it is beneficial and transparent for Ukraine and its European partners.” Barrot added: “France has never ruled out the possibility of dialogue with Russia.”
Sweden is preparing a large-scale aid package for Ukraine, which will include air defense systems and radars manufactured by Saab, as well as contributions to the Ukrainian defense industry: additional electronic warfare systems and drones, including deep-attack drones. This was reported by the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Without mobilization and the Transport and Communications Center, the front line in Ukraine could already run along the Dnieper. The army needs reinforcements, says Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Pavlo Palisa. Furthermore, Ukrainian press sources claim that eleven heads of regional SBU departments are expected to be replaced in the near future. Meanwhile, Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, have been ordered to stock up on essential goods in anticipation of possible power outages: “essential goods such as bread, water, hygiene products, and baby food. People must also be able to pay in cash.”
Arms deliveries to Ukraine continue. On January 31, an Antonov An-124 and two Boeing 747 transport aircraft are expected at Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport. And despite the incoming shipments: “Ukraine has no air defense missiles: some systems are sometimes ‘empty’ during attacks,” says Ignat. According to the head of the to Air Force Command communications, during a recent attack, the NASAMS system had only two missiles instead of six. Ignat noted that the problem is exacerbated by Russian tactics: massive, simultaneous attacks with a large number of missiles and drones on a single city or region, meaning air defense systems don’t always have time to recharge.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov held a meeting with NATO representatives, during which the parties agreed on key areas for further cooperation, particularly strengthening air defense and developing modern weapons.
According to Zelenskyy, in January, Russia launched more than 6,000 attack drones, approximately 5,500 guided bombs, and 158 missiles against Ukraine. This week, Russia used more than 980 attack drones, nearly 1,100 guided bombs, and two missiles against Ukraine. Regarding the elections, Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Sometimes I think about running for president again, but it depends on how the war ends.”
Ukraine has also received electrical equipment with a total capacity equal to that of a nuclear power plant, said Dmytro Kuleba. Apparently, these are generators with a total capacity of 1 GW.
Also on January 31, according to DTEK, power companies restored power to Kiev’s critical infrastructure and are working to restore service to residential consumers. The restoration of power is being carried out in phases to avoid overloads and further outages. The situation worsened again on February 2: “This morning, a mass blackout occurred in Ukraine due to a serious technological failure in the power grid,” announced the country’s Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal.
According to him, at 10:42 a.m., the 400-kV power line between the Romanian and Moldovan power systems and the 750-kV line connecting western and central Ukraine were simultaneously interrupted. “This led to a cascading outage of the Ukrainian power grid and the activation of automatic protection systems in substations. Nuclear power plant units were deactivated. Dispatchers are currently using special emergency shutdown programs in Kyiv and the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions,” he stated.
At the same time, the Energy Ministry, citing expert forecasts, noted that electricity supply in Ukraine could be restored within the next two to three hours. According to the DTEK company, there were Russian attacks on energy infrastructure during the truce, but President Zelensky stated: “There were no targeted attacks by Russian missiles or shahids on energy infrastructure.”
Zelensky also said: “Resolving territorial issues in Ukraine is impossible without direct contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” he said in an interview with Český rozhlas (Czech Radio). “Talks between Putin and Zelensky are only possible in Moscow,” Peskov commented. Regarding the peace agreement with Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told RIA Novosti: “The deployment of Western troops in Ukraine is unacceptable.” “We have stated that this is unacceptable—no NATO membership and no foreign forces. It makes no difference whether, for example, a French corporal wears a cap with the inscription ‘NATO’ or ‘EU’. This doesn’t change the situation. Therefore, we have not deviated from our position,” the agency’s source explained.
On January 30, Russian forces bombarded railway infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region throughout the day. Yesterday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Sviridenko reported that the Russian forces had carried out seven drone strikes against railway infrastructure in the past 24 hours.
Vladimir Putin said at a press briefing: “Russia will expand military-technological cooperation; Similar projects are being implemented or developed with 14 countries.
On February 1, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu flew to Beijing, significantly, aboard an Il-96-400 RA-96102 of the Russian Aerospace Forces, not a government air squadron. Suspected of secretly supplying equipment to the Russian defense industry, five people were arrested in the state of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany on charges of illegally supplying goods to Russia in violation of the embargo. According to the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the group operated secretly and supplied Russian industry, including defense companies.
According to investigators, approximately 16,000 deliveries to Russia were organized through a company in Lübeck. The total value of the transactions is estimated at at least €30 million. Those arrested include a Russian-German citizen, the company’s CEO, two German citizens, and a man with German and Ukrainian citizenship. The last person arrested is also a German and Russian citizen.
The Russian government has introduced a new temporary ban on the export of gasoline, diesel, and other fuels. The ban will be in effect until July 31, 2026. It will not apply to direct producers of petroleum products, in order to prevent excess inventories in oil companies’ production capacities. The decision is aimed at maintaining the stability of the domestic fuel market.
FSB officers foiled an attack on the building of the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, organized by the Ukrainian intelligence services, the FSB Public Relations Center reported.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:30 PM on February 2. The Russian military is conducting a large-scale offensive in the Sumy region, increasing the size of its forces in this direction monthly, according to Ukrainian media reports citing intelligence sources. The main line of attack remains the Russian-occupied territory between the villages of Oleksiivka, Yablunivka, and Yunakivka.
On February 1, 61 fixed-wing drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were shot down. During the night, a raid in Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, resulted in drone explosions that damaged property and injured one person. In Rostov Oblast, drones were destroyed in the districts of Millerovsky and Chertkovsky. In the evening, a battle broke out between Ukrainian and Russian drones near Crimea, and in the Krasnodar Krai, several homes were damaged in the villages of Trudobelikovsky, Slavyansk-na-Kuban, and Afipsky.
Russian Geran missiles were operational in the Dnipropetrovsk region, with a missile attack reported on a coal mine. Information was received of an attack on a distribution substation junction between the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions. From the Cherkasy region, reports were received of a massive drone attack on the Kaniv hydroelectric power plant and power plants.
The term “safety zone in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions” was introduced in official communications by the Russian Northern Group of Forces, replacing the term “buffer zone.” Kupyansk is increasingly destroyed. Heavy fighting continues in the direction of Sumy; Ukrainian forces have not launched a counterattack and are transferring reinforcements in the form of Ukrainian Border Guard reserves from the Chernihiv region.
In the Kursk region, debris fell and damaged residential buildings in one of the Kursk neighborhoods.
In the Belgorod region, Ukrainian drone launches and a rocket killed one person and injured seven others. The following targets were attacked: Otradnoye, Oktyabrsky, Malomikhailovka, Bondarenkov, Krasnaya Yaruga, and Ilek-Penkovka.
In the direction of Kharkiv, the Northern Group of Forces reported the capture of the village of Zelene. Fighting is ongoing on all sectors of the front, with Russian troops maintaining the initiative in the area of Starytsya, Semenivka, the villages of Vovchans’ki Khutory, and the Khatnje sector.
In eastern Zaporizhia Oblast, the Russian Vostok Group of Forces repelled seven counterattacks by individual Ukrainian infantry assault groups.
On the Zaporizhia front, small Ukrainian groups are still present in Malaya Tokmachka; the village is in the gray zone. According to Russian social media sources: “Without Russian forces taking the adjacent heights, there is no point in returning to the village.”
Graziella Giangiulio
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