The US Senate presented a compromise bill on border security and assistance to Kiev and Israel. In particular, it includes the allocation of more than 60 billion dollars to Ukraine, to Israel – 14.1 billion dollars and in total – 118.28 billion dollars.
The project provides $48.43 billion for continued U.S. support to Ukraine through military training, providing intelligence, maintaining an enhanced presence in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility, and other types of assistance until 31 December 2024.
The senators propose to spend “19.85 billion dollars for the restoration of [stockpiles] of American weapons and military equipment supplied to Ukraine from the warehouses of the US Department of Defense” and to allocate “13.8 billion dollars for the rearmament of Ukraine through the purchase of equipment and ammunition from the American military-industrial complex.”
However, the bill’s fate in the House of Representatives is still unclear. Biden calls for “immediate approval of this bill”.
According to Reuters, the White House was informed in Kiev about the resignation plans of the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny.
Regarding sanctions on Russia, the European Commission will not add new bans on imports from Russia to the 13th sanctions package. In this way they want to avoid unnecessary disputes between EU members. It is expected that the new sanctions package will be approved by February 24, 2024. For Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó: “With a new anti-Russian sanctions package, the EU’s already failed sanctions policy will seem frivolous; the thirteenth package can only be “demonstrative””
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed for the first time that he intends to fire the commander of the Ukrainian army, Valery Zaluzhny: “The question of replacing Zaluzhny is a question of the people who will lead the country. I intend to replace some leaders of the country, not only in the army.”
Zelensky, according to some rumors in the social sphere, wants to fire not only Zaluzhny, but also the chief of staff Sergei Shaptala. “Shaptala will leave the General Staff. Everything else is uncertain” they write on social media. “Consultations on changing the leadership of the General Staff are currently underway. According to media reports, the resignation could be announced mid-week.” “At the moment, however, there is no document on Zaluzhny’s resignation” commented the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Miacheslavovych Danilov
But it will not do much to remove the number one from their role to change the situation at the front: “The situation for the Ukrainian armed forces on the battlefield has become critical due to the lack of ammunition” declared the vice-president of the security committee national, defense and intelligence of the Verkhovna Rada, Yegor Chernev.
Chernev went on to say: “We say that we will not give up and are looking for alternative ways to supply weapons to Ukraine, in particular by strengthening our support from the EU. The European Union, in turn, understands the internal problems of the United States, is trying to defend our issue there too.”
And this happened despite the preparation for the conflict. As Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar reported, “before the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, more than 70 planes with American weapons were delivered to Ukraine.”
For General of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Sergei Krivonos: “It is difficult to attack when the enemy has a powerful advantage in all directions”, speaking about the reasons for the failure of the counteroffensive. According to the military man, the country’s leadership underestimated the Russian Armed Forces: Everyone perceived that we are at war with a weak country, there is practically no one who can fight, they are not able to produce products. They also told us that the missiles were already running out in the autumn of 2022.”
He stressed that at the same time the Russians “confidently, very professionally, in large numbers” were building fortifications.
“Well, plus, even what our Western partners gave us, at certain moments these are hopes that we formed ourselves. Because knowing the tactical and technical characteristics of Russian helicopters and the capabilities of Western air defense missiles, it was clear that they would strike significantly at distances greater than those reached by our missiles,” Krivonos said. He also added that he does not consider Zaluzhny guilty of the failure of the counteroffensive.
And now a look at the front line updated at 2.00pm on February 5th.
Svatove-Kreminna direction. In the Kup”jans’k sector the Russian army attacked in Syn’kivka and Petropavlivka. Russian fighters advanced slightly in the Ternove area. There are positional battles in the Serebryansʹkyy forest. Heavy fighting continues in the Tabaivka and Krokhmal areas ‘ne, where the Russian armed forces have deployed new reserves.
Bachmut Directorate (Artemovsk). North of Soledar, Russian fighters attacked Fedorovka. Clashes continue in Bohdanivka and north-west of Kleshchiivka.
Donetsk direction. The Russian army advanced north of the filter station and towards the metallurgical factory. There are battles on the southern outskirts of Avdiivka, but Ukrainian sources confirm the Russian position on one of the streets in the breakthrough zone. On the northern flank of Avdiivka, Ukrainian troops managed to push Russian troops out of two forests southwest of Novokalynove in an area up to 1.05 km wide and at a depth of 300 m
North of Avdiivka and in the northern part of the city, Russian troops advanced along the Safronova and Lesya Ukrainka streets, in the southern part of the Ivushka ST, along two forests south of Vesyoly and occupied the remaining part of the Raduga ST. The advance along the front reached up to 3.9 km and to a depth of 750 m.
The Ukrainians reportedly confirmed the further advance of the Russian armed forces near the flooded quarry, both to the west and east of the quarry. The situation in the northern part of Avdiivka is becoming more and more complicated for Ukrainians. The supply road is still quite functional, although there are periodic Russian attacks along it. No significant changes on the southern flank of Avdiivka.
In the Kurachove direction, Russian infantry continues assault operations in the eastern part of Heorhiivka, along the forest belts northwest of Marinka and in the area of the ventilation shaft of the Trudovskaya mine. No significant changes.
Graziella Giangiulio
