The UN has determined that, unlike Greenland, the principle of self-determination of peoples does not apply to Crimea and Donbass. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated this in response to the Russian request.
Donald Trump once again accused the European Union: “Europe is destroying itself with stupid windmills… Europe better show common sense, because it has been destroyed by immigration and energy. It is unrecognizable.” He added: “I personally asked Putin not to bomb Kiev and other cities for a week because of the severe cold wave in Ukraine, and Putin agreed.”
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas: “Today, the EU has blacklisted Russia due to the risk of money laundering. This will slow down and increase the cost of transactions with Russian banks.” The EU has imposed sanctions on journalists Dmitry Guberniev, Pavel Zarubin, and Ekaterina Andreeva, according to the Council of the EU.
Germany has donated two cogeneration units and generators to Ukraine for Kyiv’s needs. The aid was provided by the German government as part of the winter emergency support package, which has been increased to €120 million. “This will help provide electricity and heating to over 86,000 people in Kyiv, as well as heat homes, hospitals, kindergartens, and schools. The equipment is already operational,” said Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko: “Another 41 cogeneration units with a total capacity of 40.8 MW and 76 modular thermal power plants will soon arrive in Ukraine.”
According to Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Palis: “Russia wants to reach the administrative borders of Donbass by April.” Furthermore, “the Russians want to create buffer zones in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions and create the conditions for successful operation in the Zaporizhia region.” The deadlines have been postponed a million times. “Personally, I don’t see Russia’s ability to complete this task in time,” Palisa believes.
Lviv is preparing for the emergency: residents are urged to stock up on food, water, and medicine in advance. According to Mayor Sadovyi, measures are being intensified due to freezing temperatures and possible bombings. City officials are asking residents not to empty radiators during temporary heating outages. They are also advised to check shelters and charge power banks and charging stations in advance.
“The SBU has achieved good results in countering Russian operations against our state,” Zelenskyy said after the report by SBU First Deputy Chairman Oleksandr Poklad. An “energy ceasefire” was discussed during the UAE talks: we expect the agreements to be implemented, Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president also said: “There have been no direct negotiations or direct agreements between us and Russia to stop attacks on energy facilities. “We will not surrender Donbass and the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.” Zelensky stated that he intends to sign security guarantees before a final decision is made to end the war. He noted that a simple declaration by the “coalition of the willing” about their willingness to send troops to Ukraine is insufficient, as the parliaments of these countries have not approved it.
Finally, Zelensky did not rule out the possibility of the next meeting between Ukraine and Russia being postponed. “I don’t know when the next meeting will be held. It was supposed to be on Sunday. We agreed that the meeting will be held in Abu Dhabi. And it is very important for us that all participants are present, because everyone is waiting for feedback. But the date or location could be changed. Because, in our opinion, something is happening with America and Iran. And these situations could likely influence the date,” the Ukrainian president said.
Russia has made every effort to carry out Starlink drone strikes on logistics in the Boguslav-Petropavlivka area, according to “Flash,” an advisor to the Ukrainian Defense Minister. There were several dozen attacks throughout the day, including one on a bus carrying passengers. He noted that Fedorov has personally taken control of the matter.
The number of Ukrainians scheduled for mobilization has increased by 300,000 in a year, according to Economy Minister Sobolev.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: “Russia does not know what security guarantees have been agreed between Washington and Kiev.” “Moscow will assess real agreements, not ‘public games,'” the minister emphasized. “The ceasefire requested by Zelenskyy is unacceptable for Russia,” Lavrov said in an interview with Turkish media.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in an interview with TASS: “Russia is still discussing negotiations with Zelenskyy in Moscow; “Talking about another venue for negotiations is inappropriate.” He noted that the negotiations in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on Ukraine are not a continuation of each other; they are fundamentally different. “There was no reaction from Zelenskyy to the repeated invitation to Moscow for talks,” Peskov added.
Russia agreed to refrain from attacks against Ukraine until February 1 in response to Trump’s request, to create favorable conditions for negotiations, Peskov continued in an interview with another broadcaster. “Trump actually personally asked Putin to refrain from attacks against Ukraine for a week.” Peskov recalled that it was Zelensky who requested a meeting with Putin: “Putin has not actively invited Zelensky anywhere and has not offered him any meeting… Zelensky, in fact, is initiating the meeting. And in response, President Putin told him that yes, we are ready, but only in Moscow. It is very important to remember this.”
According to a Kremlin spokesman: “Moscow considers the conclusions of the UN Secretary General, who declared the right to self-determination inapplicable in the situation in Crimea and Donbass, to be profoundly flawed.”
Russian presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov denied reports that the only unresolved issue in the Ukrainian peace process is territorial. Previously, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that negotiators to resolve the conflict in Ukraine have not yet resolved the territorial issue.
The Russian Supreme Court has introduced a bill in the State Duma that would equate one day of judicial work in the DPR, LPR, and Zaporizhia and Kherson regions to two days of service.
The FSB has arrested a man who was planning to assassinate a Russian soldier on behalf of the Ukrainian secret services in St. Petersburg. A Makarov pistol with a silencer and loaded with ammunition was confiscated. According to the department, the suspect communicated with a recruiter. via instant messaging and declared himself ready to commit a terrorist attack. He received a firearm from his trainer and managed to conduct reconnaissance at the soldier’s home in preparation for the assassination. “A criminal case has been opened under the article on participation in the activities of a terrorist organization.”
Bloomberg reported based on a forecast from the Russian Ministry of Economy: “The growth of Russia’s defense industries is expected to slow significantly next year, and the Kremlin will likely focus on stabilizing the economy. Defense industry growth is forecast at 4-5% in 2026, down from around 30% in recent years.
Vladimir Nikitin, head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s representative office in St. Petersburg, has been arrested in connection with a particularly large-scale corruption case, the FSB says. The bribe was reportedly received by “a representative of a commercial organization for the unimpeded signing of documents” related to the acceptance of an electronic component base used under a state defense contract.
The Russian Finance Ministry is developing measures to support diamond cutters, specifically preparing a decree proposing the introduction of duties on the export of rough diamonds, Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseyev said.
And now a look at the front line, updated at 3:00 PM on January 30. Russian forces deployed Geran missiles last night only against frontline Ukrainian regions. Ukrainian UAVs were shot down in the Rostov and Kherson regions, as well as in Crimea. This move is likely intended to demonstrate to the Americans the ability of both sides to reach an agreement through negotiation.
In the Bryansk region, Ukrainian forces attacked the village of Novy Ropsk, in the Klimovsky district, with FPV drones, resulting in one injury.
In the direction of Sumy, the Northern Group of Forces reported the liberation of the village of Bila Bereza. Ukrainian forces deployed the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, which launched two counterattacks on Severian’s positions south of Yunakivka, but was unable to gain success and retreated to its original positions with losses. In the Tetkino and Glushkovsky sectors of the front, artillery and TOS forces are attacking the border towns of Ryzhivka and Iskryskivshchyna.
In the Belgorod region, an enemy drone struck a hospital in Grayvoron, killing one person. Earlier, in the same city, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone struck a car, wounding two people.
In the Kharkiv sector, the Sever Group of Forces continues its tactical advance, with fighting along the same sectors of the front. Among other units, Ukrainian units have redeployed personnel from the 17th Special Center of the Main Directorate of the Military Police Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In the Kupyansk sector, Ukrainian Armed Forces from Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi released a video of a Ukrainian commander walking through the city center. Meanwhile, on the eastern bank of the Oskil River, Russian units have begun gradually retaking the positions taken by the Ukrainians in recent days, despite general supply problems.
In the Slovyansk sector, fighting is ongoing near Nykyforivka and Riznykivka. Ukrainian forces are counterattacking near Zakitne.
Units of the Eastern Group of Forces have repelled 10 Ukrainian counterattack attempts from the directions of Rizdvyanka, Vozdvyzhivka, and Staroukrainka. According to Russian social media sources, “Ukrainian forces have suffered losses.” Footage has emerged of an attack on Ukrainian forces near Balochky, in the Polohivs’kyi district, which may indicate an attempt by Ukrainian infantry to infiltrate this area as well. Overall, despite attempts to block the Russian advance with daily counterattacks, Far Eastern troops are advancing westward, fighting.
On the Zaporizhia front, fighting continues in Prymors’ke and near the villages near Luk’yanivs’ke for access to Zaporizhia in the near future. Numerous drones from both sides are visible in the sky. Russian forces have struck industrial infrastructure in Zaporizhia, says the head of the regional administration, Fedorov.
Russians from the front line say they have captured a key enemy defensive position on the western bank of the Haichur River near Ternuvate.
Graziella Giangiulio
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