Live blog: Russia 'destroys' 20 Ukrainian missiles over Black Sea, Crimea

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

1702 GMT –– Russia has said it destroyed 20 missiles launched by Ukraine over the Black Sea and the Crimea peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014.

"Air defence on duty destroyed 17 Ukrainian missiles over the Black Sea and another three over the Crimea peninsula," the Russian Defence Ministry said on social media.

The ministry added that debris from a missile fell near Lyubimovka", a northern suburb of the city of Sevastopol.

The Moscow-affiliated governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, earlier said air defence was working over the city.

He said debris fell "around Federovskaya Street in a private sector", but added there were no casualties.

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1714 GMT –– Yellen to EU: Biden is committed to Ukraine budget funding

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has reassured top European Union officials that the Biden administration was "firmly committed" to its request for Congress to approve $11.8 billion in budget aid for Ukraine.

"Congress must act quickly to provide support to Ukraine, including through direct budget assistance," Yellen said at the start of a bilateral meeting with EU executive vice presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis in Washington.

"Failure to act would hand a victory to President Putin and have unthinkable consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for our collective security," Yellen said, adding: "Simply put, we cannot allow Ukraine to run out of money before it runs out of ammunition."

1659 GMT –– Ukraine hits airfield in Russia-occupied Crimea: commander

The Ukrainian military has struck Belbek military airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea, Ukraine's Air Force commander said.

In his post on Telegram, Mykola Oleshchuk thanked the military for conducting the operation.

"Ukrainian aviators will definitely return to their home airfield," he said and posted a video from social media of the claimed strike.

1635 GMT –– EU will only supply half of promised shells to Ukraine by March: Borrell

Speaking after an EU defence ministers' meeting in Brussels, the bloc's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, has said around 52 percent of the promised rounds would be delivered by March, with the original target to be reached by the end of the year.

The target was set in response to Ukraine's need for 155-mm artillery shells, which have become a key element in its fight against Russia.

"There was some initial inertia, but then once things get set in motion, they can speed up," Borrell said by way of explanation as to why the EU will not meet its own deadline.

The production capacity for artillery shells in Europe has gone up 40 percent since the start of the war and is expected to reach 1.4 million rounds a year by the end of 2024, Borrell said.

1546 GMT –– Turkish, Ukrainian ministers discuss reconstruction of Ukraine

Türkiye's Trade Minister Omer Bolat, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu, and Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov have come together at an event titled Forum on the Reconstruction of Ukraine.

During the meeting, officials discussed the role of Türkiye in the reconstruction process, according to Bolat's statement on social media platform X.

"The experience gained from the successful projects undertaken by Turkish contractors in various regions of the world to date will be a cornerstone of the collaboration between the two countries, particularly in the reconstruction of Ukraine's damaged infrastructure and superstructure," he said.

1506 GMT –– Ukraine's ground commander declined offer to replace his boss as army chief: source

Ukraine's ground forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi was offered the job of replacing his boss Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as commander of the armed forces, but declined, a source familiar with the matter has said.

The source, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, was unable to say exactly how or when the job offer was communicated to Syrskyi.

1458 GMT –– Ukraine stages new drone attack on Russian oil refinery: Kiev

Ukraine has carried out another drone attack on an oil facility deep inside Russian territory, a military intelligence source in Kiev said.

The claim comes after the governor of Saint Petersburg said there had been a loud blast at an industrial site outside the northern city.

Local media meanwhile reported that S-400 missiles systems had shot at a drone that crashed on an oil storage facility in the Nevsky district.

"It was a GUR operation," the source said referring to Ukraine's military intelligence services. The source said the target was used for "military purposes".

1408 GMT –– Putin: Ukraine shot down military transport plane with US Patriot missile system

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that an Il-76 military transport plane downed in the Belgorod region last week had been struck with missiles fired from a US-supplied Patriot air defence system.

Putin also said that Russia wanted an international investigation into the incident.

1313 GMT –– Rumours of army chief's exit show Ukraine discord: Moscow

Russia has claimed that Ukraine's leaders were divided after Zelenskyy reportedly tried to pressure his Armed Forces Chief Valery Zaluzhny to stand down.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow that reports of the attempted dismissal exposed "growing differences" between Ukraine's civilian and military leadership.

Various reports suggested Zaluzhny would be replaced by Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence.

Zelenskyy's office has denied it planned to remove Zaluzhny and the country's Defence Ministry said the reports were "not true" in a post on social media.

1310 GMT –– Russia and Ukraine exchange over 400 POWs

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, just a week after Moscow said Kiev had shot down a plane carrying dozens of captured Ukrainian soldiers.

Russia's Defence Ministry said 195 of its soldiers were freed, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 207 people –– both soldiers and civilians ––had returned to Ukraine.

"Our people are back. 207 of them. We return them home no matter what," Zelenskyy said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defence Ministry said "195 Russian servicemen... were returned home".

It added that the personnel were provided with the “necessary medical and psychological assistance.”

1226 GMT –– West slammed for creating war hysteria in Europe against Russia

At a press conference in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has urged the West to stop accusing Russia of planning a war in Europe.

Zakharova blamed NATO countries for launching a slew of new myths and frightening stories about the inevitability of a fresh conflict.

"As we can see, Washington-influenced political and public figures in the NATO and EU countries have actively begun to speak in the last few weeks about the need to prepare either for a war with our country or a conflict, another round of tension," she said.

1110 GMT –– EU leaders propose annual debates on Ukraine aid

European Union leaders to propose holding an annual debate on a planned $54 billion (50 billion euro) aid package for Ukraine to overcome opposition from Hungary, according to draft summit conclusions.

The EU aid is to help cover Ukraine's needs for 2024-2027, with 33 billion euros in cheap loans and 17 billion in grants from the EU budget to give Kiev stable financing as it fights off Russia's military campaign.

Hungary has been pushing for an annual review that would give it the right to veto the disbursements every year. This goes against the idea of predictable funding and other EU countries reject it, but if the money is to come from the EU budget, it requires unanimity among the 27 EU countries, so Hungarian consent is necessary.

In the latest version of the draft summit conclusions, seen by the Reuters news agency, EU leaders say they could hold yearly debates on how the EU money is being spent by Ukraine, based on reports by the European Commission.

This would not give Hungary a right to veto the money, but it could air concerns.

1105 GMT –– Russian parliament adopts bill on seizing property of those who ‘discredit' military

According to the Russian parliament (known as State Duma) statement, lawmakers have unanimously adopted a bill that will provide for the confiscation of property and deprivation of honorary titles for "activities directed against the country, as well as for public insults and discrediting the army."

Chairman State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said on Telegram that the “absolute majority” supports punishing those who are “pouring dirt on our country, soldiers and officers” from outside the country, as well as those who support and finance Ukraine.

“The adopted decision will make it possible to punish those who conduct activities against their country," Volodin said, adding that it will also strip them of their honorary titles and confiscate their property, money, and other valuables in Russia.

1056 GMT –– Russia sees NATO as a 'threat': Kremlin

Russia views NATO as a "threat" and is taking measures to deal with it, the Kremlin said when asked about the alliance's large-scale military drills.

"Of course, it is a threat to us, that is how we treat it, and we are constantly taking appropriate measures to deal with it," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"The alliance has been moving its military infrastructure towards our borders for several decades without ceasing," he told reporters when asked about the drills.

Some 90,000 troops will take part in the NATO military alliance's Steadfast Defender 24 exercise, the biggest since the 1988 Reforger drill during the Cold War.

0849 GMT –– Scholz leads plea for EU to boost Ukraine arms supplies

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined four other European leaders in urging EU countries to boost efforts to provide crucially needed weapons for Ukraine to resist the Russian offensive.

The leaders, in a letter published in the Financial Times a day before an EU summit, admitted that the EU had "fallen short" of a pledge to supply Ukraine with a million artillery rounds by the end of March.

"But we can't just give up on our promise," wrote Scholz, Denmark's Mette Frederiksen, Czechia's Petr Fiala, Estonia's Kaja Kallas and the Netherlands' Mark Rutte.

"We must renew our resolve and redouble our efforts in order to ensure that we sustain our support for as long as it takes," they urged.

As orders placed now would only be delivered next year, the leaders underlined that it was crucial to find ways to accelerate the supplies of promised artillery rounds -- through donation of existing stocks or joint procurement.

"The burden is so great that all states need to do everything they can to support Ukraine –– it must continue to be a collective effort," they wrote, underlining that it was a "question of life and death" for Ukrainian soldiers.

0832 GMT –– Ukraine’s military intel claims it shut down Russian Defence Ministry server

Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed that it shut down a server of the Russian Defence Ministry in a cyberattack.

A statement by Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR) late Tuesday said that the attack “disrupted” what it called the Russian Defense Ministry’s server “used for special communication.” 


The HUR claimed that the information exchange between units of the Russian Defense Ministry stopped, which used a specified server located in Moscow.

“The software on the attacked server was approved by the FSB (Federal Security Service) of the Russian Federation as meeting state information protection standards,” it further said.


It also said that the software was installed at various “strategic facilities” of the Russian public sector, particularly military ones, adding that the cyberattack is “ongoing.”


Russian authorities have not yet commented on the cyberattack.

0744 GMT –– Two killed by Ukraine drone in Donetsk: Moscow-backed official

At least two civilians have died in the latest exchange of overnight aerial attacks between Russia and Ukraine, officials on both sides have said.

Ukraine has been under persistent aerial bombardment by Russian forces for nearly two years and has appealed to allies in the West to bolster its defensive systems.

In recent months, it has upped drone attacks against Russian territory, mainly targeting border regions, but also the capital Moscow and the northern city of Saint Petersburg.

The pro-Russia mayor of the town of Gorlivka in Donetsk, one of the Ukrainian regions that Russia have illegally annexed, said that two civilians died and one was wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack.

0723 GMT — Ukraine needs more ammunition – EU's Borrell

Ukraine needs more ammunition, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said ahead of a meeting with EU defence ministers in Brussels.

"We have to show that our clear commitment with Ukraine remains and continues," he said.

The EU foreign policy chief added that it is important to clarify the situation and "know where we are now, where we will be by March and by the end of the year."

0621 GMT — Ukraine downs 14 out of 20 Russian drones over 5 regions in south, east

Ukraine's air defences shot down 14 out of 20 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack that injured one person and damaged commercial buildings, the military has said.

The Air Force said in a statement the Iranian-made Shahed drones and also three Iskander missiles targeted five Ukrainian regions in the south and the east.

The southern military command said one person was injured and agricultural warehouses and a shop were damaged in the Mykolayiv region where five drones were shot down.

Details on damage in other regions were not immediately available.

0127 GMT — Top UN court to rule on Ukraine-Russia 'terrorism' case

The United Nations' top court will hand down its verdict in a case brought by Ukraine against Russia for alleged "terrorism financing" and "racial discrimination" after its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Kiev has accused Moscow of being a "terrorist state" whose support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine was a harbinger of the full-fledged 2022 military offensive.

It wants Russia to compensate all civilians caught up in the conflict, as well as victims from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

The case predates Russia's 2022 military action against Ukraine.

2224 GMT — Ukraine faces tough battle against Russia in 2024: CIA

Ukraine will likely face a tough year fighting Russia in 2024, CIA Director Bill Burns has said, arguing that to cut off US aid to Kiev would be an error of "historic proportions."

In an article on the Foreign Affairs journal's website, Burns also said Ukraine could raise the costs of the war to Russia by striking deeper behind the front lines.

A former US ambassador to Moscow, Burns said the war has begun to erode Russian President Vladimir Putin's power and suggested China could adopt a more aggressive stance toward Taiwan if it saw US support for Ukraine wane.

2218 GMT — Ukraine govt submits amended mobilisation bill to parliament

The Ukrainian government has submitted to parliament an amended version of its bill to tighten army mobilisation rules to ensure the country has a sufficient fighting force to pursue its campaign against Russia.

A key provision in the legislation is a lowering to 25 from 27, the minimum age for the draft.

The new bill maintains key provisions of the initial draft, including the introduction of electronic call-ups and harsh punishments for people who flout mobilisation rules.

2139 GMT — Drones hit civilian targets in Ukraine's Kharkiv: officials

Russian attack drones have hit civilian targets in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, slightly wounding three people, triggering a fire and causing damage to apartment blocks and infrastructure, local officials said.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said windows had been blown out of two high-rise apartment blocks in the city's Slobidskyi district, and several cars had been destroyed.

He earlier said a fire had broken out in one of the blocks. Kharkiv Region Governor Oleh Synehubov said there had been a number of strikes in two city districts, and civil infrastructure had been damaged.

2138 GMT — Ukraine claims cyberattack on Russia's Defence Ministry

Ukraine has said that it had carried out a successful cyberattack that knocked out a server used by Russia's Defence Ministry, temporarily disrupting communications for military units.

"As a result of the cyberattack, the exchange of information between the units of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, which used the indicated server located in Moscow, was stopped," Ukraine's GUR military intelligence unit said in a statement.

It added that the cyberattack was "ongoing."

2023 GMT — 100-mile bomb commissioned by Ukraine is reportedly ready

After successful testing in the US, Ukraine will soon receive its first big batch of long-range missiles made by Boeing that promise to extend its range deep into Russian-held territory, according to sources familiar with the matter.

They could arrive "on the battlefield" as soon as Wednesday, Politico reported.

The glide bomb will allow Ukraine's military to hit targets at twice the distance reachable by the rockets it now fires from the US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and could force Russia to move supplies even farther from the front lines.

For our live updates from Monday, January 29, click here.