Zelenskyj praises Scholz for a new aid package. 19 miners are trapped in a mine after a Russian attack. All information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Tens of thousands without power after Russian attack
9:54 a.m.: Russian drone strikes have caused a major power outage in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih. Tens of thousands of households and numerous industrial companies in the city in the Dniproperovsk region in the southeast of the country were cut off from supplies due to damage to a plant, as the Ukrainian energy company Ukrenerho announced.
All 113 miners rescued from mine in southern Ukraine
9.45 a.m.: All 113 miners trapped in a mine after a Russian drone attack were rescued. Oleksandr Wilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, reported this on his Telegram channel.
Ukrainian Air Force: 11 of 24 Russian drones intercepted
9:06 a.m.: The Ukrainian military says it intercepted and destroyed eleven of 24 Russian drones on Friday night. The Air Force said they were aimed at critical infrastructure facilities in the southeast of the country. After the attack, electricity was switched off in the town of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, national grid operator Ukrenergo said.
Dozens of miners trapped in mine after Russian attack
7:37 a.m.: At least 19 miners are trapped in a mine in the Kryvyi Rih region of southern Ukraine after Russian drone strikes. Oleksandr Wilkul, head of the Kryvyi Rih Defense Council, reported this on his Telegram channel. A total of 113 miners were trapped in two mines. A rescue operation has been initiated, said Wilkul. “19 miners are currently trapped in a mine,” he continues.
In addition, critical civilian infrastructure in the city of Kryvyi Rih was hit by the drone attacks. As a result of the attack on a substation, around 100,000 households as well as hospitals, kindergartens and schools in several districts initially no longer had electricity. However, the power supply was largely restored in the morning.
Explosions after drone attacks
4.45 a.m.: Russian air strikes are reported from the Kirovohrad region. There are said to have been explosions, reports the Ukrinform news agency. The Ukrainian air defense had previously warned of drone attacks. So far there have been no reports of injuries.
Russian bloggers frustrated by tactical mistakes
4:04 a.m.: Russian military bloggers have expressed frustration over what they see as continued tactical errors by Russian forces during offensive operations in the western Donetsk region. In recent posts, several Russian bloggers accused the military leadership of not taking the “drone factor” into account when planning tactical attacks. They were responding to footage from January 30 showing Ukrainian forces attacking a column of advancing Russian vehicles and tanks near Ordo-Vasylivka, west of Zaporizhzhia. According to the American Institute for War Studies, they are calling for better equipment with electronic defense systems.
US Senate wants to propose Ukraine aid package
3.30 a.m.: The US Senate wants to present a new draft for an aid package for Ukraine and better security of the US borders by the end of this week. The text should be published between Friday and Sunday, said Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday. He expects a first vote on the draft by Wednesday next week “at the latest.”
However, the bill – even if it passes the Senate – is likely to fail in the House of Representatives. There, the opposition Republicans, among whom there are many opponents of new aid to Ukraine and resistance to a border compromise with the Democrats, make up the majority.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Two Frenchmen killed by Russian fire in Ukraine
9:44 p.m.: According to official information, two volunteers from France were killed by Russian shelling in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. “Three other foreigners suffered minor injuries,” wrote military governor Olexander Prokudin on his Telegram channel. A Ukrainian helper was also injured.
