Following the shelling of a restaurant and bakery, at least 28 people—including a child—died in Lysychansk, a city in eastern Russia that is under Russian occupation. Ukraine was blamed for the attack by Russia. Regarding the incident, Ukraine remained silent. As per Ukrainian officials, the pre-war population of 110,000 people in Lysychansk is now reduced to approximately ten percent.
In the southeastern Zaporizhia region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a visit to Ukrainian soldiers who were under constant fire from Russian forces on the front lines at the village of Robotyne. Zelenskyy presented medals to soldiers from the 65th Mechanized Brigade.
Zelenskyy also appointed Ivan Federov as the new leader of the Zaporizhia regional state administration while he was on his way to the front. After refusing to work with Moscow, Federov was kidnapped by Russian soldiers in March 2022 as they entered Melitopol, where he was the mayor at the time.
Politics and Diplomacy of Russia
Zelenskyy said he was thinking of doing a “reset” to replace several high-ranking officials in the Italian state broadcaster RAI. He stated that any changes “did not concern a single person, but the direction of the country’s leadership” in response to a question concerning his intentions for army chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
US senators unveiled the text of a much-awaited bipartisan agreement that would strengthen US border regulations in exchange for $60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine. US President Joe Biden urged Congress to support the bill, saying he “strongly supported” it. On Wednesday, the first vote on it is anticipated.
When President Vladimir Putin visited Turkey, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would talk about a new system that would permit grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea. Although the exact date is unknown, reports from the local media indicate that it will happen on February 12.
At a rally where wives of Russian soldiers in Ukraine demanded their husbands’ return home, Moscow police detained about twenty journalists for several hours.
According to an HBO representative, Serbian actor Milos Bikovic was removed from the cast of the hit television program The White Lotus after Ukraine sharply criticized him for his ties to Russia.
Weapons
Chung Byung-won, South Korea’s deputy foreign minister, emphasized Seoul’s deep concern during the visit by Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. He underscored the severity of South Korea’s stance on Moscow’s growing military ties with Pyongyang, urging it to take responsible actions. The South Korean Foreign Ministry’s statement highlighted Chung’s explicit request for a reconsideration of collaboration, given North Korea’s alleged transfer of weapons to Russia for deployment in the Ukraine conflict, as reported by both Seoul and Washington. The meeting signals heightened tensions and a diplomatic push from South Korea to address the complex geopolitical dynamics in the region.
Key Points
At least 28 people, including a child, died in Lysychansk, Russia, following a shelling incident. Ukraine blamed Russia for the attack.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Ukrainian soldiers in the southeastern Zaporizhia region and appointed Ivan Federov as the new leader. Federov was kidnapped by Russian soldiers in March 2022.
Zelenskyy expressed plans for a “reset” to replace high-ranking officials in RAI.
US senators unveiled a bipartisan agreement to strengthen US border regulations in exchange for $60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to discuss a new system permitting grain exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea.
Moscow police detained about twenty journalists at a rally demanding husbands’ return home.
Serbian actor Milos Bikovic was removed from The White Lotus after criticism from Ukraine for his ties to Russia.
South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won expressed Seoul’s “severe position” on Russia’s increasing military collaboration with Pyongyang.
