Thursday, February 6
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A comrade mourns next to the coffin containing the body of Anton Spitsyn, Ukrainian servicemen and co-founder of special purpose unit of “Gostri Kartuzy” (Peaky Blinders), who was killed fighting Russian troops, during funeral ceremony in Kharkiv on Feb. 5, 2025. (Ivan Samoilov / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine should receive nuclear weapons if NATO entry is delayed, Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine’s NATO accession could be delayed “for years or decades,” raising the question of how the country would defend itself.
Trump’s team split over how to end war in Ukraine, NBC reports. The U.S. has significant leverage over Russia in economic, military, and diplomatic terms, but questions remain over Trump’s willingness to use it.
Trump administration may present plan next week to end war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reports. Keith Kellogg, special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, is expected to present Donald Trump’s plan at the Munich Security Conference.
Russia ready to negotiate despite Zelensky’s ‘legitimacy problems,’ Kremlin spox claims. “Mr. Zelensky has big problems de jure in terms of his legitimacy, but even so, the Russian side remains open to negotiations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed.
Ukraine brings back 150 POWs from Russian captivity in prisoner swap. The released captives included members of the Navy, the Air Force, the Airborne Troops, the National Guard, the State Border Guard, the Territorial Defense Forces, and a police officer, according to the president.
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Ukraine’s operation in Kursk Oblast may become ‘important part’ of negotiation process, Zelensky says. “You will see what conditions the Russians will have for Ukraine regarding the Kursk direction when we reach a diplomatic settlement of the war’s end. This was a crucial step,” Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 5.
US provides 30% of Ukraine’s weapons, domestic production covers 40%, Zelensky says. “This does not bring tranquility but rather a moral belief that we will not be left empty-handed, of course, without the support of the United States,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine strikes Russian oil facility, Buk air defense system overnight, military claims. An attack carried out by the SBU and the Defense Forces set fire to the Albashneft oil depot in Novominskaya in southwestern Russia, according to the General Staff.
Ukraine imposes sanctions on Russian ‘shadow fleet’ captains, cultural heritage looters. President Volodymyr Zelensky has approved sanctions against 57 captains of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a group of tankers routinely used to evade sanctions targeting Russia’s oil trade, and 55 individuals involved in looting Ukraine’s cultural heritage in occupied Crimea.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry introduces robotic units into army. “We continue transforming the Ukrainian Armed Forces into a modern army with a technological advantage over the enemy,” Rustem Umerov said.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine returns 150 people from Russian captivity in prisoner swap
Ukraine brought back 150 Ukrainian service members from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Feb. 5, marking the latest prisoner exchange between Kyiv and Moscow.
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram
Ukrainian Jews translate the Torah into their national language for first time
Ukraine is the birthplace of the Hasidic Jewish movement, played a key role in the development of Yiddish literature, and has deep roots in Jewish history stretching back more than a thousand years.
Photo: Pavlo Bahmut / Ukrinform / NurPhoto via Getty Images
US weapons aid to Ukraine is about to run out
A Dec. 30 package from former U.S. President Joe Biden used up the last of the funding from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which since 2022 has allocated $32.7 billion to buy Ukraine new equipment.
Photo: Charly Truballeau / AFP / Getty Images
Ukraine’s steel sector looks abroad after loss of critical Donbas coal mine
The Pokrvosk mine was the last remaining coking coal site in Ukrainian-controlled territory and was worth around $1.8 billion before the war, according to the GMK Center, a metallurgy consulting company.
Photo: Christopher Occhicone/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Human cost of war
Almost 3 times more people died in Ukraine than were born in 2024, data shows. Ukraine registered 495,090 deaths of various causes in 2024, which is almost three times more than were born, according to data published by the Justice Ministry.
Explosion reported near Khmelnytskyi Oblast draft office — 1 killed, 4 injured. An explosion near a military enlistment office in Kamianets-Podilskyi in Khmelnytskyi Oblast on Feb. 5 left at least one person dead and four injured, Suspilne reported, citing a police spokesperson.
8 killed, 70 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over past day. Russia launched two ballistic missiles, as well as 104 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy drones, against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported.
Why does Trump want Ukraine’s ‘rare earths’?
International response
Euroclear to send 2-billion-euro tranche of Russian assets profits for Kyiv. Belgian clearing house Euroclear said in a statement on Feb. 5 that the second payment is expected to be made in March and should amount to approximately 2 billion euros.
UK doesn’t see Russia being ‘serious about negotiations’ with Ukraine.
“We do not see (that) Russia is serious about negotiations and serious about peace,” U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said alongside his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha.
38 countries announce ‘major progress’ on tribunal for Russian leadership.
The tribunal, set to operate within the Council of Europe, will focus on Russia’s political and military leaders, including President Vladimir Putin.
UK pledges $69 million to boost Ukraine’s resilience, grain deliveries to Syria.
“This funding for social, humanitarian, and energy programs will strengthen our resilience. And this assistance is very timely right now,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
US ‘not going to eliminate foreign aid,’ Rubio says amid USAID shutdown push. “I continue to support foreign aid. But foreign aid is not charity. It exists for the purpose of advancing the national interest of the United States,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Next Ramstein summit to be held on Feb. 12 under UK chairmanship instead of US, media reports. Following Donald Trump’s administration’s takeover of the White House, the future format of Ramstein’s meetings remained uncertain.
Majority of Germans support military aid to Ukraine, survey shows. The representative survey found that 67% of Germans backed Germany’s military support for Ukraine.
In other news
Ukraine offering gas storage facilities for US LNG to boost Europe’s energy security. “The presence of big business from our closest allies, particularly the United States, in this area is an important element of security and economic stability guarantees,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
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