Dear Reader, if you find this email interesting, helpful or of value, please do consider forwarding it to your friends or colleagues and encouraging them to subscribe. Thank you.
Morning Headlines
Kyiv Post: On Thursday morning, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the Shadow Fleet Sanctions Act, a sweeping effort to tighten economic pressure on Moscow by targeting the shadowy maritime network that has allowed Russia to keep oil revenues flowing despite Western sanctions.
The Insider: Since March 2022, 214 luxury vehicles worth 5.9 billion rubles ($75 million) have been imported into Russia in circumvention of European Union and British sanctions, according to an investigation by the TriTrace Investigations group.
Meduza: The Russian government is racing to adopt regulations creating “digital profiles” for foreigners visiting the country.
United24 Media: On January 28, Russia reportedly lost a Su-34 fighter-bomber, an aircraft frequently used by its forces for launching guided aerial bomb attacks across Ukraine.
ISW: China continues to provide critical support to Russia’s weapons production, including Oreshnik missiles and Shahed long-range drones.
More News
Reuters: There is active work under way to reconcile the territorial issue of Donetsk at U.S.-mediated talks to end Russia's war in Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday, describing the disagreement as a key remaining issue that is "very difficult" to resolve.
The Moscow Times: The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday it has cleared 13 Russian athletes to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina as neutrals, marking a limited return for Russian competitors after years of suspension.
Reuters: Ukraine's foreign ministry said it summoned Hungary's ambassador to Kyiv on Thursday to protest over Budapest's allegations of Ukrainian meddling in the upcoming Hungarian parliamentary election.
United24 Media: Trade in uranium between France and Russia has continued for nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine because nuclear fuel has not been targeted by EU sanctions, according to Le Monde on January 28.
The Moscow Times: Russia’s Interior Ministry is losing police officers on a daily basis, with staff shortages reaching as high as 40% in some units, Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov told lawmakers Tuesday.
Reuters: Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov has won a legal complaint against German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung over an article it published about him, court documents show.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukrainian forces struck the Khokholskaya oil depot in Russia's Voronezh Oblast and several Russian military facilities in occupied territories on Jan. 27–28, the General Staff said.
Reuters: Russia's naphtha exports to Asia are set to fall in January, with volumes in storage swelling as U.S. sanctions pressure key buyers including Taiwan, India and Venezuela, forcing Moscow to seek new markets, traders and analysts said.
United24 Media: Ukraine’s Security Service confirmed that its special forces unit “Alpha” conducted successful long-range drone strikes against five Russian military airbases in 2025, targeting and destroying 15 aircraft. The campaign caused over $1 billion in estimated damage to Russia’s military infrastructure.
Reuters: Kazakhstan has submitted a formal bid to the U.S. authorities to acquire Russian oil producer Lukoil's stakes in the country's energy projects, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said on Wednesday.
Euractiv: Hungary’s government is launching a so-called “national petition” this week against the European Union’s support for Ukraine, a government official said on Tuesday, ahead of intensely fought elections in April.
Reuters: Putin met his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Kremlin on Wednesday for talks that were set to include the sensitive issue of Russia's future military presence in Syria.
CNN: About 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed, wounded or are missing since its invasion of Ukraine almost four years ago, a rate of casualties for a major military power not seen since World War II, a new report from a prominent international think tank says.
The Kyiv Independent: Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, overnight on Jan. 28, local authorities reported.
ISW: Russian officials continue to indicate that Russia’s demands go beyond control of territory in eastern Ukraine, despite the Kremlin’s efforts to claim to Western audiences that Donbas is the main issue in ongoing peace talks.
worth mentioning
European leader spoke of shock at Trump’s state of mind after Mar-a-Lago meeting
The FSB, lies, and drunk texting the FBI: the curious case of Nomma Zarubina
Suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker 'GRINCH' grounded in Marseille port
Russa-Ukraine Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Do you think your friend or colleague should know about this newsletter? Forward it to them, please.They can also sign up here
Please consider supporting my work
