THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR BRIEF

For: 25-02-01

Feb 01, 2025

Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my followers here on Substack for those who wish to keep up with the news from the war.

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ALONG THE CONTACT LINE

GSAFU Morning Report

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Feb 1 stated that day 1074 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.

The situation on the line of combat remains tense in some sectors. Ukrainian defenders continue to actively counteract the Russian aggressor, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. Exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continuing to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.

During the past day, 134 combat engagements took place.

Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 4 missile strikes, 54 air strikes, used 2,018 drones and fired approximately 6,200 artillery shells across the positions of Ukrainian forces and civilians.

Air Force Daily Report

59 ENEMY UAVS SHOT DOWN, 37 DRONES FAILED TO REACH THEIR TARGETS (LOCATIONALLY LOST)

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On the night of January 31, 2025 (from 9:00 p.m. on January 30), the enemy attacked with 102 Shahed attack UAVs and simulator drones of various types from the following directions: Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia, Chauda - Crimea.

The air attack was repelled by anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and Defense Forces of Ukraine.

As of 09:00, it has been confirmed that 59 Shahed attack UAVs and drones of other types have been shot down in Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Odessa regions.

37 enemy drones-simulators - lost in location (without negative consequences).

As a result of the enemy attack, the Sumy, Odessa, and Cherkasy regions suffered.

Four enemy UAVs are in the air, combat operations continue!

Combat Operations in the Kursk Sector, Russian Federation

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Jan 31 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that Russian forces continued assaults in the Ukrainian salient in Kursk Oblast on January 31 but did not make confirmed advances.

A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces counterattacked near Novaya Sorochina and Staraya Sorochina (both northwest of Sudzha at the northernmost point of the salient).

The Khortytsia operational-strategic group

(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )

Kupyansk Sector: Russian forces are expanding their salient north of Kupyansk as part of long-term operational efforts to push Ukrainian forces from the east (left) bank of the Oskil River. Russian offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna (Kupyansk-Borova-Lyman) line gradually intensified in Sep 2024 after a relatively low tempo period in early and mid-2024 during which Russian forces primarily conducted infantry assaults and occasional platoon-sized mechanized assaults in the area. Ukrainian forces repelled a reinforced battalion-sized Russian mechanized assault near Pishchane (southeast of Kupyansk) in late Sep 2024 – the first large Russian mechanized assault in this direction since Winter 2023-2024.

Russian forces have recently intensified offensive operations north of Kupyansk, particularly near Dvorichna, as part of this broader intensification in the Kupyansk, Borova, and Lyman directions. Geolocated footage published on Jan 30 and 31 indicates that Russian forces recently marginally advanced north of Dvorichna (north of Kupyansk and on the west [right] bank of the Oskil River), advanced in the southern outskirts of Zapadne (southwest of Dvorichna), and advanced northward along the west bank of the Oskil River northwest of Novomlynsk (northeast of Dvorichna)

Lyman Sector: Russian forces recently advanced northeast of Lyman amid continued offensive operations in the area on Jan 31. Geolocated footage published on Jan 31 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced east of Yampolivka (northeast of Lyman).

Toretsk Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk direction amid continued offensive operations in the area on Jan 31. Geolocated footage published on Jan 30 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in Petrivka (west of Toretsk) and eliminated the pocket between Toretsk and Shcherbynivka (west of Toretsk).[74] Additional geolocated footage published on Jan 30 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in southern Toretsk.

The Tavria operational-strategic group

(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)

Pokrovsk Sector : Russian forces recently advanced in the Pokrovsk direction amid continued offensive operations in the area on Jan 31. Geolocated footage published on Jan 29 indicates that Russian forces recently marginally advanced west of Kotlyne (west of Pokrovsk).

Reuters reported on Jan 31 that the deputy commander of a Ukrainian brigade operating in the Pokrovsk direction stated that Russian forces have much higher quantities of infantry in the area and are attacking in small groups that are willing to take high casualties. The deputy commander stated that Russian forces are "adeptly" exploiting the terrain and low-visibility weather conditions to hide from Ukrainian drones near Pokrovsk

Kurakhove Sector: Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Kurakhove direction on Jan 31. Russian forces conducted offensive operations west of Kurakhove near Kostyantynopil and Andriivka and southwest of Kurakhove near Rozlyv and Zelenivka on Jan 30 and 31, but did not make any confirmed advances

The Odesa operational-strategic group

(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)

Dnipro Sector: Russian forces continued limited ground attacks in the Dnipro direction and on the islands of the Dnipro River Delta on Jan 30 and 31, but did not make any confirmed advances.

TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Nothing major to report.

THE HOME FRONT

Russian air attack kills 11 in Ukraine, gas infrastructure targeted

Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Ukraine on Saturday, killing 11 people and damaging dozens of residential buildings as well as energy infrastructure across the country, Reuters reports citing Ukrainian officials.

The Interior Ministry said that a Russian missile struck a residential building in the central city of Poltava, killing seven people and injuring 14, including three children.

The ministry posted pictures on the Telegram messaging app showing the building with several top floors smashed and thick columns of smoke rising into the sky. Firefighters and dozens of rescuers were searching through the rubble.

One person was killed and four were wounded in the city of Kharkiv in the northeast in a drone attack, the mayor said.

Three police officers were killed during the attacks as they patrolled streets in a village in the northeastern region of Sumy, regional officials said.

"Last night Russia attacked our cities using various types of weapons: missiles, attack drones, and aerial bombs," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, adding damage was caused in six regions.

"Each such terrorist attack proves that we need more support in defending ourselves against Russian terror. Every air defence system, every anti-missile weapon, saves lives," he said on the Telegram app.

The Ukrainian air force said Russian forces launched 123 drones and more than 40 missiles. Its air defence units shot down 56 of the drones and redirected 61, it said. The air force provided no figures on how many missiles were intercepted.

In Poltava, a small city located around 120 kilometres (75 miles) from the Russian border, about 18 apartment buildings, a kindergarten, and energy infrastructure were damaged, city authorities said.

Ukrainian officials said that damage was also registered in the city of Zaporizhzhia in the southeast, Kharkiv and Sumy regions in the northeast, and Khmelnytskyi in the west.

Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said Russian forces used six missiles and 17 Shahed drones to target gas infrastructure and other facilities.

Russia's Defence Ministry said that its forces had launched attacks aimed at Ukraine's gas and other energy infrastructure and had shot down 108 Ukrainian drones in the last 24 hours, Russian news agencies reported.

Since March 2024, Russia has launched multiple missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's power sector and other energy infrastructure, knocking out about half of the country's available generating capacity and forcing rolling blackouts.

As the war approaches its three-year mark this month and Russian forces make small but steady gains in eastern Ukraine, edging closer to the strategic logistic hub of Pokrovsk, both sides are using drones to hit infrastructure and disrupt military supply lines.

Russian missiles strike Odesa’s historic center, injuring 7

Russian forces launched missile strikes on Odesa’s historic center on the evening of Jan. 31, injuring at least seven people, The Kyiv Independent reported citing regional authorities.

Three explosions were reported around 8 p.m. local time, shortly after Ukraine’s Air Force warned of missile launches from the Black Sea.

"The strikes are directly targeting the city, hitting ordinary civilian buildings. Again and again: Air defense systems are the first priority," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Videos and photos shared on social media show damage to the five-star Bristol Hotel. One of the injured is a hotel employee, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper. Debris also fell near the Opera House, a well-known downtown landmark.

Trukhanov said the attack caused significant damage in Odesa’s UNESCO-protected historic district.

The city's historic center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in January 2023. In July of that year, a Russian missile strike damaged over 20 architectural monuments and heavily hit the Transfiguration Cathedral.

Odesa, a port city on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast with a population of around 1 million, has been a frequent target of Russian attacks throughout the full-scale war.

Emergency power cuts temporarily introduced across Ukraine after Russian missile attack

Emergency power outages were introduced temporarily in seven Ukrainian oblasts on Feb. 1 following a Russian missile attack to prevent the collapse of the energy system. The Kyiv Indpendent reports.

The restrictions were applied in Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, according to Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo.

Three hours later, Ukrenergo announced that restrictions were lifted across the country.

"The enemy continues its energy terror," said Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushenko in response to the attacks.

Earlier on Feb. 1, Poltava Regional Administration reported damage to energy infrastructure in the Myrhorod district.

Several hours later, the administration reported that the energy supply was restored in the district.

There have been two massive Russian attacks on energy infrastructure over the past month, as well as frequent smaller attacks, but because of the warm weather, the Ukrainian energy grid was able to operate without scheduled blackouts.

The outages on Feb. 1 was the second time this year when Ukraine had to introduce emergency power cuts across several oblasts due to the damage of the power system and threat of its collapse after the Russian attacks.

RUSSIAN WORLD

Rogue ‘private army’ inside Russian military terrorized fellow soldiers

In late 2022, while serving with Russia’s military in Ukraine’s Kherson region, Senior Sergeant Dmitry Maiborodin effectively created his own personal army of 60 men. According to a new report by Mediazona, Maiborodin’s unit ignored the chain of command and terrorized Russian career officers. The group was disbanded only after Maiborodin ordered his subordinates to torture a soldier to death.

The 41-year-old Maiborodin, who goes by the call sign “May,” was assigned to Russia’s 10th company of the Sokol battalion of the 108th Guards Air Assault Regiment in the fall of 2022. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On paper, Maiborodin was a squad commander, overseeing just three men.

However, in practice, even during training maneuvers near Novorossiysk, Maiborodin began attracting a group of soldiers who were personally devoted to him. After their deployment to the Kherson region, he was able to establish control over two whole platoons of the 10th company, made up entirely of men loyal to him. According to Mediazona, the company commander “silently acknowledged” the sergeant’s leadership and focused instead on handling paperwork.

Despising military subordination, May saw himself more as an instructor and mentor in combat training. His fellow soldiers recognized his knowledge and skills, and no one — not his subordinates or the battalion commander — dared challenge a veteran of Chechnya and Syria with dozens of fighters under his command.

Maiborodin openly defied orders from the Sokol battalion commander, refusing to dig trenches, build fortifications, or engage in defensive preparations. Within less than two months, Mediazona writes, he had formed a unit that answered to no one but him. It became known as the May Syndicate and swelled to nearly 60 fighters. Members distinguished themselves with special patches featuring a bearded skull in a helmet and an inscription of the group’s name.

In December 2022, Corporal Viktor Utyayev (call sign “Hooligan”) vanished from the Sokol unit’s encampment. Evidence later showed that he had gotten severely drunk shortly before his disappearance, prompting orders from Maiborodin to “teach him a lesson.” The May Syndicate’s enforcers tied Utyayev to a tree and left him there overnight without a jacket in near-freezing temperatures. The next day, he died of hypothermia, and his body was buried in the forest.

According to Mediazona, when Sokol battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Azat Rakhmatullin tried to get to the bottom of what had happened, Maiborodin warned him: “If you report this to the regiment commander, we’ll send you home in a body bag.” Rakhmatullin later admitted that he realized Maiborodin wasn’t bluffing and, fearing for his life, locked himself inside an armored vehicle, refusing to leave until morning.

By late January 2023, Mediazona reports, “it became clear that the situation in the 10th company was out of control,” prompting the decision to withdraw the unit from Ukraine’s frontlines. But Maiborodin didn’t like the location chosen for his men’s redeployment and instead led them out of the Kherson region to Crimea. In the city of Armyansk, Maiborodin’s men effectively reported only to him. When they ransacked a cafe (even opening fire), they were detained only briefly by military police. Maiborodin soon returned his unit to the front as if nothing had happened.

It was only by February 2023 that military investigators succeeded in getting soldiers from the 10th company to testify against Maiborodin. A month later, he was arrested and detained at a Sevastopol guardhouse. The Defense Ministry charged him under felony statutes covering deliberate bodily harm, misuse of authority resulting in death, and unlawful imprisonment by a group. The investigation concluded in early 2024, but Maiborodin still hasn’t been sentenced.

Families of Russian Soldiers Face Repression for Speaking out Against Forced Deployments.

The UK Ministry of Defence in their Feb 1 Intelligence Update on Ukraine stated that all eligible Russian men under the age of 30 are required to serve one year of military service. In March 2022, at the launch of the full-scale invasion, Putin stated that conscripts would not be used in hostilities. But conscripts were deployed on operations in Kursk in August 2024. Parents have voiced concerns that their sons have been sent to fight after serving less than four months.

Over 12,000 people have signed an online petition asking Russian leaders to remove conscripts from Kursk region. Mothers and wives of conscripts have protested about the deployment of their husbands and sons in Putin’s illegal war. In May 2024, protesting mothers and wives were labelled “foreign agents” by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian federation.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Tucker Carlson сalls Zelenskyy 'dictator', accuses Ukrainians of wasting his money and murdering opponents.

Controversial American journalist - (actually a media figure and paid Kremlin mouthpiece) Tucker Carlson has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and accused Ukrainians of wasting money abroad, in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan published on Jan. 31.

Carlson claimed that Zelenskyy is a dictator who "oppresses Christians, banning people's native language and books" in Ukraine.

"The first feature of a dictator is he is not elected,” he stated.

“So — Zelenskyy is not elected. He has also banned a religious denomination. He has murdered his political opponents. He has banned a language group. Those all seem like features of a dictatorship."

The propagandist asserted that the American and British governments are supporting a "dictator" in Ukraine who is allegedly "oppressing Christians." Carlson also claimed that Zelenskyy is banning the "native language" in Ukraine and believes that elections should be held to "get rid of the midget dictator who now oppresses" Ukrainians.

"He is not elected,” Carlson said.

“He rules by force. He rules with guns. He kills his opponents. He has assassinated a ton of people.”

Carlson also expressed outrage that Ukrainians are spending money abroad. According to him, Ukrainian citizens are buying expensive items in Europe.

"I was in Courchevel, France, two weeks ago. It's a ski town near Geneva. And everybody at the Air Mail store was Ukrainian using my money to buy $100,000 handbags," Carlson claimed, calling it a "theft."

Previously, Carlson has repeatedly spread misinformation and Russian propaganda about Ukraine. He left Fox News in April 2023 and launched his own show on the social media platform X.

In February 2024, Tucker Carlson interviewed Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following this, he offered to interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the same format and claimed to have agreed on the interview. However, the press secretary of the President, Sergii Nykyforov, refuted Carlson's statements.

In December 2024, Carlson conducted an interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Grumpy Here: It seems Carlson’s Russian masters are getting desperate as they know time is running out for Putin and Russia - expect to see Russian assets inside and outside the Whitehouse feverishly trying to discredit Ukraine in vain hope that the US and the West will withdraw support for Ukraine before Russia’s inevitable collapse.

MILITARY & TECH