It is day 348 of the war in Ukraine. Follow the latest news about the war and all its aftermath in this live blog.
Situation on Monday 6 February
Defense Minister of Ukraine another government post will be given, a close ally of President Zelensky announced. Oleksii Reznikov is replaced by Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence. His position was threatened after it was revealed the Defense Ministry was paying two to three times the price of supermarket food to supply troops at the front.
Ukraine prepares for a possible Russian offensive this month on the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. “There are already many reports that the occupiers want to do something symbolic in February to try to avenge their defeats last year,” President Zelensky said in his speech on Sunday evening. “We’re seeing this increased pressure in different frontline areas, as well as information pressure.”
Kiev it has reserves to hold off Moscow’s troops, even if the latest Western military supplies won’t all arrive in time, said former defense minister Reznikov. Not all Western weapons will arrive in time. But we are ready. We have accumulated our resources and reserves, which we can deploy and with which we can stop the attack.’
Russia he gradually intensifies his attacks and approaches the eastern city of Bachmut amidst heavy fighting. According to Kiev, Moscow is losing “500 dead and wounded” to Bachmut every day, a figure that cannot be verified. The British Defense Ministry says Bachmut is becoming “increasingly isolated” as Russia puts the city’s two main roads under direct artillery fire, making it more difficult for the city’s defense forces to resupply.
Iran and Russia they want to build a factory in Russia capable of supplying more than 6,000 Iranian-designed drones for war in Ukraine, reports say. The Wall Street Journal says the two governments are moving forward with plans and that an Iranian delegation traveled to Russia in January to visit the planned site.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he arrived in Iraq on Sunday for talks on energy and food security in view of the conflict in Ukraine, a spokesman for Iraq’s foreign ministry said. Lavrov will also visit Mali this week, in a trip the West African country’s government says will strengthen ties on defense and security. It is the first time a Russian foreign minister has visited Mali and is part of Moscow’s goal to expand its influence over African countries.
The EU set ban on Russian petroleum products by sea takes effect today. The 27-nation bloc is banning Russian refined petroleum products, such as diesel, and working with the United States and other allies to impose a ceiling on sales to non-Western countries. The ban on Russian seaborne crude took effect on December 5 and the extension to petroleum products means 70% of Russia’s energy exports are now subject to sanctions. Petroleum products account for a third of Russia’s oil exports.
Sunday 5 February
Ukraine replaces the defense minister.
21:30 | Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is replaced by Kirilo Budanov, the 37-year-old head of military intelligence. The AFP and Reuters news agencies report it on the basis of government sources, without mentioning the reason for the changing of the guard.
On Sunday, the 56-year-old Reznikov promised his ministry would be scrutinized after a recent corruption scandal related to army procurement. However, he has contradicted media reports that he will soon be forced to step down. “Only the commander-in-chief, President Volodimir Zelensky, decides whether I remain defense minister.”
Reznikov acknowledged that his ministry’s anti-corruption services had “failed in their duties” and said they had ordered “internal investigations into all government contracts”. Furthermore, he has also promised to investigate how his ministry deals with what he calls “international technical assistance,” referring to the ever-increasing amount of Western arms Kiev receives.
At the end of January, the director of the defense ministry’s procurement department had already been fired. The senior official was linked to a scandal concerning the purchase of too expensive food supplies for the soldiers.
Widespread corruption was a major Western criticism of Ukraine before the war. In June, Ukraine received the status of a candidate member of the European Union, which requires, among other things, that the country fight corruption.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
