Day 710 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Will Zaluzhnyi Be Fired

Day 710 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• A drone blew up one of the largest refineries in Russia
• The Ukrainian government has informed the US of its intention to fire Valerii Zaluzhnyi
• The International Court of Justice in The Hague is competent to rule on the case filed by Kyiv
• EU foreign ministers discuss the long-term strategy for Ukraine
• AFP: At least 20 journalists are detained in Moscow during a rally of wives of Russian soldiers sent to the front in Ukraine
• The Polish president said he doesn't know if Ukraine will get Crimea back
• Zelensky welcomed the arrival in Ukraine of two new air defense systems
• Lithuania delivered new military aid to Ukraine

A drone blew up one of the largest refineries in Russia

A drone attack took place in Russia last night. Impacts were registered in Belgorod and Volgograd regions. As a result of the attack, a major fire broke out in the oil refinery in Volgograd. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, which refers to the Telegram channel of Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov and rosZMI.

"The air defense forces repelled an UAV attack on the territory of the Volgograd region, but the fall of the drone caused a fire in the oil refinery," announced regional governor Andrey Bocharov.

"This evening, the air defense and electronic warfare forces repelled an attack by UAVs on the territory of the Volgograd region in the Kalachevsky region and in the Zakanala region. As a result of the fall of the downed drone, a fire broke out in the oil refinery in Volgograd," he wrote.

The regional governor specified that the fire was localized in a timely manner, and the fire was extinguished. No one was injured as a result of the incident.

Another deep strike by Ukraine in its campaign to undermine the funding for Putin's global terror coalition.

500km from the nearest Ukrainian soldier, the Volgograd Lukoil refinery is toast. pic.twitter.com/6aHqc43iaR

— Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) February 3, 2024

The Ukrainian government has informed the US of its intention to fire Valerii Zaluzhnyi

Ukraine's government has informed the White House that it plans to fire the country's top military commander, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is leading the war against Russian occupation forces, informed sources said.

The move to oust General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who has clashed with President Volodymyr Zelensky on a number of issues, follows a Ukrainian counter-offensive last year that failed to retake significant swaths of territory controlled by Russia.

A source close to Zelensky's office said the two were embroiled in a dispute over a new military mobilization campaign, with the president opposing Zaluzhnyi's proposal to call up 500,000 new troops. However, according to the source, the process to relieve Zaluzhnyi from his position as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces is currently on hold while the sides work out their next steps.

The White House has not expressed a position on the plan to replace Zaluzhnyi. Representatives believe that Ukraine should make its own sovereign decisions regarding its personnel. Known as the "Iron General", Zaluzhnyi is extremely popular. His removal could damage the morale of Ukrainian troops fighting a massive Russian force.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov warned that rumors of Zaluzhnyi's dismissal were destabilizing the army. "What reputable publications publish is not always true," Danilov told Ukrainian radio.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine has received two more air defense systems. However, according to him, currently the air defense systems are not yet sufficient to fully protect Ukraine, but work is being done to achieve this every day.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague is competent to rule on the case filed by Kyiv

Amid new Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's energy system, the UN International Court of Justice has ruled that it has jurisdiction over the case brought by Kiev over the invasion of Russian troops into Ukrainian territory.

By filing the case just days after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine contested the pretext that Vladimir Putin used to start the war - that the authorities in Kyiv were committing genocide against the Russian-speaking population of the Donbas.

Today's decision means that 23 months later, judges in The Hague will finally be able to deal with the substance of parts of the Ukrainian claim. The court will rule on whether the Ukrainians actually committed genocide, but refuses to consider the charge that Moscow itself is doing the same today in violation of the 1948 international convention.

In Kyiv, they count that if they succeed in condemning Moscow, they will have legal grounds to demand reparations as compensation for the destruction, estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars. However, Moscow has already refused to comply with The Hague and, more specifically, to fulfill the March 2022 order to immediately stop the war.

Another wave of Iranian model drones this morning caused serious damage to the power grid in the central Dnipropetrovsk region. 40 thousand citizens, mostly in the city of Kryvyi Rih, were left without electricity.

Due to Russian artillery shelling, 64 settlements in the border Kharkiv region were without electricity today. Authorities in neighboring Russia's Belgorod region said 12 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted.

EU foreign ministers discuss the long-term strategy for Ukraine

The European Union's long-term strategy for Ukraine is one of the topics that the foreign ministers will discuss in Brussels in the "Gymnich" format.

They will also debate continued military and diplomatic aid to the country, as well as its progress on its path to the EU. The ministers will also discuss their partnership with Turkey in terms of domestic and regional challenges, as well as EU-Africa relations.

Bulgaria will be represented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel.

AFP: At least 20 journalists are detained in Moscow during a rally of wives of Russian soldiers sent to the front in Ukraine

Police in Russia detained at least 20 journalists today during a rally organized in Red Square by wives of Russian servicemen fighting in Ukraine who want their men to return home from the front, AFP reported.

An AFP videographer was among the detained journalists. He said that 20-25 journalists, including foreigners, were detained with him and are now in a police van taking them to a police station in Moscow.

The Polish president said he doesn't know if Ukraine will get Crimea back

Polish President Andrzej Duda said he did not know whether Ukraine could regain control of the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, but believed Kyiv was capable of retaking Donetsk and Luhansk, Reuters reported, noting that with these statements the head of state came under the criticism of the ruling coalition in the country.

Reuters notes that since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Warsaw has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters, and the Polish position has always been that Ukraine must regain control of its entire territory to deter a future Russian aggression.

The president took this position in an interview last night with the Polish online channel on YouTube Channel Zero, although when asked if Ukraine would really be able to get Crimea back, he replied: "It's hard for me to answer that question. No I don't know if Ukraine will get Crimea back, but I think it will get Donetsk and Luhansk back."

He added that the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014 - eight years before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "is a special place ... and for historical reasons. Because actually, if you look historically, for the most part from the time it was under Russian rule".

Parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine in 2014 also fell under the control of Moscow-backed separatists who are now involved in the war, unlike Crimea. The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics are ruled by Russian-appointed authorities. Ukraine has vowed to reclaim every inch of its territory, including Crimea, in the battle with Russia.

The words of the President of Poland came under the criticism of MPs from the ruling pro-European coalition in the country, who are in a different political camp from that of the President.

Duda is an ally of the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which lost power in December after its failed attempt to form a coalition government following its loss of parliamentary majority in October's elections.

"I would like to remind Mr. Duda that there are cities in our country that, in the course of history, were within the borders of Poland for a shorter time than in other countries," Roman Giertych, who was lawyer of the current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and now he is an MP from the most widely represented political organization in the government - Civic Coalition (KO).

Zelensky welcomed the arrival in Ukraine of two new air defense systems

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the arrival of two new air defense systems in Ukraine yesterday, which he said could "take down anything," Reuters reported.

The agency notes that strengthening air defense is one of the priorities for the Ukrainian leadership, so that the country can defend itself against Russian attacks with aviation, missiles and drones.

Zelensky did not give details about the new systems, but said their arrival in Ukraine was the culmination of "tireless work at various levels for months."

The situation in the town of Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region, which is the main target of the Russian armed forces, is "extremely difficult", he admitted.

The Ukrainian president said that he discussed the situation along the entire 1,000-kilometer front line with senior military commanders yesterday. The commander-in-chief of the armed forces, General Valery Zaluzhnyi, reported to the meeting, he added.

Zelensky said this amid rumors that he is preparing to fire Zaluzhnyi, with whom he is at odds over military strategy after the limited results of Ukraine's counteroffensive last year, Reuters noted.

According to informed sources, the Ukrainian leadership has notified the White House that it does have such plans.

Lithuania delivered new military aid to Ukraine

Lithuania delivered new military aid to Ukraine, DPA reported.

Western weapons are key for Kyiv to repel Russian invaders. For now, aid from the United States, the largest donor to Ukraine, is blocked by disputes in Congress.

Amid fears of a reduction in Western support, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas announced yesterday that his country would provide Kyiv with ammunition for Carl Gustaf grenade launchers and remote detonation systems. "We actively and consistently support Ukraine, because our support for Ukraine is also an investment in our own security," he stressed.

Lithuania is one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine, DPA notes.

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