Live blog: Russian shelling of Kherson kills four — local official

Monday, February 5, 2024

1240 GMT — Russian shelling of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson has killed four people and injured one other person, a local official said.

Since being recaptured by Ukrainian forces in November 2022, Kherson has faced near-continuous Russian bombardment.

"As of this hour, there are four dead and one wounded," said Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson city military administration.

Among the dead were two men aged 45 and 50 who were in a car, a woman on the street, and a 60-year-old man in the city centre, he said.

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1228 GMT — Putin will visit Türkiye soon to discuss new Black Sea grain export ideas for Ukraine, minister says

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Türkiye soon, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.

It would be Putin’s first trip to a NATO country since Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine two years ago.

Fidan told the A Haber private TV channel that Putin's meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will focus on a new way to allow Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.

He did not mention a date for the visit, but Turkish media has reported that Putin will come on February 12.

1037 GMT — Georgia seized Russia-bound cargo of explosives sent from Ukraine

Georgia's State Security Service has seized a clandestine shipment of explosives bound for the Russian city of Voronezh from the Ukrainian port of Odessa.

In a statement, it said that the explosive cargo arrived in Georgia in a Ukrainian-owned minivan and was to be transported to Voronezh, a Russian city about 180 kilometres (110 miles) from the Ukrainian frontier. It did not say what for.

1020 GMT — Kremlin warns West against using frozen Russian assets as collateral for Ukraine

The Kremlin has warned the West that any attempt to use frozen Russian assets as collateral to raise funds for Ukraine would be illegal and lead to years of litigation because Moscow would challenge any such action.

The Financial Times reported that the G7 had drawn up plans to use frozen Russian assets as collateral for debt sold to help Ukraine. Bloomberg also reported on the plan.

"We do not yet know how much these publications correspond to reality. Are there really such plans? It is important to wait for official statements on this matter," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"We know that even the most serious publications now, unfortunately, consciously or not, make a lot of mistakes."

0848 GMT — There's need for 'reset' in Ukraine leadership: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared the need for a "reset" in the country's leadership, thus increasing speculation over the sacking of Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

"If we want to win we all have to push in the same direction, convinced of victory, we cannot be discouraged, and drop our arms, we have to have the right positive energy that's why I'm talking about reset, about replacement," Zelenskyy told Italian state broadcaster RAI in an interview aired on Sunday.

While saying "reset," he refers to a "turnover" of a number of state officials and is not focused on a single entity such as the military.

"I have something serious in mind, which is not about a single person, but about the direction of the leadership of the country," he added.

0604 GMT — France to summon Russian ambassador following death of humanitarian workers in Ukraine

France will summon Russia's ambassador on Monday, a French diplomatic source said, after the death of two French humanitarian workers following a Russian strike in Ukraine last week, and what Paris said was an upsurge in Russian disinformation targeting France.

Two French volunteer aid workers were killed and another three wounded in a Russian drone attack in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on February 1 in what Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne described as an act of "barbarity."

0324 GMT — Senate deal on border security and Ukraine aid faces rejection by US House speaker

US House Speaker Mike Johnson said the freshly unveiled Senate deal on border security and Ukraine aid would be "dead on arrival" if it reaches his Republican-controlled chamber.

"This bill is even worse than we expected, and won't come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created," Johnson said on X, formerly Twitter, pledging that "if this bill reaches the House, it will be dead on arrival."

0014 GMT — Biden urges swift passage of Ukraine aid deal

President Joe Biden has said he "strongly" supports the bipartisan deal which would provide billions of dollars in new aid to Ukraine and Israel while bolstering US border security and tightening asylum laws.

"We've reached an agreement on a bipartisan national security deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. I strongly support it," said Biden in a statement.

He urged Congress to "swiftly pass" the deal and "get it to my desk so I can sign it into law immediately."

2353 GMT — US Senate releases text of border security, Ukraine aid bill

US senators have released the language of a bipartisan border security package that would unlock vital aid for Ukraine with an initial vote expected by midweek, although its prospects for becoming law are unclear.

Senators have been negotiating for months on a deal to combat illegal immigration, with Republicans insisting on bolstered border security in return for approving a White House request for more than $60 billion for Kiev.

2145 GMT — Zelenskyy considering replacing several officials

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an interview broadcast on has said he is considering replacing several senior officials, and not just in the military, to determine who is to lead the country.

Speculation has gripped Ukraine over suggestions that the president is about to dismiss the commander of Ukraine's military, Valery Zaluzhnyi. The two have been at odds over the conduct of the nearly two-year-old Russian military offensive.

"It is a question of the people who are to lead Ukraine," Zelenskiy told Italian state RAI television when asked about Zaluzhnyi.

2117 GMT — NATO chief dismisses immediate Russian military threat

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that there is currently no imminent military threat from Russia towards a NATO member, highlighting the alliance's strengthened defence capabilities.

In an interview with German public broadcaster ARD, Stoltenberg dismissed claims that Russia would attack a member of the alliance if it wins the war in Ukraine.

"We do not currently perceive a military threat against a NATO ally in the near future," he said, noting that NATO has been "significantly strengthened" in recent years and all member states have invested "significantly" in their own defence.

For our live updates from Sunday, February 4 click here.