Russia plans protracted drone campaign to ‘exhaust’ Ukraine – Zelenskyy
Russia is planning a protracted campaign of attacks with Iranian drones to “exhaust” Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
“We have information that Russia is planning a protracted attack using Shahed drones,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “It is probably banking on exhaustion. Exhausting our people, our anti-aircraft defences, our energy.”
Ukraine, he said, had to “act and do everything so that the terrorists’ fail in their aim, as all their others have failed.”
Ukraine, EU to hold summit on February 3 in Kiev
Ukraine and the European Union will hold a summit in Kiev on February 3 to discuss financial and military support, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement.
Zelenskyy discussed details of the high-level meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in his first phone call of the year, the statement said.
“The parties discussed expected results of the next Ukraine-EU summit to be held on February 3 in Kiev and agreed to intensify preparatory work,” the statement read.
The leaders talked about the supply of “appropriate” weapons and a new 18 billion euro ($19 billion) financial assistance programme to Ukraine, with Zelenskyy pushing for the first tranche to be sent this month, it said.
Eastern Ukraine ice arena destroyed in Russian attack
A Russian missile attack destroyed an ice arena in the town of Druzhkivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, Ukraine’s ice hockey federation said, following earlier reports of a missile hitting the town and injuring two people.
“So it is that since the start of the war, the Russian occupiers have destroyed five ice stadiums,” the federation said on its Telegram channel, naming them as the Druzhba venue in Donetsk, arenas in Mariupol and Melitopol, the Ice Palace in Sievierodonetsk and now the Altair arena in Druzhkivka.
