116 defenders return home, first Leopard 2 tanks on their way to Ukraine: highlights of the day
116 soldiers have returned to Ukraine from Russian captivity, the first Leopard 2 tanks are on their way from Canada, and the prices of certain food products are to be removed from contracts for the purchase of food for the military. We have collected the main news for today.
Prisoner exchange
On February 4, 116 people were returned home from Russian captivity, including Mariupol defenders, Kherson partisans, and snipers from the Bakhmut axis.
According to the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, two officers and 114 privates and sergeants were released.
Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Dmytro Usov said that the health of the servicemen released from Russian captivity is unsatisfactory. Currently, they are all in hospital receiving first aid. They will undergo treatment and rehabilitation.
First Leopard 2 tanks on their way to Ukraine
An airplane with the first German-made Leopard 2 tank has taken off from Canada. In total, Canada has agreed to provide Ukraine with four tanks of this model.
Also on February 4, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa confirmed the shipment of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.
At the same time, the founder of the Belgian company OIP Land Systems, which buys old military equipment, offers to sell Western tanks to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
In particular, the businessman's company has a hangar with 50 Leopard 1 tanks on the outskirts of Tournai in Belgium. The Belgian government, which does not have any tanks in its stockpile, would be willing to buy them and hand them over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But not at the price offered by the seller.
Military food purchases
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov held a private meeting with members of the public and journalists to discuss the food procurement story. Journalist Yuriy Nikolov, who attended the event, says that Reznikov tried to divert the attention of those present from the real prices at which the ministry pays businesses to supply food.
According to Nikolov, the defense minister proposed to change the procurement system in such a way as to completely remove prices for certain food products from the contracts.
Accident in Odesa
On the morning of February 4, the second large-scale accident at a substation in Odesa occurred in 24 hours. As a result, the city and a part of Odesa district were temporarily cut off from electricity.
So far, critical infrastructure has been reconnected to the power supply. In particular, water supply, sewage and heat supply systems.
According to the Odesa Oblast State Administration, as of the evening of February 4, almost 500,000 households were without power.
Price caps on Russian oil products
The Council of the European Union has officially announced the introduction of price restrictions on petroleum products originating or exported from Russia.
Thus, the countries have agreed to cap prices for Russian oil products at $45 per barrel for discounted products (e.g., fuel oil) and $100 per barrel for premium products (e.g., diesel fuel).
Changes in payments to the military
Oleh Rohal, Head of the Cash Support and Salary Department of the Social Support Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, provided a new explanation of changes in cash support payments effective February 1, 2023.
Payments of an additional remuneration of UAH 100,000 ($2,682) to servicemen who take part in combat operations directly on the contact line will not change.
However, the remuneration will not be paid to servicemen serving in military units and subdivisions that are not part of the Defense Forces or the reserve of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and are outside the combat zone.
Other news
- At least 460 children were killed in Russia's attack on Ukraine.
- Prominent American volunteer Pete Reed who was helping Ukrainian civilians was killed in Bakhmut.
- Russia offered to exchange the monuments dismantled in Dnipro for firewood. The city council responded.
- The UK assured that the equipment allocated to Ukraine should arrive at the front as soon as possible.
- Austria admits the Russian delegation to the OSCE meeting, but does not want it to attend the ball in Vienna.
- Oksana Datiy, the head of the Kyiv State Tax Service who was searched, has rsgined, media reports say.
- "Diia" state services app may also be introduced in Asia and Africa.
- State oil and gas company Naftogaz wants to increase its own gas production by one billion cubic meters in 2023.