Destruction of a Russian missile boat and approval of a €50 billion aid package: highlights for February 1

Destruction of a missile boat

On the night of February 1, Ukrainian intelligence officers destroyed the Ivanovets missile boat of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Its cost is approximately 60-70 million dollars.

The Russian ship was on the roadstead of Lake Donuzlav in temporarily occupied Crimea. As a result of several direct hits to the hull, the Russian ship received extensive damage beyond repair. So, “Ivanovets” tilted aft and sank.

According to preliminary information from the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the search and rescue operation of the Russian occupiers in Donuzlav was not successful. The regular number of personnel on such a boat is 40 sailors.

Agreeing on an aid package

All 27 leaders of the European Union have agreed on a multi-year aid package for Ukraine, said the head of the European Council, Charles Michel. It should be noted that a special financial instrument for Ukraine (Ukraine Facility) provides financing of up to 50 billion euros for four years (2024–2027).

And his secretary told the Guardian that European leaders had agreed on two compromises. Firstly, in two years the European Commission may review spending, but there will be a vote on this. Secondly, they agreed on an additional measure regarding the rule of law conditionality mechanism.

The vicissitudes of Arestovych's departure

NGL.media investigators, citing a source in the border service, wrote that Arestovych left for Poland on September 4, 2023, through the Krakovets-Korchowa checkpoint thanks to a letter from the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. He has not returned to Ukraine for about five months.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine called the journalists’ information fake and assured that they did not provide Oleksii Arestovych with any letters or any other documents for leaving Ukraine. Following the intelligence officers, the border guards also denied such information.

After the intelligence officers’ statement, NGL.media journalists published the entire list of border crossings by Arestovych. The document states that Arestovych used DIA letters to leave at least twice. However, investigators do not rule out that the information from the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine is true: “... after all, there is a possibility that the letter may be fake”.

Other news

• According to an investigation by hromadske, the artist Sonya Morozyuk, who was in a relationship with Roman Hrynkevych, suspected of embezzling money from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, pledged two apartments and a gallery in Kyiv as collateral for loan transactions.
• More than 900 Azov men who held the defense of Mariupol continue to remain in Russian captivity, said the commander of the Azov brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Denys Prokopenko.
• Russian troops attacked Beryslav, Kherson region, causing the death of two French citizens. Three more foreigners received minor injuries. The fourth wounded is Ukrainian. All the dead and injured were volunteers.
• Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov has published his asset and income declaration for 2023. During this year he earned more than 5.5 million hryvnia.
• The situation on the left bank of the Dnipro remains consistently difficult. There, Russian troops do not stop assaults, even if they have to be kept to a minimum, said Natalia Humeniuk, head of the joint coordination press center of the Southern Defense Forces.