Continued Russian Attacks on Civilian Areas in Ukraine; US Deputy Secretary of State Arrives in Kyiv

Victoria Nuland, the US Deputy Secretary of State, arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, on Wednesday, February 1, amid discussions and disagreements in the US regarding continued economic and military aid to Ukraine. Bridget Brink, the US ambassador in Kyiv, wrote on social media platform 'X' that senior US officials are set to meet with Ukrainian officials, veterans, and civil society members to emphasize their shared commitment to defeating Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine relies on the support of its Western allies to counter Russia's aggression, but this year it has yet to receive any military or financial aid from its two main supporters, the US and the European Union. Reuters quoted the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office as saying that delaying US aid to Kyiv, which is being debated in the US Congress, poses a 'great risk' for Ukraine's potential defeat in the war against Russia. The Biden administration requested about $106 billion from Congress last fall to assist Ukraine and Israel and to secure the US border, but Republicans, who control the House of Representatives by a slim majority, opposed this financial package. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army announced on Wednesday that the Russian military targeted several regions of Ukraine in its nighttime attacks with 20 drones and three ballistic missiles. In this context, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that the country's air defense had destroyed 14 drones over the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipro-Petrovsk, and Kharkiv regions. Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, stated that the windows of two high-rise apartment blocks in the Slobidskyi district of the city were shattered, and several vehicles were also damaged. He had previously mentioned that a fire occurred in one of the blocks. Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Tuesday, January 31, that Russian forces have launched 600 drones and over 330 missiles towards Ukraine since the beginning of this year. He reiterated the need for a sufficient 'air shield' to protect his country. With further aid to Ukraine stalled in the US Congress, William Burns, the head of the CIA, described this situation in a new assessment as a 'self-inflicted mistake of historic proportions.' In an article published on Tuesday in Foreign Affairs, Burns wrote, 'Maintaining the provision of weapons to Ukraine, if an opportunity for serious negotiations to end the war arises, will put the country in a stronger position.' He noted that allocating less than five percent of the US defense budget to this issue is a moderate investment with significant geopolitical returns. Russian drone attacks on Ukraine; Blinken calls for financial aid approval for Kyiv in the US Congress. Russia has once again attacked Ukraine's civilian infrastructure. Verification | The Kremlin's disinformation machine continues to operate. Zelensky: Moscow has taken to 'playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners.'