Key developments on Jan. 31:
- North Korean troops not seen for 3 weeks in parts of Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Special Forces say
- Ukraine deploys long-range drone capable of 2,000 km strike, military says
- Ukrainian drones strike "one of 10 largest oil refineries in Russia," military says
- Russian missiles strike Odesa’s historic center, injuring 2
- Finland announces $206 million military package for Ukraine
North Korean troops have not been seen for roughly three weeks in the areas of Kursk Oblast where Ukraine's Special Operations Forces (SOF) are fighting, the unit's spokesperson, Colonel Oleksandr Kindratenko, told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 31.
The comment comes as undisclosed Ukrainian and U.S. officials told The New York Times that North Korean troops had been taken off the front lines after suffering heavy casualties.
"These are standard measures – rotation due to large casualties," a military intelligence source commented for the Kyiv Independent, confirming the reports.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 19 that roughly half of the 11-12,000-strong North Korean contingent deployed to the embattled Russian region have been killed or wounded.
Experts interviewed by the Kyiv Independent connected North Korea’s high casualty rates to a lack of experience with modern warfare, the "human wave" tactics employed against entrenched Ukrainian positions, and the resolve of North Korean troops to avoid capture, even at the cost of their own lives.
In a video, a large assault group of purportedly North Korean soldiers is seen crossing an open field and forest, followed by close combat footage with only dozens of meters between the two sides. In the end, graphic footage shows killed soldiers claimed to be North Koreans.
The Ukrainian fighters held off the assault with small arms, grenade launchers, and snipers. Eventually, the Ukrainian troops retreated in two Humvees, the post read.
Previous comments by Ukrainian officials earlier this week suggest that North Korean troops may have been taken off the front lines only temporarily.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Ukraine deploys long-range drone capable of 2,000 km strike, military says
Ukrainian soldiers are now using a long-range drone capable of traveling up to 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and carrying a 250-kilogram air bomb, the Unmanned Systems Forces said on Jan. 31.
The drone is described as a “unique development” and a potential game changer on the battlefield. The military did not disclose the number of drones in service or additional details about their capabilities.
"Russian propaganda constantly claims to have 'shot down' such aircraft, but explosions at military-industrial complexes, refineries, and ammunition depots suggest otherwise," the statement read.
The drones, operated by Ukraine's 14th Regiment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, have targeted Russian facilities for more than a year, “flying hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometers,” according to the statement.
“There have already been dozens of such missions, and there will be more,” the military said.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
Kateryna Denisova
Ukrainian drones strike "one of 10 largest oil refineries in Russia," military says
Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery owned by Lukoil, one of Russia's largest oil producers, in Volgograd Oblast overnight on Jan. 31, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
Flashes and explosions were recorded near the plant, though the extent of the damage is still being assessed, the military said, adding it was "one of the 10 largest oil refineries in Russia in terms of design capacity."
"The refinery produces gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and aviation fuel," Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, later said.
The Lukoil refinery in Volgograd Oblast lies around 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the front line in Ukraine, and was targeted in a joint operation of the Unmanned Systems Forces and Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).
It has been targeted multiple times during the war, including in February, July, and September 2023.
Martin Fornusek
Russian missiles strike Odesa’s historic center, injuring 2
Russian forces launched missile strikes on Odesa’s historic center on the evening of Jan. 31, injuring at least two people, Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov said.
Three explosions were reported around 8 p.m. local time, shortly after Ukraine’s Air Force warned of missile launches from the Black Sea.
"The strikes are directly targeting the city, hitting ordinary civilian buildings. Again and again: Air defense systems are the first priority," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Videos and photos shared on social media show damage to the five-star Bristol Hotel. One of the injured is a hotel employee, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper. Debris also fell near the Opera House, a well-known downtown landmark.
Trukhanov said the attack caused significant damage in Odesa’s UNESCO-protected historic district.
Finland announces $206 million military package for Ukraine
The Finnish government has approved its 27th military aid package for Ukraine worth 198 million euros ($206 million), the Finnish Defense Ministry said on Jan. 31.
This brings Finland's total defense aid provided to Ukraine since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 to 2.5 billion euros ($2.6 billion). As with the previous Finnish aid packages, the content of the latest tranche is classified.
"This package of almost 200 million euros has been built in close cooperation with Ukraine. We are providing exactly the kind of support that will help Ukraine defend itself in an acute situation on the front," Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said in a press release.
"It is up to us Europeans how Europe's security continues to develop. Securing Ukraine's independence and ability to defend itself is the most important thing right now," Hakkanen said.
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