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What the early February 2024 reports showed
Summary
A look back at the security picture in the days before 6 February 2024, from Black Sea strikes to a major EU funding decision.
What did the security picture look like on 6 February 2024? The reports from the preceding days, running from 31 January to 3 February, show fighting stretching from the Black Sea to Russian territory, alongside diplomatic and financial moves.
Strikes at sea and in Crimea
On 31 January, the Ukrainian Air Force launched a wave of Storm Shadow cruise missile strikes on Russian military infrastructure in Crimea, with explosions reported near Sevastopol International Airport. Russia said it shot down 20 Ukrainian missiles over the Black Sea. On 1 February, Ukrainian unmanned surface vehicles sank the Tarantul-class missile corvette RFS Ivanovets in Donuzlav Bay.
Drones and shelling
On 3 February, a Lukoil oil refinery in Volgograd Oblast was attacked by Ukrainian long-range drones, causing a large fire and disrupting operations. The region's governor, Andrey Bocharov, said the attack was repelled by air defences.
The same day, Russian-appointed local officials said at least 28 civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling in Russian-occupied Lysychansk, Luhansk Oblast, and that ten others were rescued from rubble.
On 1 February, a Russian drone strike near Beryslav in Kherson Oblast killed two French aid workers and injured four other people.
Money and prisoners
On 1 February, the European Union formally approved a €50 billion financial support package for Ukraine after Hungary withdrew its veto. The package was expected to help the Ukrainian government cover some costs of pensions and salaries over the next four years, with the first funds due to be released in March.
On 31 January, Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange on the border. Russia received 195 soldiers, while Ukraine received 207 military personnel and civilians. The United Arab Emirates facilitated the deal.
Reading the pattern
Taken together, the reports describe a conflict in which Ukraine struck Russian military and energy targets, including by sea and long-range means, while civilians were killed on both sides of the front line, according to the respective accounts. The EU decision set out a funding path stretching four years, and the exchange showed that channels for limited agreements remained open even as the fighting continued.
