February 3, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

By Sana Noor Haq, Hannah Strange, Tara Subramaniam, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Adrienne Vogt and Elise Hammond, CNN

Updated 7:44 PM ET, Fri February 3, 2023
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7:40 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Germany confirms approval of Leopard 1 battle tank deliveries to Ukraine

From CNN's Nadine Schmidt

A Leopard 1 tank of the German Bundeswehr during military exercises in the field.
A Leopard 1 tank of the German Bundeswehr during military exercises in the field. (Egon Steiner/picture alliance/Getty Images)

The German government has authorized manufacturers to send Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine, beginning the process of dispatching offensive armored vehicles to Kyiv and bolstering its military efforts against Russia's invasion.

''I can confirm that an export license has been issued," Germany's government spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, announced Friday. However, he declined to comment on the number of these tanks that would be exported.

The Leopard 1 had been in service since the 1960's until it was phased out in 2003, and it cannot keep up to the same extent as a Leopard 2 tank on the battlefield, according to Germany's armed forces spokesman Arne Collatz.

Remember: After longstanding pressure from NATO allies, Germany agreed in January to send 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine — a move that Kyiv hopes will be a game-changer on the battlefield. The decision of leaders from the US and Germany to send contingents of tanks to Ukraine marks a major moment of the nearly year-long war.

CNN's Kevin Liptak, Stephanie Halasz, Sophie Tanno and Sugam Pokharel contributed reporting.

6:14 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Two Ukrainian company officials under investigation for misappropriating nearly $3 million in Defense Ministry funds 

From CNN's Radina Gigova and Dennis Lapin 

Two heads of companies working with Ukraine's Defense Ministry are under investigation for misappropriating nearly UAH 120 million (or $3.23 million) from the department, as Kyiv makes efforts to bolster anti-corruption measures amid a prospective EU membership bid.

"Under the guise of supplying food to military units, the offenders transferred part of the funds to the bank account of a company they controlled. The total amount of stolen funds is over UAH 120 million," Ukraine's National Police said in a statement Friday. 

The heads of the two companies entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Defense to provide food for the personnel and the staff animals of military units, as well as food for military educational institutions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, "the criminals transferred part of the proceeds to the bank account of the company previously involved in the criminal activity," Ukraine's National Police said.  

The two company officials are charged with committing a crime under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which includes misappropriation, expropriation or seizure of property through abuse of office, committed in a particularly large scale. 

The defendants face imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with confiscation of property, police added. 

The criminal activity was exposed by investigators from the Main Department of the National Police working jointly with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office, according to the statement. 

The revelations come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his government is working on “new reforms” that will make the country “more human, transparent and effective." Rooting out widespread corruption is an important part of its EU candidacy.

Zelensky has also fired a number of senior Ukrainian officials linked to corruption investigations related to the procurement of wartime supplies.

8:02 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Russian strikes spark three large fires in Kherson

From CNN's Dennis Lapin and Radina Gigova

Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters attend to a fire at a shopping center in Kherson, Ukraine, on February 3.
Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighters attend to a fire at a shopping center in Kherson, Ukraine, on February 3. (LIBKOS/AP)

Russian shelling caused three large fires in Kherson overnight, after military forces attacked civilian settlements in the liberated southern city.

"Once again, the enemy chaotically shelled all neighborhoods almost all night. Rescuers extinguished fires under enemy fire," Ukraine's Emergency Service said on Telegram Friday. 

One of the fires broke out in the warehouse of a shopping center, it said.

"A shell hit the department with pyrotechnic products, so the fire was accompanied by explosions and fireworks, and the enemy started shelling again," the Emergency Service added. 

"The fire destroyed 8 pieces of equipment and racks of building materials adjacent to the building with a total area of 600 square meters."

Another fire was caused by a shell that hit a two-story residential building in one of the city's districts, while the third fire started after a shell hit a warehouse, according to the Emergency Service.

Kherson has come under an onslaught of Russian shelling in the last 24 hours, killing two people and injuring another nine -- including a five-year-old boy who was taken to hospital.

8:23 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Russian shelling kills two civilians in Donetsk region

From CNN's Dennis Lapin and Radina Gigova

Russian shelling left two people dead and injured another eight in Donetsk over the last 24 hours, as the battle for control of the eastern Ukrainian region escalates.

One of the deaths was reported in Bakhmut, according to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration. Two other people were wounded in the city.

A multi-story building, a private house and a shop were also damaged in Bakhmut, he said. 

The situation "remains tense" in several villages, including Paraskoviivka, Razdolivka and Vasyukivka, near the Russian-controlled town of Soledar, Kyrylenko added. 

Some context: Moscow has launched relentless attacks on eastern Ukraine in recent days, after a top Kyiv official said Russia is preparing for a “maximum escalation” of the nearly year-long war in Ukraine.

“These will be defining months in the war,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told Sky News in an interview broadcast Tuesday.

“I’m conscious the main fights are yet to come and they will happen this year, within two to three months,” he said.

“Russia is preparing for maximum escalation. It is gathering everything possible, doing drills and training. When it comes to an offensive from different directions, as of now, I can say that we are not excluding any scenario in the next two to three weeks.”

CNN's Jack Guy, Yulia Kesaieva, Mick Krever, Jonny Hallam and Josh Pennington contributed reporting.

6:41 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Zelensky eyeing fast-track EU membership ahead of Kyiv summit, but likely to be disappointed

Analysis from CNN's Luke McGee

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, second right, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, second left, attend EU summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 2.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, second right, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, right, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, second left, attend EU summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 2. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters)

EU leaders are in Kyiv for a summit with Ukraine, the first such summit to take place since Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to invade the country.

The two parties will talk about multiple things, from European military and humanitarian support to further action against Russia.

Top of the agenda, however, will be talks about Ukraine joining the EU. On this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is likely to be left disappointed. Yes, the EU has accepted Ukraine as a candidate state. Yes, Europe has broadly rallied to support Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression. But joining the EU is a complicated, lengthy process that, no matter how urgent Ukraine’s wishes, cannot be sped up.

Ahead of the summit, Zelensky announced a widespread crackdown on corruption in Ukraine. It’s no secret that the scale of corruption in his country would make joining the EU any time soon difficult, so the move is to be welcomed. But while Ukraine is still at war, it’s going to be very difficult for the EU to properly assess how much this action has achieved.

Perhaps more importantly, the people in Kyiv are representatives from the European institutions rather than the heads of government.

Anything complicated in the EU -- and countries joining is about the most complicated -- requires the agreement of all 27 members. This can takes over 10 years. They don’t just have to agree on a country joining, they have to agree that the candidate country has met all sorts of criteria through a series of votes that in some cases has to be approved back in domestic parliaments of member states. And with member states almost always disagreeing over some issue or another, these votes can be used as bargaining chips.

So, in a nutshell, the EU can promise Ukraine more support among other things Kyiv might want right now. But on the big question, even the heads of the institutions are at the mercy of domestic European politics.

6:41 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Air raid alerts in Kyiv as EU leaders hold summit with Zelensky

From Dennis Lapin in Kyiv 

Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv on Friday morning as EU leaders are expected to hold a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital. 

European leaders plan to discuss additional financial and military support for Ukraine to fight Russia's invasion.

On Thursday, Zelensky said he had productive talks with the commission leader, Ursula von der Leyen, and members of the College of the European Commission. 

8:03 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Kramatorsk death toll rises to 4 after Russian missile strikes

From CNN's Dennis Lapin, Tim Lister and Fred Pleitgen

An aerial view of apartment buildings hit by Russian rockets in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on February 2.
An aerial view of apartment buildings hit by Russian rockets in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on February 2. (Yevgen Honcharenko/AP)

The death toll from Russian missile strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Thursday has risen to four, with 18 others injured, Ukrainian officials said Friday.

On Thursday, two S-300 missiles were fired at the center of the city in the Donetsk region, landing about a minute apart and less than a hundred meters from a CNN team.

Four others were killed in a Russian missile attack Wednesday in the same area — an entirely residential zone with shops, a hospital and a clinic.

Rescue and recovery operations have now been completed, Ukraine's Emergency Service said Friday.

Russia's response: Moscow's Defense Ministry said the strikes against Kramatorsk had destroyed a long-range HIMARS artillery system. But it is inconceivable the Ukrainians would keep such a high-value weapon in such a public place given its size; they have gone to great lengths to disguise their locations, even building replicas.

8:04 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

2 killed in Russian attacks on Kherson, Ukrainian officials say 

From CNN's Dennis Lapin in Kyiv

A Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighter puts out a fire after Russian shelling hit a shopping center in Kherson, Ukraine, on February 3.
A Ukrainian State Emergency Service firefighter puts out a fire after Russian shelling hit a shopping center in Kherson, Ukraine, on February 3. (LIBKOS/AP)

Two people were killed and nine others injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine's southern Kherson region over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said Friday.

The Kherson regional military administration said a 5-year-old boy was wounded in the strikes and taken to hospital.

It did not say where the casualties had occurred but added that Russian forces had attacked civilian settlements in the region some 65 times over the past 24 hours.

"Enemy shells hit a shipyard, a school and residential buildings," the officials said. 
8:05 a.m. ET, February 3, 2023

Russia's missiles pummel more Donetsk cities as leaders implore people to leave

From CNN's Tim Lister and Frederik Pleitgen in Kramatorsk, Ukraine

Russia is bringing its war against Ukraine closer to the industrial cities of Donetsk with a series of missile strikes against densely populated areas.

On Thursday, two S-300 missiles were fired at the center of the city of Kramatorsk, landing about a minute apart and less than a hundred meters from a CNN team.

An earlier Iskander missile strike had killed four people and hospitalized several more in the same area — an entirely residential zone with shops, a hospital and a clinic. One of those killed was a well-respected school principal, Hanna Valeriivna, weeks before her 48th birthday.

Rescue crews still at the scene had no warning of Thursday’s attack. CNN witnessed the second missile’s last moments in flight before a large fire erupted and smoke billowed into the air.

There were no further fatalities, though at least five civilians were injured. Some people ran in panic from the scene; others seemed fatalistic. “Of course, we are frightened,” said Natalia, a middle-aged woman cowering in a doorway. “But what option do we have?”

The military governor in Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, says there is one option: Leave. “The occupiers will not leave Donetsk region alone until we drive them out of our land. Until then, all civilians must evacuate the region — it is a matter of life and death.”

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