The trilateral talks in the UAE between Russia, the USA and Ukraine concluded on Saturday, with no resolution in sight, despite optimistic noises from the Trump Administration. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed less enthusiasm for the conference than his American counterparts, stating that there is still a lot of work to be done and it would be a mistake to be too optimistic.
The next round of talks are scheduled to take place on February 1.
Military Updates
The Russian Ministry of Defense reports downing 40 Ukrainian drones over Russia last night.
Ukrainian media outlets have claimed that at least one Russian surveillance drone has been spotted at high altitude over Kiev. If true, such a drone could be used for acquiring target data and assessing the effectiveness of Russian strikes on the city.
An estimated 500 to 600 thousand residents of the city have reportedly evacuated since the mayor’s call to evacuate earlier this month (see my earlier post about that here).
On This Day in History
On Jan. 26, 1942, schoolteacher Varvara Filipovna received the Order of the Red Star for her heroism during the December 4 German attack and occupation of Yelets, Lipetsk region. 16 wounded Red Army soldiers sought shelter in the school, where Filipovna worked, with the pursuing enemy close behind them. Filipovna hid them and met the Germans at the door. They demanded to know where the Red Army soldiers went, and she said she didn’t know. She brought food and continued accepting more wounded, their numbers eventually increasing to 33. After four days the Germans were forced out of the city, and all 33 soldiers survived thanks to Filipovna’s heroism. There is a commemorative plaque to her in Yelets up to the present day.
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I created this account to share media summaries of Russian language news in a neutral tone. You can believe it or not believe it I simply intend this as another tool for your media toolbox.
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