Every day, Midi Libre takes stock of the situation in Ukraine. This Monday, February 3, 2025, discover the latest news about this conflict
Bomb attack in Moscow
A pro-Russian paramilitary leader in eastern Ukraine, Armen Sarkisyan, was killed in a bomb attack on a luxury apartment building in the northwest of the Russian capital, the state-run Tass news agency and other Russian media reported on Monday. The bomb exploded as Sarkisyan and his bodyguards entered the lobby of a luxury residential complex, “Scarlet Sails,” on the banks of the Moskva River, 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the Kremlin, Russian media reported.
A bodyguard was killed and three others were injured, the Kommersant daily reported, adding that Armen Sarkisyan – accused by Ukraine of contributing to the Russian war effort in the Donetsk region – died in a Moscow hospital from his injuries. The attack “was carefully planned and ordered”, a law enforcement official was quoted as saying by Tass. “Investigators are identifying the masterminds of this crime.”
Baza, a Telegram channel with contacts in the Russian security services, posted a video showing extensive damage to the building’s lobby. Journalists at the scene reported seeing broken windows and a helicopter evacuating wounded people amid heavy police presence. The Ukrainian security service SBU describes Armen Sarkisyan as a “organized crime ringleader” in the Donetsk region, much of which has been controlled by Moscow since 2014. Last December, Ukraine claimed responsibility for the assassination of Russian general Igor Kirillov in a bomb blast outside a residential building in Moscow. Ukraine had no immediate comment on Monday's explosion.
Oil and gas sites targeted
Ukraine struck energy facilities in southern Russia with drones on Monday, sparking fires at a major oil refinery and a gas site and disrupting air traffic, Russian and Ukrainian officials said. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defense units intercepted and destroyed 70 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight, including 25 over the Volgograd region, 27 over the Rostov region and seven over the Astrakhan region.
“The Defense Ministry's air defense forces repelled a massive drone attack on the territory of the Volgograd region”, said regional governor Andrei Bocharov. The drone debris had sparked several fires at an oil refinery, he added, without naming the refinery involved. Baza, a Russian news channel on the Telegram messaging service that is close to the Russian security services, reported that a series of explosions were heard near a refinery operated by Russia’s second-largest oil producer, Lukoil. The refinery, with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day (bpd), is the largest in southern Russia. In the Astrakhan region, Governor Igor Babushkin said Ukrainian drones had targeted energy facilities and a fire had broken out, without elaborating. “The Ukrainian armed forces attempted a drone attack on infrastructure in the region, including fuel and energy facilities,”, he said.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000“There were no casualties”, he added. Russian news agency Interfax, citing local authorities, reported that the fire at the plant was now under control, while the regional governor said the plant had suspended operations before the attack. Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian lieutenant who heads the Center for Combating Disinformation, part of the National Security and Defense Council, said the Astrakhan gas plant had been hit. The Gazprom-controlled plant can process about 8,340 tons of gas condensate per day. Baza and other Russian channels on Telegram claimed that Ukraine had attacked a gas processing plant near Astrakhan.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the allegations by Ukraine and Russia, while Gazprom and Lukoil did not immediately respond to requests for comment. As a security precaution, Russia’s air transport control agency, Rosaviatsia, initially suspended flights from airports in Astrakhan, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Saratov and Ulyanovsk, before allowing them to resume at most airports, it said on Telegram.
Trump-Putin meeting
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are being considered by Russia as possible venues for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, two Russian sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Trump, who has said he would end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible, has said he is open to meeting Putin. The Russian president has also said he is ready to meet his American counterpart to discuss Ukraine and energy, and congratulated him on his election.
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Russian officials have visited Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks, according to Russian sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. One of the sources said there was opposition in Russia to the idea of the Russian and U.S. presidents meeting in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, with some diplomats and intelligence officials pointing to the countries’ close ties to the United States. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates did not respond to requests for comment. The Kremlin declined to comment. Trump said Sunday that his administration had “planned meetings and discussions with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia.” Asked about the remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks were “apparently planned.”
A meeting in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates could be on the cards, as neither country is a member of the International Criminal Court and neither is subject to the international arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have maintained their neutrality throughout the conflict in Ukraine. Both leaders have also maintained regular contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has visited Russia several times during the war, declaring on his last visit in October 2024 that he was ready to support peace efforts in Ukraine. The United Arab Emirates has also played a role in mediating prisoner exchanges.