We've wrapped up our live coverage for the day. You can read more on Russia's invasion of Ukraine here.
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 0044 GMT (0844 HKT) February 4, 2023
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It's nighttime in Kyiv. Here's what you should know
From CNN staff
The southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was shelled 18 times on Friday, Ukrainian authorities said, resulting in one death and one person injured. Apartments and private houses were also damaged in the shelling, the city council said in a statement.
Here are the other developments:
Sanctions: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that a 10th round of EU sanctions against Russia is "on its way" and that they will target the Russian trade and technology fueling the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the sanctions should aim to stop Moscow from rebuilding its military capability.
In addition, the United States and its allies outlined new curbs on Russian energy sales. The agreement between the US, the G7, the European Union and Australia places a price cap on “seaborne Russian-origin petroleum products,” the US Treasury department said.
US Treasury also imposed sanctions on eight senior officials at the Iranian drone manufacturer Paravar Pars Company in response to Tehran’s provision of drones to Russia.
Assistance: The Biden administration announced a new security package worth $2.17 billion that includes longer-range missiles for the first time. Also, the European Union will provide an additional $27 million to support Ukraine’s de-mining of the liberated territories that were temporarily occupied by Russian armed forces, EU top diplomat Josep Borrell announced Friday.
Black Sea presence: The number of Russian ships capable of launching missiles on Ukrainian territory from the Black Sea has increased, the Ukrainian military's Operational Command South said in a Facebook post. CNN is unable to independently verify this assessment.
US and allies announce new price cap on Russian petroleum products
From CNN's Nikki Carvajal
The US and allies are trying to further limit Russia’s ability to make money and finance war efforts with new price limits on products like gasoline and fuel oil.
A senior Treasury official announced additional sanctions on Russian energy sales in response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Our intent is not to crash the Russian economy,” the official told reporters on background Friday. “Our intent is to make it impossible for the Kremlin to continue to make the choice of propping up the economy and also paying for their war.”
The agreement between the US, the G7, the European Union and Australia places a price cap on “seaborne Russian-origin petroleum products,” the US Department of Treasury announced. There are two price levels: one applies to “premium-to-crude” petroleum products like diesel, kerosene and gasoline, which will be capped at $100 USD per barrel, and “discount-to-crude” petroleum products like fuel oil, which will be capped at $45 USD per barrel.
“The thing that we’re focused on is cutting off the revenue,” the official said. “We're also going after their military industrialized complex and supply chain so they can’t use the money they have to buy the weapons they need. Our approach to this is really to go after the things that are crucial to the Kremlin’s war effort and their ability to prop up their economy.”
Some background: In December, the same group implemented a price cap on crude oil — which the Treasury official said was already impeding Russia’s ability to finance the war. They added Russia had “openly acknowledged” the price cap was hurting the country’s economy. Data released by Russia showed that monthly tax revenues from energy sales declined 46% from the month prior.
Officials shrugged off reports that despite numerous sanctions, Russia’s economy is still expected to rebound, and may even outpace Germany and Britain. The senior Treasury official said economically, the country “doesn't function any longer like a normal economy.”
“They've shut it down largely, meaning that if you have money of Russia, they'll let you keep putting money in Russia, but you can't take money out. They no longer allow foreign capital coming into Russia,” the official said. “They're needing to spend more money to prop up their economy because they become a closed economy.”
Russian universities will teach about the goals of the "special military operation" in Ukraine
From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova
Russian universities will teach the goals of the Russian so-called "special military operation" in Ukraine starting Sept. 1, Russian state media TASS reported Friday, citing the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Moscow has mostly avoided describing the conflict as an invasion or as a war, insisting it is a "special military operation."
According to TASS, the new curriculum for universities will teach the origins of the "special military operation in Ukraine, sanctions, pressure from Western countries on Russia, attempts to isolate it from the rest of the world" as well as "the goals of a special military operation. Joining Russia with the Donetsk People's Republic, the Lugansk People's Republic, the Zaporizhzhia region, the Kherson region."
The document, posted on the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education's website, outlined topics such as the "refusal of the US, NATO and the EU to discuss threats to Russia's national security, armed provocations in the Donbas, armed provocations and preparations by Ukraine for the forcible seizure of the republics of Donbas, official recognition of the LPR and DPR by Russia," TASS reported.
American volunteer aid worker killed in Bakhmut while helping Ukrainian civilians
From CNN's Zahra Ullah and Jennifer Hansler
An American volunteer aid worker, Pete Reed, was killed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Thursday while aiding civilians, according to a statement from Global Response Medicine, the humanitarian aid group he founded.
Reed, a US Marine veteran, was listed as "killed while rendering aid" on a mission with another organization, GRM said in a statement posted on social media.
"Yesterday, GRM founder Pete Reed was killed in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Pete was the bedrock of GRM, serving as Board President for 4 years. In January, Pete stepped away from GRM to work with Global Outreach Doctors on their Ukraine mission and was killed while rendering aid," according to a post shared on Instagram.
"This is a stark reminder of the perils rescue and aid workers face in conflict zones as they serve citizens caught in the crossfire. Pete was just 33 years old, but lived a life in service of others, first as a decorated US Marine and then in humanitarian aid. GRM will strive to honor his legacy and the selfless service he practiced," the statement said.
Reed was also listed as the Ukraine country director on the Global Outreach Doctors' website.
A US State Department spokesperson confirmed "the recent death of a US citizen in Ukraine" when asked for comment.
“We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance,” the State Department spokesperson said. “Out of respect for the privacy of the family during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”
Reed's wife, Alex Kay Potter, wrote on Instagram that her husband not only lived for his duty but apparently died saving another team member's life.
"He was evacuating civilians and responding to those wounded when his ambulance was shelled. He died doing what he was great at, what gave him life, and what he loved, and apparently by saving a team member with his own body," the post said.
Reed started his humanitarian career working after Superstorm Sandy hit his home state of New Jersey, according to the biography pages on the Global Response Medicine and Global Outreach Doctors websites.
Reed led medical teams during the Battle for Mosul in Iraq, treating over 10,000 trauma patients, according to the websites.
EU chief says 10th round of sanctions will target trade and technology behind Russian war machine
From CNN's Niamh Kennedy
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said that the bloc's 10th round of sanctions against Russia will target the Russian trade and technology fueling the war in Ukraine.
"Our nine packages of sanctions are biting, and a 10th one is on its way," von der Leyen said in a tweet as an EU-Ukraine summit wrapped in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Friday.
The European Commission president stressed that the 10th sanctions package will "hit the trade and technology that supports Russia’s war machine."
Speaking during a press conference in Kyiv earlier on Friday, von der Leyen said the bloc aims to publish the package — which will have a volume of $10.8 billion (or about 10 billion euros) — by Feb. 24, the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.
At the same press conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the EU to use sanctions to prevent Russia from rebuilding its military capacity.
CNN's Eve Brennan, Kostan Nechyporenko and Katharina Krebs contributed reporting to this post.
1 person killed as city of Kherson was shelled 18 times, according to local officials
From Katharina Krebs in London and Kostan Nechyporenko in Kyiv
The southern Ukrainian city of Kherson was shelled 18 times on Friday, Ukrainian authorities said, resulting in one death and one person injured.
Apartments and private houses were also damaged in the shelling, the Kherson city council said in a statement.
“Since November 20, a total of 1,810 incoming hits have been recorded in the city. During this period, 77 people died, including one child,” according to the statement, adding that a total of 214 people — including six children — have been injured in total.
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian Emergency Services reported that Russian shelling caused three large fires in Kherson city overnight.
US attorney general says forfeited funds seized from Russian oligarch will go toward Ukrainian aid
From CNN's Holmes Lybrand
US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the first transfer of forfeited assets from sanctions against a Russia oligarch on Friday during an appearance with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin at the Justice Department. The funds, according to Garland, will go toward aiding Ukraine.
“Today, I am announcing that I have authorized the first ever transfer of forfeited Russian assets for use in Ukraine,” Garland said. “These forfeited assets follow the announcement I made last April of the indictment of designated Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev, on charges of sanctions evasions.”
In June, millions were seized from a US bank account belonging to Malofeyev, whom the United States announced sanctions against in April “for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly” the Russian government, the Treasury Department said at the time.
“With my authorization today. The forfeited funds will next be transferred to the State Department to support the people of Ukraine,” the attorney general added. “Russian war criminals will find no refuge in the United States.”
Kostin echoed Garland’s statement Friday, adding that the two countries were sending a clear message: “There will be no immunity and impunity for international crimes.”
“Today, we are witnessing the authorization of transfer of the confiscated assets in the amount of $5.4 million US dollars to the State Department for the purpose of rebuilding war ravaged Ukraine,” Kostin added.
“We are grateful to the United States for its decisive efforts and support. Ukrainian people will never forget that,” he said.
US Treasury sanctions senior officials at Iranian drone manufacturer
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on eight senior officials at an Iranian drone manufacturer – its latest punitive measure in response to Tehran’s provision of drones to Russia for its war against Ukraine.
The manufacturer, Paravar Pars Company, was already under sanction in the United States and the European Union for manufacturing drones for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, according to a Treasury statement.
The Treasury Department on Friday targeted the company’s board of directors.
The agency also identified two Iranian vessels. The IRIS MAKRAN, “an oil tanker that was repurposed for naval operations" but still has the capability to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UVA), commonly known as drones, is "currently conducting an international voyage," according to the Treasury. The Department said the tanker is accompanied by the naval frigate IRIS DENA (DENA).
“Iranian entities continue to produce UAVs for Iran’s IRGC and military. More broadly, Iran is supplying UAVs for Russia’s combat operations to target critical infrastructure in Ukraine,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement. “The United States will continue to aggressively target all elements of Iran’s UAV program.”
