In the past 24 hours Russia has fired 70 missiles against Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defence downing 47 of them, but there are casualties. The Russian forces have also carried out 44 air attacks, 18 of them using Iranian drones. Russia has dealt 125 rocket artillery strikes along the frontline, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed forces has announced.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, reports that eight strong detonations were heard close to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, citing IAEA experts on site. Director General Grossi said these signs of combat activities near the ZNPP further underlined the vital importance of agreeing and implementing a Nuclear Safety and Security Protection Zone around the site as soon as possible. A zone would help shield the ZNPP by making sure it is not targeted and also not used for attacks from the site, the IAEA writes on its website.

The group for the establishment of a special tribunal for Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine met in Prague on 26 January. In a comment, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland stated she expected an international tribunal, or its analogue, where Russia will be held accountable will start functioning in the summer of 2023, adding that the US was working on the matter with its G7 partners.  

The International Monetary Fund is exploring a multiyear aid package for Ukraine worth as much as USD16 billion to help cover the country’s needs and provide a catalyst for more international funding while Kyiv tries to repel Russian forces, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports. There’s hope the plan will be agreed on by the end of March, with the first tranche coming as early as in April in the best-case scenario, Bloomberg writes further.