UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
The newly appointed Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, made his first foreign visit to Ukraine on Friday, February 7, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.
In Kyiv, Dragone met with Minister Sybiha to discuss further military assistance, strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, and ways to achieve a just peace.
Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian troops have launched a new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. According to him, the Defense Forces have advanced 2.5 km. [Other reports have said 5]
Britain is developing two secret unmanned sea drones, Wasp and Snapper, for Ukraine, according to Naval Technology.
British Defence Secretary Maria Eagle confirmed that these drones were designed specifically for Ukraine and are now in the final testing phase. However, their specifications remain classified.
[Today] Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia will permanently disconnect from the Russian energy system, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced.
Zelenskyy, in an interview with Reuters, emphasized that Ukraine is offering partnership for the joint development of resources rather than their transfer. He stated that Ukraine does not intend to “give away” its resources but seeks mutually beneficial cooperation.
He pointed out that Russia has occupied about half of Ukraine’s mineral deposits, highlighting the need to protect the particularly resource-rich Dnipropetrovsk region and central Ukraine.
Zelenskyy added that Trump could pressure Putin to return the seized assets, saying: “Listen, you just took trillions—this cannot be, you must give back what belongs to another country.” He also stressed that the Americans, as the biggest supporters of Ukraine, should have priority in benefiting from economic opportunities.
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský met with Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, during his visit to Washington.
The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Sepehr Energy, a front company allegedly used by Iran's General Staff to supply oil, Voice of America reports.
The sanctions target individuals and entities in China, India, and the UAE, along with several vessels.
According to the Treasury Department, Sepehr Energy and its affiliates use "deceptive sanctions evasion techniques," such as falsifying shipping documents, to hide the Iranian origin of oil sold to foreign buyers, including China.
The agency states that illicit sales generate billions of dollars annually, which are used to fund groups such as Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah.
Russia is facing serious challenges in oil transportation as U.S. sanctions take their toll, Bloomberg oil strategist Julian Lee said.
On January 10, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 161 oil tankers for transporting Russian oil. These measures, imposed by the outgoing Biden administration, remain in place under President Donald Trump, who may introduce even tougher restrictions before peace talks on Ukraine begin.
Since then, the cost of securing a tanker to transport Russia’s Urals crude to Asia has jumped nearly 50%, according to Argus Media. The price gap between when a barrel leaves Russia and when it arrives in Asia—often used as a proxy for shipping costs—has also widened.
While past fluctuations raised suspicions of artificially inflated freight rates to circumvent the G7 price cap, the sheer number of sanctioned vessels now signals a real increase in costs. Many of the newly blacklisted tankers appear to be exiting the market, forcing Russia to seek alternative shipping solutions.
Currently, 265 tankers are sanctioned by the U.S., EU, or UK, with Washington’s measures having the most severe impact. Of the 435 vessels that transported Russian oil in 2024, 112—about 26%—are now under U.S. sanctions, rising to 37% when including UK and EU restrictions.
These sanctions are leaving a significant gap in Russia’s “shadow fleet,” increasing freight costs and making it harder to acquire new vessels. As a result, Russia may have to pay higher prices for shipping and offer greater incentives to operators willing to take the risk of future sanctions.