Ukraine war latest: 9 killed, 13 injured in Russian drone attack on Sumy – Kyiv Independent

Key developments on Jan. 30:

• Rescue operations end in Sumy with 9 killed, 13 injured after Russian drone attack on residential building
• Sweden unveils its largest military aid package for Ukraine worth $1.2 billion
• Lithuania open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, chief commander says
• Russia’s Soviet-era military stockpile running low, faces equipment shortages, media reports

A Russian drone struck a residential building in the northeastern city of Sumy overnight on Jan. 30, killing nine people and injuring 13 others, the Interior Ministry reported.

Search and rescue operations at the site of the Russian attack concluded later in the evening.

Russia launched a total of 81 attack and decoy drones against Ukraine on the night of Jan. 30, the Air Force reported. Ukraine’s air defense shot down 37 of them, while 39 more disappeared from radars before reaching targets.

A Shahed-type attack drone hit the multistory building in Sumy shortly after midnight local time, Governor Volodymyr Artiukh said.

Two couples were killed in the attack: A 74-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife and a 65-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, local authorities reported.

Some of the injured victims have been hospitalized and are reported to be in serious condition. Among the injured are an eight-year-old child and an 18-year-old man.

Videos posted of the attack show significant damage to the building, seemingly between the sixth and seventh floors of the building. Authorities later said that 12 balconies were destroyed in the attack.

Sweden unveils its largest military aid package for Ukraine worth $1.2 billion

Sweden will provide Ukraine with a military aid package worth over $1.2 billion, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson announced on Jan. 30.

It is Sweden‘s largest tranche of military assistance since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, according to Johnson.

The package includes 16 CB90 combat boats with weapons stations, a million rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition, 146 trucks, 1,500 TOW anti-tank missiles, as well as 200 AT4 anti-tank launchers.

About $90 million will be allocated for the production of long-range missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, Johnson said.

Donations from the Swedish Armed Forces’ stockpiles will account for roughly 25% of the package, while around 45% will be used for investment in defense production.

“This can be directed towards prioritized needs, such as artillery, long-range strike abilities and drones. A short delivery time is important,” the minister said.

Under the new package, $178 million will be allocated for the so-called Danish model of funding for Ukraine’s defense production.

Other funds will also be allocated for the training of Ukrainian soldiers in 2025, as well as the repair and maintenance of the equipment already donated by Sweden.

Lithuania open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, chief commander says

Lithuania will likely consider deploying military personnel to Ukraine for a potential peacekeeping mission, Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Raimundas Vaiksnoras said on Jan. 30, according to the LRT broadcaster.

“If you ask whether Lithuania could (send peacekeepers to Ukraine), yes, we will probably consider it. There will be a discussion, and I think we should also take responsibility for European stability,” Vaiksnoras told the Ziniu radio.

His remarks come amid ongoing discussions among Western countries about the possible deployment of peacekeeping forces to Ukraine if a ceasefire is agreed upon with Russia.

Earlier reports from The Wall Street Journal indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump’s team is weighing a plan to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for continued Western arms supplies and the deployment of European peacekeepers to monitor a ceasefire.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Jan. 18 that Germany may consider contributing forces to such a mission, while U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Jan. 16 that he had discussed the matter with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Moscow has strongly opposed the idea.

Russia has depleted much of its Soviet-era military-industrial stockpile, with remaining equipment in poor condition, independent media outlet The Insider reported on Jan. 28.

The Russian military has lost more than half of its available equipment, and unless an unexpected shift occurs, hostilities could gradually fade by late 2025 or early 2026 due to a shortage of tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery, the publication claims.

The Insider reported that both Russian and Ukrainian forces are primarily losing Soviet-era equipment, with Russian losses now accounting for about 50% of its total stock. Much of the remaining equipment in storage is in poor technical condition, making it unlikely to be repaired and deployed to the front lines.

The number of combat-ready vehicles Russia could still send to the front is estimated at around 2,000 tanks, 2,000 infantry fighting vehicles (BMPs), and 3,000 armored personnel carriers (APCs).

Moscow is also reportedly facing production limitations. The only infantry fighting vehicle in large-scale production remains the BMP-3, with 463 units produced in 2023. Modern BTR-82 armored personnel carrier production is estimated at 300–400 units annually.

Note from the author:

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