Donbas
Two Ukrainian servicemen got shrapnel wounds after Russia-backed militants dropped two VOG-17 shots from a drone near Vodyane. There have been five ceasefire violations, the Joint Forces Operation HQ has said.
Speaking on the air of Nash TV, the head of the Ukrainian delegation to the trilateral contact group, Leonid Kravchuk, has said that he is disappointed with the Minsk negotiations and called them "fake". "They say one thing but do the opposite, they think they can fool Ukraine and it will make unilateral concessions," he said.
Human rights
The Kyiv court of appeal has left musician Andriy Antonenko, who is suspected of killing journalist Pavel Sheremet, in custody. He will stay there at least until 7 February despite his deteriorating health and questionable evidence.
Coronavirus
Chief Sanitary Officer Viktor Lyashko expects the vaccination campaign in Ukraine to kick off in mid-February when the first batch of vaccines is planned to arrive. He told the BBC Ukrainian that delays can happen due to a force majeure. He did not say which vaccine this would be.
Parliament has passed the bill allow vaccination against the coronavirus with drugs which were registered under recognizance in emergency cases. Russia's Sputnik V and any of its vaccines cannot be registered.
On the morning of 29 January, Ukraine reported 5,181 new Covid-19 cases, 128 fatalities and 11,310 recoveries.
Sanctions
Ukraine has introduced three-year sanctions against the Chinese company Skyrizon which has been trying to buy the Ukrainian engine maker Motor Sich together with Ukrainian businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavskyy. The decision was taken by the National Security and Defence Council on 28 January. The sanctions foresee the blocking of assets, restrictions on trade, the ban on the transit of resources and flight, and prevention of money withdrawal from Ukraine. Vyacheslav Bohuslayev sold the company to Chinese investors in 2016, but the deal has not been finalized due to state interference.
Energy minister
Parliament has again refused to endorse Yuriy Vitrenko as first deputy prime minister and energy minister.
Exclusive: The pro-presidential Servant of the People party is considering its members Andriy Herus and Oleh Seminskyy for the post, MP Oleksandr Kachura has told LB.ua.
Crime
The High Anticorruption Court has impounded MP Yaroslav Dubnevych's savings exceeding over 100,000 dollars and 100,000 as he is suspected of embezzling over 93m hryvnyas from the national railway company Ukrzaliznytsya. His savings were confiscated during searches.
Police in Khmelnytskyy Region have busted seven illegal drug labs, having confiscated around 200 kg of narcotic and psychotropic substances and over 3 tonnes of precursors used for their production.
Commerce
The Swedish furniture giant IKEA will open its first ever store in Ukraine in Kyiv on 1 February.