MP's case
The pro-presidential Servant of the People faction expelled MP Oleksandr Dubinskyy tonight with 180 of 246 votes. Dubinskyy was among a group of Ukrainian nationals recently designated by US sanctions for meddling in US elections.
MP Oleksandr Dubinskyy has called his exclusion a manipulation in favour of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's entourage. "All the red lines have been crossed. We have seen the true faces of political actors both in the president's office and in the Ukrainian parliament," he said.
His membership of the faction may be restored if Dubinskyy proves he had not meddled in the US elections, faction head Davyd Arakhamiya has said, according to an LB.ua correspondent.
USA
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has held the first phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"In our first call today @SecBlinken and I affirmed the importance of the Ukraine-U.S. strategic partnership. We agreed to raise the level of ambition and begin a new day in our relations. Grateful for the unfaltering U.S. support of Ukraine’s sovereignty & territorial integrity," Kuleba tweeted in English.
SBU
The parliamentary committees for national security and law enforcement have held a joint meeting behind closed doors with the leadership of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), MP Maryana Bezuhla has told LB.ua.
According to the SBU press service, SBU chief Ivan Bakanov said at the meeting that the service will study in detail the possible connections of former SBU first deputy head Dmytro Neskoromnyy, who is suspected of ordering the killing of Andriy Naumov by Russian special services.
Russian agent network
The SBU has exposed a number of popular Ukrainian Telegram channels, including Legitimnyy and Rezident, supervised by the 85th main special service centre of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian General Staff. They were administered by Odesa resident Artem Davydchenko, one of the organizers of mass riots during the so-called anti-Maydan protests in Odesa.
Energy
Ukraine has renewed electricity imports from Russia for the first time since March 2020, according to the Ukrenergo company. The purchases were made by private traders, including ONK-Group, NEK and Stimex.
Donbas
A Ukrainian serviceman went missing while keeping watch at one of the strongpoints in the East operational sector. He left behind his arms and ammunition.
Russia-backed militants have violated the ceasefire four times since midnight, the Joint Forces Operation HQ has said.
Crimea
France is ready to join the Crimean Platform initiative but its purpose needs to be clarified, French ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins has told Interfax-Ukraine. "This is a very interesting initiative. We are certainly looking at it with great interest. We spoke with Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova. There are contacts between the two ministries, and there will be more, that's for sure, because we have never recognised the situation. "We are also in contact with our colleagues from the EU on this issue and are coordinating with them. This is something we are closely monitoring from a diplomatic point of view," de Poncins said.
Nicaragua
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked parliament to introduce sanctions against Nicaragua after it opened an "honorary consulate" in Russia-annexed Crimea.
Coronavirus
On the morning of 1 February, Ukraine reported 2,030 new Covid-19 cases identified after 9,873 tests, 61 deaths and 5,131 recoveries.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has suggested that the quarantine in certain regions can be relaxed down to the yellow and green zones.
Forum
President Zelenskyy has announced an all-Ukrainian forum "Ukraine 30" for officials and experts to be held in Kyiv on 8-10 February.