Latest on Ukraine: EU just banned Russian diesel and other oil products (Feb. 6)

By NPR Staff

Published February 6, 2023 at 9:29 AM EST

Black smoke rises after shelling in Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, on Feb. 3, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Here's a look ahead and a roundup of key developments from the past week.

What to watch

As the war nears its one-year mark, on Feb. 24, Ukrainian officials and Western analysts have warned that Russia will likely launch a decisive offensive in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region in the coming weeks. Fighting in the east has already been intensifying, including around the city of Bakhmut.

A Ukrainian government shake-up that started last month may escalate, with some politicians calling to remove the highest-ranking official yet: the defense minister.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is due to visit Moscow this week. Grossi, who's repeatedly warned about the security of embattled nuclear power plants in Ukraine, will meet with representatives from the Russian Foreign Ministry and national energy company, but Russian President Vladimir Putin will not meet him, the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed condolences and offered assistance to Turkey after a major earthquake early Monday. Turkey's hosting tens of thousands of Ukrainian war refugees.

Market analysts and motorists are watching for any price rise at the diesel pump after the European Union banned Russian oil products on Sunday.

Ukraine's military said training on German-made Leopard tanks begins Monday. That's happening outside Ukraine.

What happened last week

Ukraine called for allies to send fighter jets — not long after landmark decisions for Germany and the U.S. to give Ukraine battle tanks. Both Berlin and Washington have said no to fighter planes, so far. But Germany did announce more tanks. And the U.S. pledged more weapons, including a type of long-range, GPS-guided bomb it hasn't provided before.

Human Rights Watch called on Ukraine to investigate its alleged use of banned land mines in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen led a delegation to Kyiv for an EU-Ukraine summit, against the backdrop of air raid sirens.

A European Union ban on Russian oil products took effect Sunday. Usually a major importer of Russian fuel, the EU has barred the products to target the Kremlin's war chest.

A new round of U.S. sanctions target networks supporting Russia's military based in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel and Singapore. The U.S. later sanctioned the board of an Iranian drone maker.

Over 100 Ukrainian and 63 Russian war prisoners were released in a prisoner swap, according to officials from each country. The United Arab Emirates helped negotiate some of the exchanges.

In-depth

Europe bans Russian oil products, the latest strike on the Kremlin war chest.

60 dancers who fled the war now take the stage — as The United Ukrainian Ballet.

Examining the Wagner Group, a private military company that Russia has relied on.

Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. So where are the pilots?

Ukraine's defense minister pushes for fighter jets, even as training begins on tanks.

Human Rights Watch urges investigation of alleged use of land mines by Ukraine.

Special report

Russia's war in Ukraine is changing the world: See its ripple effects in all corners of the globe.

Earlier developments

You can read past recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR's coverage here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.