Good morning! It’s Friday, January 31, 2025, and we’re here with your daily update on defense and global affairs as we head into a new month. Here are today’s top headlines.

Ukraine Strikes Oil Refinery, Russia Hits Cities as Drone War Escalates

Ukraine launched Friday a major overnight drone attack on western Russia, hitting an oil refinery and attempting to strike a nuclear facility.

Tragically, a mother and her two-year-old child were reportedly killed in the Russian border region of Belgorod, with two others injured.

Russia claimed to have shot down over 100 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, while Ukraine stated it was targeting energy facilities to disrupt military logistics and funding.

Meanwhile, Russia continued its own strikes, launching drones at Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and Odesa, damaging infrastructure and killing at least two people.