The US Administration is exploring the potential use of immobilized Russian sovereign assets for weaponry procurement for Ukraine
FLASH NEWS OF THE WEEK
January 19: Ukraine is developing an indigenous air defense system and an advanced missile system to deter potential attacks by Russia using its hyped Oreshnik [intermediate range ballistic missile] system, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrsky told a Ukrainian news outlet on Jan. 19. Ukraine has lobbied international partners for more air defense capabilities in the wake of intensifying Russian strikes targeting energy infrastructure. “Back in Soviet times, we actually produced all the control systems for anti-aircraft systems. That is, we have the capacities and capabilities to create, and we are working on creating our own domestic air defense complex,” Syrsky told TSN. Ukraine’s indigenous system aims to match the U.S.-made Patriot air defenses in capabilities and performance, he said. Syrsky said that the threat posed by Russia’s new intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Oreshnik, is strong motivation for Kyiv to produce its own anti-missile air defenses. Only a few air defense systems can defeat the Oreshnik, and Ukraine does not yet possess these capabilities, Syrsky said. “This motivates us to develop and build an air defense system of our own, which would provide defenses not just against aircraft threats but also against missile threats,” he said.
January 25: The United States is exploring the possibility of using Russian sovereign assets immobilized in Western jurisdictions in response to its war of aggression to purchase weaponry for Ukraine, said the U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, in an interview with Fox News. Kellogg emphasized that discussions are ongoing but no concrete decisions have been reached yet. “This topic is subject to discussion. This is always part of the work, because we have different options and we want to present to the President of the United States several of them so that he can choose. We have repeatedly talked about using Russian frozen assets to purchase American weapons. This is one of the pieces of the puzzle that needs to be discussed, and it will be on the President’s table for discussion,” Kellogg noted. In response to the aggression against Ukraine, the West has frozen approximately $300 billion worth of Russian central bank assets, with most of these funds located in Europe. According to the U.S. Treasury, around $5–7 billion of Russian assets are currently blocked in the United States. The U.S. has been a proponent of a full forfeiture of these funds to assist Ukraine in its recovery. In April 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would allow these funds to be used for aid to Ukraine.
Israel has probably begun supplying Ukraine with Russian-made weapons captured in Lebanon and Syria. Earlier, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel proposed transferring Russian weapons captured by the IDF to Ukraine.
January 20: Just on the first day back in office as the 47th president of the United States and the few following days of the week, Donald Trump (1) affirmed his intention to meet Putin and end the war in Ukraine at the earliest time possible, (2) urged Russia to conclude a peace agreement with Ukraine, or be ready to face “the worse” if Moscow refused to negotiate, (3) allowed the U.S. Presidential Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg 100 days to achieve an end to the war in Ukraine, (4) signed an executive order temporarily suspending all foreign aid programs for 90 days to allow for a comprehensive review to ensure alignment with his administration’s policy priorities, potentially impacting aid to countries like Israel, Egypt, and Ukraine; (5) issued an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement.
COMMENT: Volodymyr Ohryzko, former Foreign Minister of Ukraine, CEO at the Center for Russian Studies: “Trump emphasizes Ukraine’s readiness for negotiations, which reflects our shared vision of the situation. We are on the same side of the barricades with him, and this is a critical positive aspect to our international posture. As for the Kremlin, uncertainty and fear reign there now. They don’t know what to expect, and this creates a favorable negotiating situation for us.”
January 21: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, urging Europe to take charge of its own security amid escalating Russian threats. “Europe must establish itself as a strong global actor,” Zelensky said, adding that, while the United States remains an indispensable ally, Washington doubts Europe’s ability to contribute meaningfully to global security. Zelensky highlighted the imbalance in military capabilities, noting that Russia can deploy 1.5 million troops compared to Ukraine’s 800,000 and France’s 200,000. He called on European nations to unite against Russian aggression, warning that battles involving North Korean soldiers are now geographically closer to Davos than to Pyongyang. Despite having a smaller economy than Europe, Russia outpaces European nations in ammunition and military equipment production, a disparity Zelensky urged Europe to address collectively. Zelensky also emphasized the growing strategic ties between Russia, Iran, and North Korea, describing them as threats to Europe, the U.S., and global stability. “These are their strategic priorities, and our priorities must meet this challenge — in politics, defense, and economics. We can only counter such threats together,” he said. Zelensky also said that Russia is evolving into a “North Korea-like state,” where human life holds no value, but nuclear weapons and hostility toward neighbors dominate its agenda. If Trump sees Ukraine in NATO, we will be in NATO, everyone will favor this happening, he said, adding that Ukraine will never recognize the occupied territories as part of Russia, even under pressure from all allies; and at least 200,000 European peacekeepers will be needed to deter a new Russian aggression.
THE WAR AS IT IS
January 20/ Shorts_Dolgov: What to expect from Trump’s second term in presidential office?
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January 20/ Ukrinform’s Victory Commanders series interview with military psychologist Yevhenia Vasylenko about PTSD in soldiers deployed at the frontline
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January 21/ Nation of the Invincible series interview with Masi Nayem: Corruption amid war, military medical examinations, enlistment and recruitment for war, forced conscription and a fair revenge
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January 22/ Chalenko: The Davos Economic Forum Puts a Clear Emphasis on Security
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January 24/ Petrenko: Trump Has Not Yet Shown What He Is Capable of: What Should Russia Get Prepared for?
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January 21/ Wall of Remembrance for the Fallen Defenders was unveiled in Odessa
January 22/ A display themed “Altar of Freedom” was mounted at the War Museum in Kyiv
January 22/ A ceremony honoring the fallen defenders took place in Uzghorod
January 23/ The aftermath of Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia city
January 24/ Introduction ceremony for the book “Kharkiv. 17 conversations about the invincibility”
January 25/ A high-rise apartment building outside capital Kyiv suffered damage in the aftermath of Russian barrage
UKRAINIAN BATTLEFIELDS
Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Volodymyr Zelensky:
January 20: chaired a Supreme Commander-in-Chief Staff meeting with focus on the production of new military equipment systems and repair of the equipment damaged on the battlefield;
January 24: hosted a Supreme Commander-in-Chief Staff meeting to review the overall status of Russia’s warfighting capabilities and capacities.
Attacks on the Russian Federation and Russian occupied Ukraine:
January 24: The Kremniy El microchip plant in Russia’s western Bryansk region halted production following one of the most massive Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia since the start of the war, local authorities and media reported Friday. “Six drones [struck Kremniy El] overnight on Frida, damaging part of the production facilities and a warehouse storing finished products,” the company said. Kremniy El said the attack disrupted the plant’s power supply and assembly lines, though no casualties were reported. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 37 over the Bryansk region, which lies roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the Russia-Ukraine border. Kremniy El is ranked among the largest microelectronics manufacturers in Russia with an annual output worth 3.9 billion rubles ($39.7 million). The plant supplies 94% of its production to the Russian Defense Ministry, including components for UAVs, the Pantsir and S-500 missile systems, as well as Kalibr cruise missiles. Kremniy El was targeted twice in previous attacks by Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
January 24: Ukrainian drones hit a Russian oil refinery in the city of Ryazan overnight, causing a fire and damaging equipment at one of Russia’s biggest refineries. Sources said oil storage at the refinery, owned by Russia’s state-run oil giant Rosneft, had been set ablaze. Among damaged equipment were a railway loading rack and a hydrotreater unit used to remove impurities from refined products. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses had repelled a massive Ukrainian drone attack overnight, intercepting and destroying 121 drones targeting 13 regions, including Moscow. It made no mention of casualties or damage. It said 20 had targeted the Ryazan region, which is southeast of Moscow. Ukraine also said it had hit the Ryazan refinery. Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s center for countering disinformation, mentioned the refinery as one of the targets hit in Ukrainian attacks.
January 26: The AFU General Staff reported that Ukrainian missile forces struck the forward command post of the Russian Pacific Fleet’s operational grouping of forces deployed near Korenevo in Russia’s western Kursk region. No further details regarding the attack were provided.
January 21: A fire was reported at an aircraft factory in Russia’s Smolensk region, shortly after Ukraine launched a massive drone strike on Tuesday morning. The drone barrage is reported to have targeted the Smolensk Aviation Plant, which produces the Soviet-designed Su-25 ground attack aircraft, as well as Kh-55 and Kh-59 missiles. These are used by Russia’s military to strike Ukraine in the ongoing war. Throughout the conflict, Ukraine has sought to strike facilities in Russia that play a role in facilitating the country’s war efforts. These targets include airfields, military plants, ammunition depots and warehouses, as well as oil hubs and refineries. Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said the attack struck the Smolensk Aviation Plant. He highlighted its links to Russia’s Defense Ministry, saying that it supplies parts for Russian aircraft. “The Smolensk Aviation Plant was attacked. It is involved in the production and modernization of military aircraft, in particular the Su-25 attack airplanes. It also provides overhaul and maintenance of aviation equipment, which allows the Russian Federation to maintain the combat capability of outdated aircraft models,” Kovalenko said, adding that “the plant is closely connected with other businesses of the Russian defense industrial base, supplying components or involved in collaboration to create modern aircraft systems. Every strike on such a plant would destroy Russia’s ability to maintain its own aircraft fleet in a combat-ready status.”
January 21: Ukrainian forces struck the Liski oil depot in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast overnight on Tuesday, the AFU General Staff has said. The Liski oil depot was targeted again after being hit by a Ukrainian drone attack just a week ago. In the most recent strike, Ukrainian drones hit fuel and lubricant tanks, setting a fire at the Rosneft-run facility, the General Staff reported. The village of Liski, where the depot is located, lies around 140 kilometers (90 miles) north of Russia’s border with Ukraine’s Kharkiv Oblast.
COMMENT: Oleksandr Kovalenko, defense analyst at the Information Resistance group: “Ukraine has achieved a relative parity in the intensity of effective strikes deep into Russian territory and has apparently surpassed the occupiers in the effectiveness of strikes being delivered…”.
January 20: Ukrainian drones targeted industrial plants in Russia’s republic of Tatarstan around 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Russian media reported and officials in Kyiv said Monday. Tatarstan’s regional government said an “attempted attack by enemy drones” to target unidentified “industrial enterprises” was thwarted without causing any injuries or damage. At least two regional airports had grounded flights due to the attacks. Andrii Kovalenko, the Center for Countering Disinformation chief at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said explosions were heard in the Tatarstan capital city of Kazan, which houses the Kazan Gorbunov Aviation Plant, Kazan Helicopters and the Kazan State-Owned Gunpowder Plant. “These aren’t the first attacks, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to secure Russia’s skies,” Kovalenko wrote on Telegram without explicitly acknowledging that Ukraine carried out the drone strikes. Unverified videos shared by the Astra Telegram news channel showed what were claimed to be explosions from the drone strikes on the Gorbunov plant.
January 25: Cyber experts from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) have launched a large-scale cyberattack targeting MegaFon, one of Russia’s leading mobile and internet service providers. MegaFon is ranked the second largest mobile phone operator and the third largest telecom operator in Russia. It is notorious for being supportive of Russia’s all-out war of aggression against Ukraine. “Since yesterday morning, residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and several central regions of the Russian Federation began reporting disruptions in mobile communications, internet access, and poor performance of various mobile services and applications,” sources reported. Within hours, [Russia’s communications watchdog] Roskomnadzor acknowledged a ‘failure in the MegaFon infrastructure,’” they added. Russian media later exposed the real reason for the disruptions – an intense and highly effective “carpet-bombing DDoS attack” targeting MegaFon. While the company insisted its network was functioning “smoothly,” it admitted to “possible access issues” resulting from factors outside its control. According to Ukrainian defense intelligence, the HUR, the attack not only disrupted MegaFon but also affected other operators, such as Yota and NetByNet. The attack temporarily cut Russians off from several online platforms and services, including Steam, Twitch, and Discord, which are reportedly utilized by the Russian military and intelligence services to support their aggression against Ukraine.
HOSTILITIES
January 22: Ukrainian launched FPV drones successfully targeted three Russian air defense systems in the rear areas of the enemy-held territory, according to reports from different Ukrainian Defense Forces units on Wednesday. The “Ronin” unit under the 65th Independent Mechanized Brigade struck a Tor-M2 air defense system south of Novomykolaivka in Russia occupied Zaporizhzhia region. The drone attack hit the radar lift mechanism, reportedly disabling the system located dozens of kilometers from the frontline. The Tor was reported to have been struck from 41 kilometer (25.5 miles), a record long distance ever recorded to have been reached by a first-person-view (FPV) drone, according to defense analyst Roman Bochkala. In another operation, the same unit targeted a Buk-M3 air defense system in western Zaporizhzhia oblast. The drone hit a 9M317M missile launch canister at around 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the frontline. While the exact extent of the damage is yet to be verified, the missile launch canister was purpotedly damaged or disabled in the attack. Another attack, launched by the “Perun” UAV battalion within the 42nd Independent Mechanized Brigade targeted and hit a Tor-M2 system near the village of Grafovka in Russia’s western Belgorod region at around 13 kilometers (8.1 miles) from the Ukrainian border and about 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) from an area under Ukrainian military control, hitting the radar station mounted on a vehicle. Although none of the air defense systems were confirmed to have been destroyed, the damage to the two Tor-M2 systems is likely to require an overhaul, rendering them temporarily inoperable.
January 21: Russia lacks sufficient forces for a big breakthrough in Ukraine, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, said during a discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos Tuesday. “I’m not worried that Ukraine could suddenly lose. I don’t see the potential for a massive (Russian) breakthrough,” Cavoli said. “And this is not a political but a military vision. It’s got to do with both sides, the effective defenses that the Ukrainians have been putting in, but also the difficulty that the Russian side has in generating significant offensive forces to be able to exploit a potential breakthrough.” Russia quickly advanced in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast in late 2024, making operationally significant gains near Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, and Kupiansk, as well as on its own soil in Kursk Oblast. Ukraine has struggled to contain the Russian offensive as Ukrainian forces are overstretched and dealing with manpower shortages. Despite Russian advances, Cavoli said Russia’s slow and incremental push is “exhausting” for Moscow’s forces. “After all, there is a reason why Russia brought thousands and thousands of soldiers from North Korea,” he added, referring to the 12,000-strong North Korean contingent dispatched to Kursk Oblast. “I think we’re going to continue to see this tension between the desire to attack and the lack of manpower on the part of the Russians. I think that will largely define the conflict and force the Russians to use more weapons of deterrence, as we’ve seen them do in recent years.” The general also said that though it remains unclear whether the U.S. will continue providing military aid packages under the Trump administration, he pointed to the “very significant uplift in European aid” provided to Ukraine.
January 25: The AFU chief commander, Lt-Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky has suggested introducing wartime censorship in the press to preclude the leakage of sensitive military information. “It is necessary to be censored. I don’t mean introducing a North Korea-style dictatorship, just want to say that the war… we are not the only ones in the world fighting a war, and there is a certain set of actions that must be taken. They are actually defined by the law of Ukraine on martial law regime. You know that there are many restrictions introduced by that law. These restrictions are not just some kind of news, some kind of demand to restrict someone’s rights, they are simply a necessity,” Syrsky said in an interview with Radio Bayraktar. He argued that restricting access to details such as troop movements is necessary for security, particularly given the current ease of accessing information. Syrsky emphasized that his suggestion was not about creating a dictatorship but rather about implementing measures necessary during wartime. He acknowledged that while it’s important to inform the public about the war reality, certain details must remain hidden to prevent aiding enemy forces. Syrsky further highlighted that the Ukrainian government has already initiated media initiatives like the United News TV tele-marathon, which has faced criticism for limiting opposition voices. The Ukrainian government has also considered restricting platforms like Telegram, which it views as a potential security risk. Despite concerns raised by the European Commission, the government continues to support the telethon and other measures aimed at controlling the flow of information. Other highlights from Gen. Syrsky’s interview include: (1) all offensive operations conducted by Ukraine’s Armed Forces are meticulously planned for by the country’s military command staff; (2) the successful Kursk incursion gave hope that “this offensive will not be the last“; (3) Syrsky denied claims that the Russians were allegedly allowed to escape safe and sound during the 2022 Ukrainian counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.
January 20: Ukrainian forces regained lost positions in Zelenivka in Donetsk Oblast as well as in Makhnovka in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to crowd-sourced monitoring website DeepState.
January 20: Amid ongoing tensions and intense fighting in Ukraine, Ukrainian defense forces have intensified their efforts to counter Russian troops on multiple fronts. A recent nighttime operation, reported by the government on Monday, highlighted the effectiveness of Vampire drones, also known as “Baba Yaga,” deployed by aerial scouts of the Kharkiv Border Guard Detachment under Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service. This mission destroyed eight enemy positions, underlining the growing significance of aerial technologies in modern conflicts. The Vampire, a nighttime attack drone developed by the Ukrainian company Skyfall, was specifically designed to address the challenges posed by the Russian invasion. Introduced in response to the need for effective nighttime operations, the drone is equipped with six rotors and a thermal camera capable of identifying targets up to 120 meters away, even in very low visibility environments. This technological advantage allows Ukrainian forces to conduct precise operations under cover of darkness, targeting enemy positions that might otherwise remain secure. With the capacity to carry up to 15 kilograms of munitions—including fragmentation bombs, thermobaric weapons, and TM-62 mines—the Vampire is highly effective against a variety of targets, including armored vehicles, ammunition depots, and field fortifications. In addition to its offensive capabilities, the Vampire boasts advanced defensive features. It is designed to resist electronic jamming, a common countermeasure employed by Russian forces. Its specialized antennas allow it to maintain control even when GPS signals are disrupted, ensuring operational reliability in contested environments. With a flight endurance of 23 minutes and a maximum speed of 120 km/h, the drone is also adaptable for other missions, such as serving as a platform to deploy smaller drones. However, its production cost, estimated between $10,000 and $23,000 per unit, presents challenges for scaling up production to meet the growing demand for advanced drone capabilities.
January 21: Battles between Ukrainian forces and Russian military units persist in the urban areas of Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, the operational-strategic grouping of forces Khortytsia reported via Telegram. Fighting continues on the Kramatorsk and Toretsk fronts, with intense clashes ongoing in urban areas of Chasiv Yar and Toretsk. Defense units repelled Russian attacks targeting Stupochky, Krymske, and Ozaryanivka. Some Ukrainian positions were destroyed in Russian assaults and artillery shelling. Measures are being undertaken to prevent any worsening of the tactical situation. Russian assault groups unsuccessfully attacked Ukrainian defensive lines in Vovchansk (Kharkiv axis) and near Petropavlivka and Zahrizove (Kupiansk axis), as reported by Khortytsia operational-strategic grouping of forces. On the Lyman front, Ukrainian forces fended off Russian attacks targeting the neighborhoods of Nadiya, Novoyehorivka, Makiivka, and Terny. The invading forces used armored vehicles to support their offensive toward Novoserhiivka, but Ukrainian fires destroyed a Russian tank and armored vehicle, causing the attack to fail. On the Siversk front, Russian troops conducted offensive operations toward Verkhnokamyanske but failed to succeed.
January 22: A scout group from the HUR defense intelligence service spotted an enemy position with critical satellite equipment in the area of Tyotkino, Russia’s western Kursk oblast. FPV drones were used to destroy Russian devices enabling the operation of the Yamal-401, Yamal-402, and Yamal-300K satellites. The hideout with enemy personnel was also hit by firepower.
January 22: Commandos from the 8th Regiment under the AFU Special Operations Forces repelled an attack on Ukrainian defensive positions in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, killing 21 North Korean soldiers and leaving 40 others wounded.
January 26: Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed on Sunday that its forces had allegedly captured Velyka Novosilka, a strategically significant settlement in the western part of Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine’s 110th Mechanized Brigade, which is deployed in the area, acknowledged a withdrawal from parts of the village to avoid encirclement but claimed that fighting is ongoing elsewhere in Velyka Novosilka. “Fighting in Velyka Novosilka is ongoing. Russian forces shelled our positions 30 times,” the Khortytsia group of forces said. “The Defense Forces continue inflicting casualties to Russia in manpower and equipment during intense battles.” The group’s spokesperson, Viktor Trehubov, clarified later in the day that Ukrainian forces withdrew from the southern part of the village but continue to hold ground on the outskirts. The village with a pre-war population of 5,000 lies only around 15 kilometers from the administrative border with Zaporizhzhia Oblast and 20 kilometers from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region so far untouched by Russian occupation.
January 23: Warfighters from the 24th King Danylo Independent Mechanized Brigade thwarted a Russian assault aimed to break through to Chasiv Yar.
January 23: Russian soldiers set fire to a sewage collector near Chasiv Yar containing the bodies of a hundred of their dead fellows in order to avoid retrieving the remains and to conceal their losses.
January 24: North Korea is set to ship 150 more ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, according to the chief of Ukraine’s defense intelligence service (HUR), on top of the hundreds of artillery systems and thousands of troops it already dispatched last year. The KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) are part of a new series of artillery system shipments and troop reinforcements, Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with The War Zone on Thursday. These missiles are already being launched by both North Korean and Russian forces from the Kursk and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine, Budanov added, suggesting that DPRK troops will continue to instruct Russian servicemen to handle these systems. Budanov said the expected North Korean reinforcements will likely be made up of artillery servicemen to support provided weapons systems but noted that Kyiv “doesn’t expect to see many new ground combat troops.” North Korea has reportedly provided 148 KN-23 missiles to Russia already, launching these SRBMs at Ukrainian cities multiple times starting in early 2024. Evidence of such KN-23, or Hwasong-11, missiles found in Ukraine suggests they are often newly produced projectiles packed with Western-made electronics. The DPRK also provided the Russian army with about 120 170mm M-1989 Koksan self-propelled guns and 120 M-1991 240mm multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) last year, according to Budanov. He said that most of these systems have already been used against Ukrainian forces or are being used for training. Andrii Kovalenko, the chief of Kyiv’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council, previously said North Korea had sent dozens of Koksans, in addition to multiple M-1991 240mm MLRs, five million artillery shells and at least a hundred KN-23 missiles. No visual confirmation of M-1991s being used in combat against Ukraine has emerged so far.
January 24: The Russian invading forces are attempting to bypass Pokrovsk town from the flanks, instead of assaulting head-on, but have not yet been successful in getting it fenced in, as reported by the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group of Forces. “The enemy is trying to bypass Pokrovsk on the flanks, but so far, these attempts have been repelled quite effectively,” a press officer for Khortysia has said. The Russian forces have intensified barrage on the town, using “deep-strike weaponry such as missiles of diversified types and FPV drones, “Viktor Trehubov said in a televised broadcast Thursday, adding ,”Unfortunately, Pokrovsk has been under constant hits, but the enemy’s plan to encircle the town is still far from any practical implementation, although they are certainly trying very hard. This is the focal point of their efforts, and it has been for a very long time.” Ukraine is continuing to evacuate civilians from Pokrovsk as Russian forces are pushing closer toward the Donetsk region stronghold and a major logistics hub. According to local officials, nearly 7,000 civilians remain in the city, which had a pre-war population of 60,000. Analysts say that capturing Pokrovsk could give Russia a foothold to seize the rest of the Donetsk region, which it claims to have annexed but only partially occupies. But Ukrainian forces have held Russian troops at bay for months, allowing them to make only incremental gains. Capturing Pokrovsk has been a key goal for the Russian military in Donetsk Oblast since February 2024.
January 26: Russian forces are set to capture the city of Toretsk in the coming days, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The redeployment of elements from the Eastern Military District (EMD) to reinforce Russian troops on the Toretsk front may indicate Russia’s new priority efforts to resume attacks towards Kostiantynivka. ISW previously assessed that Russian forces likely intend to exploit the seizure of Toretsk to push further west and along the T-05-16 Toretsk-Kostiantynivka highway towards the southernmost point of Ukraine’s fortress belt in Kostiantynivka.” Russian progress on the Toretsk front has been slow due to intense fighting in densely populated urban zones. However, their pace could increase significantly if they manage to push beyond Toretsk and enter the open fields to the west of the settlement. ISW suggests that Russian forces may focus on removing the Ukrainian salient southwest of Toretsk to strengthen their southern flank ahead of a potential advance on Kostiantynivka. The Russian command could move units from the Eastern Military District to support offensives on the Toretsk front, particularly if they aim to target Ukraine’s defensive positions in Donetsk Oblast during the spring and summer of 2025.
January 25: Russian marines and paratroopers are rolling their precious armored vehicles at Ukrainian positions in Russia’s western Kursk Oblast—and running headlong into the Ukrainian army’s elite 47th Mechanized Brigade and its American-made M-2 fighting vehicles. The result, so far, is a growing pile of smoldering wreckage. “Russians are desperately trying to liberate Kursk Oblast and suffering huge losses,” according to a Ukrainian marine corps drone operator whose team has been defending the same sector as the 47th Mechanized Brigade. A three-day assault starting on Jan. 18, led by the Russian 155th Naval Infantry Brigade and 234th Air Assault Regiment left behind 14 wrecked BMP and BMD fighting vehicles and three T-80 tanks. A separate assault on or just before Tuesday involving at least four tanks and fighting vehicles—and a pickup truck—ended in the destruction of most or all of the vehicles. A Russian assault group riding in up-armored fighting vehicles and tanks—and that one pickup—rolled toward Ukrainian positions in broad daylight along the same roads they’ve always traveled in their botched attempts to roll up the Kursk salient. Surveillance drones spotted the assault group. Explosive first-person-view drones got some of the Russian vehicles. The 47th Mechanized Brigade’s M-2s hit others with their fast-firing 25-millimeter autocannons. Bomb-dropping drones swooped in to clean up the stragglers. In the process, they bombed the pickup.
THE WEEK IN NUMBERS AND PICTURES
Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian Donetsk, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions left 2 civilians dead and 34 others injured over the week reviewed.
WAR AFTERMATH
Human losses & War crimes
January 24: Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 757 troops killed in battles with Russian forces, marking one of the largest exchanges since the invasion began. The repatriation announced by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a Ukrainian state agency, is the largest in months and underscores the high cost and intensity of fighting ahead of the war’s three-year anniversary. “The bodies of 757 fallen defenders were returned to Ukraine,” the Coordination Headquarters said in a post on social media. It specified that 451 of the bodies were returned from the “Donetsk axis”, probably a reference to the battle for the mining and transport hub of Pokrovsk.
January 22: Colonel Kostyantyn “Nelson” Zhuk, 68, a Special Operations Forces officer, died in the war against Russian invaders. Prior to the war, Kostyantyn Zhuk was a professional soldier, president of the National Association of Motorcyclists of Ukraine, and one of the founders of the Kyiv-based Plast organization. During the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), he served as commander of the Harpoon Special Forces Battalion under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and led a counter-sabotage group under the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He was also known in biker circles as “Polk.” Despite his advanced age, Kostyantyn joined the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine’s Brotherhood battalion at the outset of the full-scale war. He was in charge of several units responsible for recruiting foreign volunteers and contributed to the defense of Zmiyinyy (‘Snake’) Island in 2022. Zhuk was killed in Vovchansk while leading an assault group, heroically covering the retreat of his comrades.
January 22: Stanislav Prytula, head of the Public Council at Ukraine’s State Film Agency and a renowned film director and producer, was killed in action at war, aged 40 years. Eternal memory to the Heroes…
January 23: Soldiers from the Russian invading army are reported to have executed six Ukrainian captives in the embattled Donetsk region. Ukrainian intelligence intercepted an enemy radio broadcast in which a Russian invader orders a captured Ukrainian soldier to be shot and killed. The Russians filmed the execution and posted the video on social networks. It shows the six Ukrainian soldiers being shot in the back. The video cuts off when a seventh soldier lies on the ground, his fate unknown. The Office of the Prosecutor General has launched a war crime investigation into the violation of the Geneva Convention. The OPG pointed out that the shooting of prisoners of war is a serious violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and is classified as a serious crime punishable under international law.
Economy
January 26: Russia is stealing Ukraine’s natural resources by exporting kaolin and coal from occupied territories through Mariupol port on the Sea of Azov. Reports indicate that three bulk carriers loaded with kaolin and coal from the Luhansk region departed from Mariupol seaport between 12 and 17 January. This represents another act of looting by Russian forces, who have repurposed the once thriving Ukrainian port city into a hub for illicit exports. Coal and kaolin, a valuable industrial mineral are critical economic assets for Ukraine, yet Russia continues to profit from selling them while depriving Ukraine of vital resources.
UKRAINIAN HOME FRONT
President Zelensky has appointed Olha Kuryshko as permanent presidential envoy to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
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January 20: Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Saulius Skvernelis has arrived in Ukraine for meetings with the Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The discussions focused on tightening Russia sanctions and boosting investments in the Ukrainian defense industrial sector.
January 25: Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrived in Kyiv Monday on an official visit to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sandu’s visit came amid an ongoing energy crisis in Moldova’s Russian-occupied Transnistria region. While Moldova has transitioned to European energy supplies, Transnistria remains heavily reliant on Russian natural gas. Russian gas supplies to Transnistria were halted on Jan. 1 due to Ukraine’s decision to terminate Russian gas flow through its territory, including supplies to Moldova, and Moldova’s debt for previously supplied gas. The energy crisis has been labeled by Chisinau as Kremlin blackmail and a threat to national security. “I bring a strong message of support for Ukraine and its people. Their courage secures our peace,” Sandu wrote on X. “We discussed security, energy, infrastructure, trade, and mutual support on the EU path. Moldova remains a reliable neighbor.” As Moldova has shifted toward European integration under Sandu’s leadership, Russia has continued to put pressure on the country. Moldova has sought to combat Russian influence and pressure, banning Russian-affiliated political groups like the U.S.-sanctioned Shor party, outlawing broadcasts of Russian state-run television news, and blocking access to Russian media sites.
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January 21: A joint venture between KNDS Deutschland and a Ukrainian defense enterprise has officially launched operations in Ukraine. The new company will focus on maintaining and repairing military equipment supplied by KNDS Deutschland to Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the first deliveries of this equipment having taken place in 2022. The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Cooperation signed on 21 January. Ralph Ketzel, CEO of KNDS Deutschland, noted that the collaboration has already progressed, with over 100 Ukrainian specialists receiving training in Germany. These training sessions were attended by high-ranking European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Ketzel praised the skills and commitment of the Ukrainian team, emphasizing the importance of supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts. He expressed his gratitude for the partnership and reiterated the company’s commitment to assisting the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Ukrainian Minister for Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin highlighted the significance of the collaboration for both the country’s defense capabilities and its economy. The joint venture is expected to streamline the repair process, enabling equipment to return to service more quickly. Additionally, the partnership will create jobs and attract investment, providing economic benefits alongside military support. Smetanin described the initiative as a key step in strengthening Ukraine’s defense industry, expressing optimism about the potential for further cooperation. He welcomed KNDS Deutschland’s involvement and emphasized the mutual commitment to enhancing Ukraine’s defense readiness.
COMMENT: Herman Smetanin, Minister for Strategic Industries: “This is of extremely importance for our defense capability – because now the equipment will be repaired faster. And therefore, it will be returned to the frontline sooner to perform combat missions.”
January 21: Talks between the Ukrainian side and President Donald Trump’s team could take place on the margins of the Ukraine Week in Washington in early February, David Arakhamia, chair of the Servant of the People parliamentary group said in a televised broadcast on Tuesday. “In early February, the Ukraine Week will be held in Washington, and I suppose the main processes and the main negotiations with the new Trump team will actually take place there,” Arakhamia said. He also shared his impressions from communicating with members of Trump’s team, noting that many people approached him to express words of support, gratitude, and hopes for an end to the war. “President Donald Trump has committed to putting an end to the war at the earliest time possible, so we are all anticipating the appropriate people to take their offices in the administration and the work on drafting a potential agreement to begin,” he said. Donald Trump, following his inauguration on Jan. 20, committed to brokering the soonest possible end to the war ongoing between Russia and Ukraine and announced plans to meet with Putin after arranging for negotiations. Earlier, Trump’s newly appointed Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated that he could not set a precise timeline for ending the war, but noted, however, that both warring parties would need to make certain concessions to achieve peace. On Jan. 7, Trump said he is hopeful to be able to bring the war in Ukraine to an end within six months, while announcing his intention to meet with Putin post-inauguration. The Kremlin, in turn, said it is ready to negotiate without preconditions.
January 20: Ukraine has restored the infrastructure of its state registers, which were disrupted last month by a major cyberattack believed to have been carried out by Russian military intelligence hackers. In a statement on Monday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice — responsible for managing around 60 state e-databases — confirmed that the critical registers are now operational. The agency is also in the process of updating the registers with data collected during the downtime. Suspected Russian state hackers targeted Ukraine’s state registers with “one of the largest cyberattacks” in December, leaving citizens unable to access essential services linked to their digital records. The attack disrupted the electronic registration of births, marriages and deaths, forcing agencies to process these records manually on paper. Real estate transactions, including purchase-sale agreements, leases, gift transfers and mortgage contracts, were also put on hold. Ukrainian officials have denied claims that citizens’ data was leaked during the attack. According to Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, the goal of the attack was “to undermine the functionality of the state,” which” she said, was not achieved. Officials have not provided a detailed analysis of the incident. However, hackers claimed the disruption was caused by an attack on the state-owned National Information Systems (NIS), the operator of the registers. Following the attack, the Ministry of Justice terminated its cooperation with NIS and launched a criminal investigation into the enterprise, which is still ongoing, Stefanishyna said. “We learned important lessons from this cyberattack and are already implementing systemic changes,” she added. Ukrainian authorities are also drafting a legislation that would require all government agencies handling sensitive data to establish a dedicated network of cybersecurity professionals responsible for safeguarding its security.
January 21: The Cabinet of Ministers endorsed a listing of major technology development projects “indispensable for the performance of State tasks”, marking the first such “order” coming from the government.
The Ministry of Defense codified and greenlighted for operational deployment around three dozen new small arms products alongside a dozen grenade launcher models during 2024.
The Cabinet of Ministers:
January 21: Endorsed a suggestion by the Ministry of Defense to disburse an additional UAH 2.5 billion (nearly $60 million) monthly to be distributed among combat brigades for the purchase of drones. The funding builds on the military’s previous allocation of UAH 2.1 billion (around $50 million) while enabling combat units to rapidly acquire what they need without relying on centralized acquisition and enhancing diversification. Unit commanders “will have the flexibility to use these funds to acquire the drones that are the most effective for carrying out mission requirements at the frontline,” Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov explained. “This marks another step towards building a highly flexible system to ensure the military has everything necessary for Ukraine’s defense.” The defense ministry supplied over a million drones to the country’s armed forces last year, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s announcement of Ukraine’s capability to locally produce up to four million drones per year. Earlier this month, the AFU deployed dozens of drones against Russia’s military and energy targets to stem Moscow’s advances. Furthermore, the Defense Ministry unveiled and endorsed for operational use the latest addition to its drone arsenal, the Poseidon H10 MkIII, which features enhanced capabilities against Russia’s electronic warfare countermeasures.
January 21: Ordered 3,000 defensive stations built near front-line areas to be placed under the administration of the Ministry of Defense;
January 25: Ordered that heat and electricity prices for household consumers remain unchanged until the end of the heating season;
January 22: Ukraine’s defense industry capacity is set to reach €34 billion in 2025, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov told the European Defence Agency’s annual conference in Brussels, but added that Kyiv, while having the capacity to produce more weaponry, is facing a financing shortfall of around €18 billion to achieve this target in 2025. He said Ukraine is currently the largest manufacturer of military autonomous systems worldwide, with the capacity to produce over 4.5 million drones annually. Between 2023 and 2024, Ukraine’s artillery systems production tripled, while production of armored fighting vehicles increased fivefold, he said. Other key military capabilities have seen similar growth, with ammunition production rising by 2.5 times and the production of anti-tank weapons doubling. Ukraine has also ramped up its missile production capacity, with plans to produce 3,000 missiles in 2025. According to Umerov, long-range drones developed in response to the war have played a pivotal role in the conflict, destroying more than 300 strategic targets inside Russia. However, more funding is needed to fulfil Ukraine’s military production potential. While the country’s defense industry capacity is set to reach €34 billion by 2025, the available funding stands at only €16 billion, leaving a crucial gap of €18 billion that must be addressed to sustain and enhance production efforts. “We ask you to help us close this existing gap in financing, facilitate the transfer of technology, and set up strategic partnerships with our industry,” Umerov said.
January 22: The Defense Ministry unveiled and endorsed for operational use the latest addition to its drone arsenal, the Poseidon H10 MkIII, which features enhanced capabilities against Russia’s electronic warfare countermeasures. The Poseidon is designed to carry out a range of specialized missions. The UAVs within the system are equipped with electric motors and an advanced navigation system, and allow operations in temperatures ranging from -20°C to +45°C and in the presence of strong winds. The battery charge provides several hours of continuous operation. These UAVs operate at altitudes beyond the reach of most of enemy air defenses.
January 22: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced a major expansion of the range of digital consular services to be provided to Ukrainians living abroad in 2025. He said that the e-Consul system is set to be fully operational this year, and automated notarial services will be launched in all Ukrainian diplomatic missions. In the second half of 2025, a comprehensive service for registering a child’s birth abroad will be launched, including state registration of birth, acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship by birth, registration in the State Register of Individuals – Taxpayers, and registration of the child in the Unified State Demographic Registry. Ukrainian diplomatic missions should be ready to issue tax numbers and ID cards (Ukrainian passports) within the mentioned time frame, the Minister said.
January 22: The Security Service of Ukraine has served a notice of suspicion to the CEO at a Cherkasy-based chemical company who could have sold Ukrainian products to Russia during the all-out war. According to the investigation, the chemical plant, despite the ban on exports to Russia, has established wholesale supplies of paint for protecting crops and increasing yields. The company supplied $1.8 million worth of products to Russia between 2022 and 2024. Investigators found that the company, circumventing the ban on trade with the aggressor country, arranged with a foreign-based entity to act as an intermediary through which to transship the products to Russia. The suspects used anonymous messenger chats and e-mail to discuss illicit deliveries and continue their dark business. Investigators also found out that the Ukrainian company had been trading with Russia without resorting to intermediary services prior to the full-scale invasion. Involvement of a foreign company was just a way to circumvent the ban on trade with the aggressor state, they noted. Among the customers were some of the largest farm producers in Russia, more specifically Shchelkovo Agrokhim and Alterit. The company’s CEO was served a notice of suspicion of aiding the aggressor state amid war. He was taken into custody with the right to be released on UAH 1.2 million bail. He faces 10 to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to engage in certain activities for up to 15 years.
January 22: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has responded to Russia’s demand to revoke NATO’s 2008 Bucharest Summit commitment regarding Ukraine’s future membership as a condition for ending the war. Responding to Russia’s demand that Ukraine abandon its NATO aspirations, promised in the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration, Georgii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, stated, “Moscow was not given a say on that matter”. “Oh dear, North Korea’s ally is issuing ultimatums to NATO. Absolute bullshit. Moscow was not given a say in this matter,” Tykhyi said. Tykhyi emphasised that Russia is waging a war of aggression in Europe. “Russia’s occupying forces are in Ukraine and other European countries. The architecture of European security is built on defense against Russia,” he said. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko recently stated that Ukraine abandoning its NATO membership aspirations outlined in the 2008 Bucharest Summit Declaration is a key element to resolving the Russo-Ukrainian war. Grushko also claimed that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership “makes achieving peace in Ukraine and, more broadly, constructing any form of security architecture impossible”.
January 23: A ‘Cultural Ramstein’ to coordinate international efforts to preserve Ukraine’s cultural heritage and national identity is set to take place in early February in Kyiv, to be attended by ministers of culture from European and G7 countries, Mykola Tochytsky, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications has announced. ‘It will be a ministerial conference of culture, which is scheduled to take place in early February. We will talk about our cultural heritage, our problems, how we respond to them, and what help we need,’ Tochytsky said. He noted that thanks to partners’ support from Poland, Denmark, the United States and Italy, it is possible to exhibit artefacts that have been rescued from potential looting by Russian troops, including upwards of 520,000 objects recovered from frontline areas. ‘The Cultural Ramstein will be a continuation of the work done last year in Vilnius, when we talked about the preservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage and our European counterparts quite rightly raised this issue with us. In addition, we discussed this issue in Naples last year with the G7 culture ministers,’ the minister said. As previously reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, when introducing Ukraine’s Internal Resilience Plan to the Verkhovna Rada on 19 November 2024, announced a proposal to assemble a large coalition of allies and partners who have a shared vision for the development of cultural policy in Ukraine and to hold such meetings regularly in the format of a ‘cultural Ramstein’.
WAR ECONOMY
Ukrainian entrepreneurs have been issued 803 loans worth collectively UAH 2.7 billion under the state program “Affordable Loans 5-7-9% in 2025 so far.
Ukraine is hoping to solicit EUR 30.6 billion worth of budget support from the European Union in 2025.
January 25: The Ministry of Economy has expanded the range of locally manufactured machinery and equipment products eligible for 15 percent cost reimbursement for buyers (excluding VAT). The product range currently includes 447 products by 19 manufacturers.
January 21: The Ministry of Finance has transferred UAH 8.506 billion to the national budget, earned from auctioning of domestic government loan bonds.
Ukrnafta, a company majority-owned by Naftogaz Group, boosted its production of natural gas by 6.5 percent – up to 1.17 billion cubic meters, and crude oil by 0.6 percent – up to 1.418 million tons in 2024, compared to 1.41 million tons produced a year earlier.
The National Bank of Ukraine has raised its benchmark interest rate by one point to 14.5 percent, citing the need to curb inflation.
ALLIED AND PARTNERS’ AID
January 23: US President Donald Trump’s executive order, which enacts a 90-day pause on U.S. international aid, does not affect security assistance programs for Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Thursday. In a comment to VOA, the U.S. Department of Defense clarified that security assistance to Ukraine does not fall under the restrictions imposed by the recent order on foreign aid, as it only applies to economic development programs. This means contracts for arms production for Ukraine, established under the USAI program initiated by the previous administration, remain valid. Trump’s order also does not impact planned weapons deliveries from U.S. stockpiles, previously announced by former president Joe Biden as part of the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program.
January 23: Russia systematically distorts historical facts as a weapon in its hybrid war against Ukraine, according to a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday. For the first time, the resolution exposes the ideological dimension of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, including the regime’s manipulation of historical facts and the dissemination of disinformation to justify its illegal war against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian parliament said in a statement. By employing tools of disinformation and dissemination of propaganda, Russia seeks to deny the existence of the Ukrainian nation and statehood, European lawmakers emphasized. “Disinformation is a fundamental part to Russia’s military activity. The front line of this hybrid war cuts through our democracies, universities, parliaments, media, and other institutions. It aims to sow distrust and exacerbate internal divisions,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy. The resolution also condemns the ideology of the “Russkiy Mir” (Russian World), calling it imperialistic and a denial of Ukraine’s right to independence and national identity.
January 23: As part of sanctions imposed for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty, Canada has frozen Russian assets worth upwards of 457 million Canadian dollars (over USD 350 million), as announced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which is responsible for monitoring sanctions compliance. As reported, Canada has sanctioned more than 3,000 individuals and legal entities who contributed to the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty since Russia’s unlawful annexation of Crimea.
January 24: The European Commission has submitted a screening report on the Fundamentals cluster to the European Council, marking the starting point for Ukraine’s EU membership negotiations. The first report on the screening of Ukraine’s legislation (an analysis of the extent to which the candidate country’s laws align with EU legislation) was sent to the European Council on 16 January. The report focuses on Cluster 1, Fundamentals, which serves as the foundation for membership negotiations. In accordance with the negotiating framework, this cluster is the first to open and the last to close during the negotiation process. “Once the Council agrees that the initial benchmarks for this cluster have been met, the countries have presented their negotiation positions and the EU has approved its position, an Intergovernmental Conference will be organized. At this conference, both parties officially open the cluster for negotiations,” the European Commission said. In December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine aims to open at least two clusters by 2025, with the maximum goal being all the clusters.
January 20: The UK will launch a Grain Verification Scheme to track grain stolen from occupied areas of Ukraine, as part of its landmark 100-year partnership with the country. Using cutting-edge science to determine where grain has been grown and harvested, the UK has developed a database to support Ukraine’s efforts to trace and stop grain theft from occupied regions. The scheme will strengthen the food security of Ukraine and also ensure the country remains a major supplier of agricultural produce worldwide. Meeting at the Global Forum for Food & Agriculture hosted in Berlin, Germany, Food Security and Rural Affairs Minister Daniel Zeichner signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vitaliy Koval, the Ukraine Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food ahead of the scheme’s launch, before the database is handed over to Ukraine in the coming weeks. The Grain Verification Scheme was developed after Ukraine requested support from G7 countries in tracing grain stolen from territories under Russian control and sold on the international market.
January 26: The Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that a third of the participants in mass protests in Slovakia are Ukrainians opposing the Slovak government, with people at the protests deceived by the organizers. Fico also said that he would not resign, despite the demands of tens of thousands of people throughout Slovakia.
January 21: The new Syrian authorities have cancelled an investment agreement with the Russian company Stroytransgaz and the Syrian Mediterranean port of Tartus, the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan writes, citing a statement by Tartus Customs Director Riyad Judi. “All revenues from the port’s activities are now directed to the benefit of the Syrian state. The workers employed at the port will return to the management of the Syrian side,” the customs official said. Syria leased the port of Tartus to the Russian company Stroytransgaz for 49 years in 2019. The company, whose main beneficiary is Gennady Timchenko, was supposed to invest $500 million in the development of the port. How much the Russian side invested is unknown. However, according to Judi, Stroytransgaz has never modernized the port mechanisms, despite the fact that this was stipulated in the contract, in addition, the port of Tartus has recently been practically idle due to very high fees for all port services. After the change of power in Syria, as stated by Al-Watan, the work of the port has noticeably intensified, and dry cargo ships from other countries are arriving there. We are talking about the civilian port of Tartus. The Russian naval base is also located in the same port. After the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria in early December, the fate of this base, like the air base in Latakia, has been in a limbo. It was reported that the Russian authorities are negotiating the fate of the bases with the new Syrian authorities. Ukraine has hailed the cancellation of the deal, saying it is ready and willing to quickly replace the supplies that were coming to the country from Russia previously.
January 21: President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations told senators at her confirmation hearing Tuesday that she will promote his doctrine of “peace through strength” on the world stage if she is confirmed. “It is imperative to ensure strong American leadership at the United Nations,” Elise Stefanik told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I share President Trump’s vision of a U.N. reformed by strong America First peace through strength and return to this founding mission of promoting peace and security around the world.” She furthermore shared how she will use her role at the UN to help end the war in Ukraine. “My effort will be supporting President Trump’s mission to bring that to a resolution, and to deter Russia in the long term,” she said. According to Stefanik, she has a “strong record when it comes to deterring Russia, pushing back on Russia, including during President Trump’s term, voting for defensive lethal aid to Ukraine.” “I believe peace through strength is our strongest deterrence, and I’m very proud that during President Trump’s first term, it was the only president where Putin did not invade another country because of that strong peace-through-strength leadership,” the future US Ambassador to the UN stated.
January 22: The European Union is at risk of a direct attack from Russia as soon as 2028 if it fails to shore up its own defense, the bloc’s foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas has claimed. Citing unnamed nation-state level secret service sources, the senior Eurocrat insisted in a January 22 speech to the European Defence Agency that the Kremlin was interested in launching attacks on EU soil in the hope of testing the bloc’s defenses. “Many of our national intelligence services are giving us information that Russia could test the EU’s defense readiness in three to five years,” she said at the event in Brussels.
January 22: Iran is “pressing the gas pedal” on its enrichment of uranium to near weapons grade, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday, adding that Iran’s recently announced acceleration in enrichment strategy was starting to take effect. Grossi said last month that Iran had notified the International Atomic Energy Agency that it would “dramatically” accelerate enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, closer to the roughly 90% of weapons grade. Western powers called the step a serious escalation and said there was no civil justification for enriching to that level and that no other country had done so without producing nuclear weapons. Iran has said its program is entirely peaceful and it has the right to enrich uranium to any level it wants. “Before it was (producing) more or less seven kilograms (of uranium enriched to up to 60%) per month, now it’s above 30 or more than that. So I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration. They are pressing the gas pedal,” Grossi told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
January 24: Germany said Thursday it had deployed two Patriot air-defense batteries to Poland to protect a key logistical hub supplying aid and equipment to Ukraine. They are designed to secure Rzeszow airport in southern Poland, which handles more than 90 percent of military and humanitarian aid intended for Ukraine. “We have deployed two Patriot systems here,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at a news conference in Rzeszow alongside his Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. “This is to secure Poland and its airspace,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
January 22: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has released the crew of a cargo ship more than a year after its fighters hijacked the vessel in the Red Sea, as part of its campaign of attacks in support of Hamas in its war against Israel. Three Ukrainian crew members of the Galaxy Leader ship are already back home in Ukraine.
January 23: The Ukrainian film Porcelain War, about artists defiantly at work during a time of war, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the best feature documentary category for the 2025 Oscars.
January 23: The Polish government has added border infrastructure to the list of critical infrastructure. The move is aimed to preclude potential attempts to blockade the Ukrainian-Polish border in the future. “The government has introduced rules related to critical infrastructure to reduce the inconvenience associated with protests at the border,” chair of the Polish Sejm’s committee on foreign affairs, Pawel Kowal told reporters on Thursday.
January 24: China welcomes US President Donald Trump’s intention to resolve the “Ukraine crisis” as soon as possible and pledges to continue facilitating negotiations while staying in contact with all parties, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has said. During a briefing, Mao commented on Trump’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he expressed hope for China’s assistance in ending the war in Ukraine. She emphasized that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable paths to resolving the “Ukraine crisis,” which is how China refers to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “We are happy to see that all parties play a constructive role and build conditions for de-escalation and the political settlement of the crisis,” Mao Ning said.
WAR&LIFE
January 22: Conversation with prisoners of war: captivity kills, but it can instill strength a person had no idea about
QUOTE: “… When we were in the Azovstal bunkers, these organizations said that we would be supervised by the Red Cross and the UN, would be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, without bullying… However, international organizations did not have an access to us”.
January 24/ Trump’s ultimatums: it’s flowers, berries ahead.
QUOTE: “The first week of Donald Trump’s second presidency has not yet passed, and he has already issued two ultimatums to Putin”
Compiled by Maryna Dmytriv, Kyiv
Source: Ukraine Latest: Weekly Digest for January 20-26, 2025
