Yevhen Ustimenko
Iran's leaders are trying to quell protests, as US actions in Venezuela are causing concern in Tehran. Tehran's capabilities are limited by Trump's threats and a prolonged economic crisis.
The Sterlitamak petrochemical plant and Biocynthesis PJSC came under attack.
In Ukraine, a lawyer was brought to disciplinary responsibility for delaying court proceedings in the case of the murder of teenager Maksym Materukhin. His right to practice law was suspended for three months.
On January 2, the Peresypsky District Court of Odesa chose a pre-trial detention measure in the form of detention without bail for the organizer of a transnational drug supply channel. The value of one batch of cocaine, which was planned to be imported weekly, exceeded 200 thousand US dollars.
New burial trenches have been recorded in temporarily occupied Mariupol, linked to the exhumation of bodies and rising mortality among the civilian population. Local authorities and the Center for the Study of Occupation report a shocking scale of new burials in the third year of occupation.
From January 1, 2026, a new format of interaction with primary financial monitoring entities will be introduced in Ukraine, which provides for the submission of annual reports exclusively online. This simplifies reporting for businesses and extends the deadlines for its submission.
Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro could face the death penalty in the US for drug trafficking crimes. His trial will begin today at 7:00 PM.
A preventive measure in the form of a bail of UAH 4. 9 million has been chosen for a deputy of the Lutsk City Council. He was exposed for receiving an illegal benefit of 30 thousand US dollars for facilitating construction.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Yuriy Boyko and Yaroslav Shlyakhov from the National Securities and Stock Market Commission. The relevant decrees are published on the website of the President's Office.
Russian occupiers attacked a humanitarian aid distribution point in the village of Orlove, Kherson region, with drones. A 64-year-old man was killed, and a 79-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man were wounded.
Russian troops carried out a direct strike on a hospital in Kyiv on the night of January 5, said Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council. One person died as a result of the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed Russian strikes on Ukraine with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and received a promise of assistance. The parties also mentioned the terrorist attack on Bondi Beach, where Ukrainians died.
The law expands the list of bodies maintaining the Unified State Register of Conscripts, Persons Liable for Military Service, and Reservists. This will allow the recruitment centers of the Armed Forces to more effectively recruit for military service under contract.
Ukraine is developing a separate election law that takes into account the rights of internally displaced persons. The current norms of 2019 do not correspond to the realities of a full-scale war and the scale of internal displacement.
Russian occupiers are trying to accumulate forces in Kupyansk, using a gas pipeline for penetration. The Defense Forces of Ukraine control this route, preventing enemy attempts.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Chrystia Freeland, former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, as a non-staff advisor on economic development. She has significant experience in attracting investments and implementing economic transformations.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has approved the use of over 1,300 new Ukrainian-made weapons and military equipment in 2025, a quarter more than last year. This includes over 550 unmanned aerial systems and over 270 types of ammunition.
In the city of Samara, Dnipropetrovsk region, water supply has been temporarily suspended due to an emergency rupture of the main D=500 mm water pipeline. Restoration is expected today, January 5, 2026, by 6:00 PM.
On December 4 and 5, Russian occupiers attacked Chernihiv and settlements in the Chernihiv region, using various types of weapons. As a result of the strikes, garages, educational institutions, private houses, enterprises, and critical infrastructure facilities were damaged.
The European Commission plans to introduce digital infrastructure laws in 2026. The goal is to reduce the EU's dependence on foreign technology companies, which could lead to a conflict with Washington.
On Mount Pip Ivan Chornohirskyi on January 5, the air temperature was -14°C. Cloudy weather and a southwest wind of 10 m/s were recorded.
In 11 months of 2025, over 250,000 individual entrepreneurs closed down in Ukraine, with their average lifespan being 2. 4 years. The highest number of closures was recorded in retail trade and among Kyiv entrepreneurs.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is considering fleeing to Moscow with his entourage if protests in Iran intensify. This plan follows the example of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take on a leading role in governing Venezuela. This happened after Nicolás Maduro was captured by Delta Force operatives with the support of the FBI.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on adaptive badminton as a fast racket sport that is ideal for veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war. This sport is recommended for physical recovery, especially for injuries to limbs, spinal cord, and PTSD.
On January 5, most of the western and northern regions of Ukraine will be under the influence of high atmospheric pressure with no precipitation. A southern cyclone will bring rain to the south and snow to the central regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Chernivtsi regions, and the Carpathians.
Serhiy Deineko, head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, has been appointed advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko. After rehabilitation, he will lead a combat unit of the State Border Guard Service.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine, including the 14th and 20th brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov" and the 132nd reconnaissance battalion of the Air Assault Forces, are holding Rodynske in Donetsk region. Russian propaganda is spreading false claims about the capture of the settlement, while the occupiers are suffering significant losses.
In the village of Kushuhum, Zaporizhzhia region, a forced evacuation of children with their parents or other legal representatives has been announced. The evacuation must be carried out within 30 days from the date of its announcement.
The agents gathered detailed information about Maduro's residence, movements, habits, diet, and clothing.