On the night of January 6, the Ukrainian Defense Forces struck the Gercon Plus oil depot in Russia's Lipetsk region. Strikes were also carried out on UAV command posts and an S-300V radar station.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine struck the 100th arsenal of the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense in the Kostroma region. A fire was recorded at the facility, and the evacuation of the local population was announced.
Law enforcement officers detained a serviceman who demanded 9,000 US dollars for including a soldier in the rotation lists. The suspect was detained on January 1 in Dnipro while receiving a bribe.
Long-range drones of the SBU's "Alpha" Special Operations Center successfully attacked the No. 100 GRAU arsenal in Kostroma Oblast and the "Gercon Plus" oil depot in Lipetsk Oblast. Ammunition exploded at the arsenal, and an intense fire broke out at the oil depot.
The court chose a preventive measure for a Kyiv resident suspected of committing a terrorist act in Obolon in the form of detention for 60 days without the right to bail. As a result of the explosion, a National Guard serviceman and his companion were injured.
Ukraine's security and defense forces eliminated 33,019 Russians with drones, a record high. In December 2023, Ukrainian military hit 106,859 targets and 128 air defense/radar systems using drones.
Political scientist Volodymyr Fesenko believes that the personnel changes initiated by President Zelenskyy are aimed at renewing power, strengthening the defense sector, and demonstrating his key role. The appointments of Budanov and Fedorov are aimed at forming a new defense strategy and technologizing production.
The SBU detained a Russian agent who blew up a Ukrainian serviceman's car in Kyiv's Obolonskyi district on January 4. As a result of the terrorist attack, the serviceman and his acquaintance were injured.
President Zelenskyy met with SBU Brigadier General Denys Kylymnyk, whom he awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine last summer. They discussed the results of the SBU's work in the war and the possible development of the Service.
President Zelenskyy met with SBU Major General Oleksandr Poklad. Specific tasks and operations to strengthen counterintelligence work were discussed.
Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba has nominated Ihor Zelinsky for the position of head of the State Aviation Service, seeking to avoid an open competition. This comes ahead of the planned resumption of competitions for key government positions in the summer.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Yevhen Khmara as the acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine. Khmara is the head of the SBU's Special Operations Center "A".
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with SBU Colonel Vasyl Kozak, who develops active Ukrainian operations. The head of state awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine for his combat results.
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.
The duties of the head of the SBU will be temporarily performed by the head of the Special Operations Center "A" Yevhen Khmara, said Advisor to the President of Ukraine Dmytro Lytvyn.
President Zelenskyy met with Yevhen Khmara, head of the SBU's Special Operations Center "A". The possibilities for the systemic development of the SBU and future special operations were discussed.
Vasyl Malyuk confirmed that he is stepping down as Head of the Security Service, but will remain in the SBU system to implement world-class asymmetric special operations. He thanked the President of Ukraine for supporting changes in the defense sector and expressed belief in a just peace.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Vasyl Malyuk, thanking him for his combat work. The head of state instructed Malyuk to focus on Ukrainian asymmetric operations against the occupier to make this direction the strongest in the world.
Head of the SBU Vasyl Malyuk submitted his resignation at Zelenskyy's request. General Yevhen Khmara is likely to be appointed as acting head of the SBU.
In Kyiv on January 4, 2026, a device exploded while opening a car trunk, injuring a serviceman. The prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the terrorist act.
Police, together with the SBU, detained a 32-year-old man for selling an automatic rifle, five magazines, about 150 cartridges, six grenades, and detonators. He tried to sell the arsenal for 64,000 hryvnias.
Ukrainian defenders demonstrated footage of Russian drone destruction. SBU units eliminated five hundred "Shaheds" and "Gerbers" in the second half of 2025.
Personnel changes are ongoing in Ukraine at the level of regional administrations. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced consultations regarding the appointment of new heads in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Ternopil, and Chernivtsi regions.
The commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Major Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, stated that he is not entering politics, linking his future with art and business. He expressed support for the head of the SBU, Vasyl Maliuk, calling his possible replacement risky.
People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced the probable replacement of the head of the SBU, noting that Vasyl Malyuk may be offered another vacant position. According to him, this decision looks strange, and the potential candidate for replacement has not yet been confirmed.
The court заочно sentenced Oleksandr Kobets, the former head of the occupation administration of Kherson, to life imprisonment with confiscation of property. He was found guilty of treason and collaboration.
A 74-year-old pensioner in Kyiv gave more than UAH 1. 4 million to fraudsters who introduced themselves as SBU employees. They promised to check her savings for involvement in the aggressor country.
Ukraine's defense forces are under heavy pressure in the south, outnumbered by Russian brigades that have seized hundreds of square kilometers. The Russians have advanced in the Zaporizhzhia region, the situation remains tense, with the most intense fighting taking place in Huliaipole.
The SBU detained a 64-year-old resident of Makiivka in Kyiv, who had been working for the Russian occupation administration since 2014. She headed a kindergarten and implemented Russian educational standards, as well as agitated parents to cooperate with the occupiers.
SBU Head Vasyl Maliuk summarized 2025, noting the "Spiderweb" special operation, the destruction of 41 Russian strategic aviation aircraft, and an underwater explosion that shook the Crimean Bridge. A Russian submarine in the port of Novorossiysk was also hit.
