Air raid alert
Zelenskyy held a selector meeting on the situation in the regions and the restoration of energy infrastructure, calling the work of the Air Force in intercepting drones unsatisfactory. He emphasized the need for changes in the organization of air defense, despite the available resources.
European countries, including Norway, Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states, are actively preparing for a potential war with Russia by increasing defense budgets and strengthening infrastructure. Some states, like Norway, are considering the possibility of confiscating civilian property for defense needs.
After the night attack by Russia, the most difficult situation with electricity supply is in Kyiv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Poltava regions. The duration of forced outages outside of schedules in these regions is the longest.
Romania is strengthening its military presence on the border with Ukraine due to regular threats from Russian drones. The country is deploying additional units and equipment, including radars and Gepard anti-aircraft systems.
President Zelenskyy said that Ukraine spent 80 million euros on air defense missiles for today's attack. He noted that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find these missiles and the funds for them.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine has not reduced the number of missiles for air defense, but Russia has increased the number of missiles and "Shaheds" during attacks. He noted that Ukraine will eventually cope with the "Shaheds," but assistance from the United States is needed to combat ballistic missiles.
On January 20, law enforcement officers are conducting searches in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Lviv regions. The searches concern the embezzlement of budget funds during waste collection and disposal.
The mayor of Dnipro appealed to the country's leadership with a call to stop lying about “national unity, invincibility, and reformatting of power. ”
Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with 34 missiles, including 'Zircon', and 339 drones. 27 missiles and 315 drones were shot down or suppressed, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
President Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had received the necessary missiles a day before the Russian attack involving over 300 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, which significantly aided air defense. He emphasized the importance of continuous missile supplies for air defense systems and urged Ukrainian officials to remain in the country.
In Zaporizhzhia, 197 consumers are without power due to Russian attacks. The Zaporizhzhia region has been under continuous air raid alert for almost a day.
Overnight, Russian troops attacked an industrial facility in Poltava region, causing fires. Rescuers from the State Emergency Service and Ukrzaliznytsia promptly extinguished the blazes.
As a result of a Russian attack on the night of January 20 in the Bucha district of Kyiv region, a 50-year-old man was killed. The premises of two gas stations were also damaged.
During the night, the enemy attacked Vinnytsia region, hitting a critical infrastructure facility. There were no casualties.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, stated that Russia's strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure are a deliberate act of terror against the civilian population, aimed at blacking out cities. He warned that Europe's inaction would lead to similar attacks on its territory.
In Kyiv, after Russia's night attack, one person was injured, there are power and water outages, and 5,600 homes are without heat. Water supply is temporarily absent on the left bank of the capital.
Due to another enemy shelling and the difficult energy situation in Kyiv, metro trains will run with changes. In particular, on the red line, traffic will start between "Akademmistechko" and "Arsenalna" with an interval of 4:30-5:00 minutes.
On the night of January 20, the enemy attacked Zaporizhzhia, damaging a private house with a blast wave and debris. Reportedly, no one was injured, but a fire broke out.
As a result of the night attack on Kyiv, one person was injured, hits on non-residential buildings and drone debris were recorded. On the left bank of the capital, there are power outages, and infrastructure facilities are switching to autonomous power supply.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv on the night of January 20. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the approach of attack UAVs to Brovary and Bortnychi. Monitoring channels report a combined attack with "Shaheds" and ballistic missiles. After the explosions, power outages began in some areas of the capital.
Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov signed an order appointing Pavlo Yelizarov as Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He will be responsible for the development of small air defense and scaling up the experience of combating drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has prepared for a massive strike and is awaiting the moment to launch it. He urged Ukrainians to be attentive to air raid alerts.
Kharkiv was attacked by enemy KABs, explosions were heard. Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov reported no information about casualties.
The Deputy Commander of a Russian Armed Forces division has been notified of suspicion for ordering strikes on Ukraine's energy and gas transportation infrastructure. He used "Geran-2" UAVs for attacks on critical facilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an energy meeting on the situation in the most difficult regions, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Odesa. Additional repair crews have been brought in for Kyiv, and ministers reported on the restoration of the energy system, the supply of interceptor drones, and generators.
Four missiles hit a critical infrastructure facility in Kharkiv, causing significant damage. Missile strikes were recorded in the Slobidskyi district, and fragments of an enemy UAV were found in the Novobavarskyi district.
A series of enemy strikes on the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv have been recorded. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov and the city mayor Ihor Terekhov.
On the night of January 19, Russia attacked Ukraine with 145 attack UAVs, including Shahed and Gerbera. Ukrainian air defense shot down or suppressed 126 enemy drones.
The National Police has increased the number of patrols, especially at night, to maintain order and prevent crimes. Law enforcement officers urge citizens not to leave home unnecessarily at night and to carry identification documents.
On the night of January 17, dozens of aerial objects from Belarus entered Polish airspace. The Polish National Security Bureau considers this a possible provocation under the guise of smuggling.