In Kemerovo Oblast, a key coal-mining region of Russia, systemic problems have arisen with salary payments to public sector employees. Medical workers faced reduced salaries and non-payment of bonuses at the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026.
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.
Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Kyiv cannot abandon emergency blackouts due to energy shortages. The authorities plan to expand distributed generation by 100 MW to increase the capital's resilience.
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.
Hungarian MOL Group has signed a preliminary agreement to acquire a 56. 15% stake in Serbian NIS from Russian "Gazprom Neft". The deal requires approval from the US Office of Foreign Assets Control due to sanctions.
Rising tensions between the US and Iran, as well as internal protests, pose a threat to the security of Tehran's nuclear assets. Experts are concerned about the loss of control over highly enriched uranium and possible sabotage at nuclear power plants.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha met with his Romanian counterpart Oana Toiu at the World Economic Forum. Sybiha handed over a list of urgent needs for the restoration of energy supply and heating in Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers plans to approve monthly additional payments for energy workers who are on-site at accident locations. This applies to repair crews that are eliminating the consequences of attacks.
Syrian government forces strengthened their control over the northern and eastern regions after the withdrawal of Kurdish units. This marked the biggest change in the control map since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2024.
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.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko discussed the state of infrastructure and outlined steps for the stable operation of the social sphere. This applies to medical institutions, schools, social institutions, and mobile kitchens.
Ukraine's Defense Forces hit a UAV warehouse of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division of the Russian Federation in Novokrasnyanka, Luhansk region. The damage to the bulk terminal of an oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai and an oil depot in the Belgorod region has also been confirmed.
Indian company Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd is considering purchasing Venezuelan oil, having ceased importing Russian crude due to sanctions. MRPL adheres to sanctions and does not import Russian oil.
The IMF has raised its global growth forecast for 2026 due to AI investments and easing US customs policy. The global economy is successfully adapting to challenges, demonstrating productivity growth.
Denys Shmyhal and Rafael Grossi discussed an extraordinary IAEA meeting to assess the consequences of Russian attacks. The agency is preparing a report and methodology for assessing the impact on nuclear power plants.
This refers, in particular, to changing the very logic of combating attacks by Russian "Shahed"-type drones on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
Denys Shmyhal informed IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi about Russia's preparation of attacks on energy infrastructure serving nuclear power plants. The parties agreed to hear from the heads of nuclear power plants and IAEA missions, and also discussed an extraordinary meeting of the governing board.
On January 20, scheduled power outages and power limitations for industrial consumers will be applied in all regions of Ukraine. These are the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
The commission for the selection of the head of ARMA extended the deadline for submitting documents until February 9 due to the small number of candidates. Difficult conditions with electricity supply and communication were also taken into account.
Increased electricity imports from the EU do not guarantee overcoming the consequences of blackouts due to limited volumes and high costs. Expert Yuriy Korolchuk explains that the maximum import volume is 2.45 GW, with the main volumes occurring during night hours when the price is lower.
Two toddlers died and 55 others were injured in a kindergarten in Jerusalem. The tragedy may have been caused by carbon monoxide leakage or food poisoning.
Ukrainians spent UAH 11. 3 billion under the "Winter Support" program, mainly on utility services, groceries, medicines, and donations. 17.8 million citizens received UAH 1000 each, of which 3.5 million were children.
In early 2026, Donald Trump once again raised the issue of acquiring Greenland, leading to an escalation of relations with the US and European allies. Greenland's and Denmark's refusal led to the introduction of trade tariffs against European countries.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha instructed all foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine to initiate urgent fundraising. The aid will go to purchase equipment, electricity, power, and all types of energy for Ukrainians.
Candidate of Medical Sciences Otto Stoika spoke about the optimal temperature and humidity indicators in the home, which affect well-being and immunity. The optimal temperature is +18 to 24 degrees Celsius, humidity - from 40 to 60%.
By early 2026, Ukraine has recorded over 36. 6 thousand wage arrears. A record 9.1 thousand proceedings were opened last year, with most of them concerning chemical product manufacturers.
130 "Points of Invincibility" of the State Emergency Service operate around the clock in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast. Since their opening, almost 39,000 people have received assistance there.
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.
Russia attacked energy infrastructure overnight, cutting off power to consumers in 5 regions. The situation in Kyiv and the region remains difficult, and network restrictions are in effect in Odesa region.
