The number of victims of the Russian attack on Kharkiv on January 2 increased to three after body fragments were found. Emergency services continue to work at the sites of the strikes, and the identification of the found fragments is ongoing.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a "major reboot" of the state system, including rotations of heads of the security, defense, and law enforcement sectors. The replacement of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, is not foreseen.
The Defense Forces of Ukraine control the northern part of Pokrovsk and hold the defense in Myrnohrad, eliminating the enemy on the approaches to the city. Since the beginning of January 3, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have repelled 49 Russian assaults, 16 of which were in the Pokrovsk direction.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reacted to the US military operation in Venezuela, stating support for the right of peoples to a free life. Ukraine did not recognize Maduro's legitimacy after the rigged elections and violence against protesters.
Russian troops are actively storming and shelling, particularly the border settlements of Sumy Oblast. In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the enemy carried out 42 shellings, and in the Huliaipole direction, 19 combat engagements were recorded.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will face a US court for narco-terrorism and illegal arms trafficking. Maduro has already been detained and will be brought to New York after an operation conducted by the Delta Force special operations group.
Doctors from the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine successfully operated on a wounded soldier in the open sea, despite the threat of enemy fire and the lack of proper equipment. The soldier, suffering from blood loss and hypothermia, was brought to a platform where, after warming up, a 45-minute operation was performed.
In occupied Luhansk region, miners were left without full payments on the eve of the New Year, and residents of Alchevsk and Perevalsk faced a sharp reduction in water supply. Russian investors did not pay the miners of the "Bilorechenska" mine, and water supply to Alchevsk was reduced by 80%.
Overnight, the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP lost power from one of its high-voltage lines as a result of hostilities. Russian shelling has repeatedly damaged the ZNPP's power lines, causing 12 blackouts at the plant.
The Venezuelan government accused the United States of military aggression after a series of explosions in Caracas and other regions. President Nicolás Maduro declared a state of emergency and mobilized defense forces.
In the Obukhiv district of Kyiv region, two private houses, a garage, and two cars were damaged as a result of a night drone attack on January 3. There were no casualties among the population, and critical infrastructure facilities were not affected.
On the night of January 3, air defense forces neutralized 80 out of 95 Russian attack drones that attacked from various directions. Hits were recorded at 8 locations and debris fell at two.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 116 combat engagements at the front on January 2. The enemy launched 1 missile strike with two missiles, 57 air strikes using 153 guided aerial bombs, 6358 kamikaze drone strikes, and 3223 shellings. Aviation, missile forces, and artillery of the Defense Forces struck four areas of personnel concentration and two other important enemy targets.
Mykolaiv was attacked by enemy drones on the night of January 3. Explosions were heard in the city, and an air raid alert was announced.
Polls show that 59. 6% of Poles do not expect the war in Ukraine to end by 2026. This trend has been growing since 2024, reflecting war fatigue and expectations of peace among voters.
The German CSU party proposes sending men fit for military service back to Ukraine. It is also proposed to use refugees' personal funds and assets to cover their living expenses.
On January 2, 104 combat engagements were recorded, Russian troops used over 100 guided aerial bombs and nearly 3,000 kamikaze drones. The enemy's greatest activity was observed in the Pokrovsk and Huliaipole directions.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a change in the format of the Ministry of Defense's work, proposing Mykhailo Fedorov to head it. Denys Shmyhal remains in the team; he has been offered another important area of state work.
Rescuers found the body of a three-year-old boy under the rubble in Kharkiv after a Russian attack. Head of Kharkiv OVA Oleh Syniehubov confirmed the child's death, the search and rescue operation continues.
A child's body has been found under the rubble in Kharkiv. The search and rescue operation is ongoing, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
In 2025, Ukraine raised over UAH 569 billion from the sale and exchange of domestic government bonds at auctions, and in total, since the beginning of martial law, this figure has reached almost UAH 2. 03 trillion. The portfolio of war bonds owned by individuals and legal entities as of January 1, 2026, reached the equivalent of UAH 181.6 billion.
Russian troops shelled the Kherson CHP more than 10 times with artillery and drones during the first two days of 2026. The last attack resulted in 4 hits on the station's territory, Naftogaz delivered a thousand electric heaters for residents.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is appointing Oleh Ivashchenko to a position in Ukraine's military intelligence. This happened after Kyrylo Budanov agreed to head the Presidential Office.
During the day, 45 combat engagements were recorded, with the enemy actively operating in the Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, and Huliaipole directions. Ukrainian units repelled an assault in the area of the Antonivskyi Bridge.
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has again declared RDK commander Denis Kapustin wanted. He was заочно found guilty of "treason" and "terrorism" and sentenced to life imprisonment.
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.
The enemy struck a five-story residential building in the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv. The number of injured has risen to 15, one woman is in serious condition.
Russian troops struck Kharkiv with two missiles, damaging residential buildings. The exact number of casualties is still unknown, and a rescue operation is underway.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, accepted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's offer to head the Office of the Head of State. He thanked him for the trust and called it an honor and a responsibility.
The number of injured in the Russian strike on the center of Kharkiv has risen to 12. This was reported by the city mayor Ihor Terekhov.