War in Ukraine
Czech opposition parties are initiating a vote on the dismissal of Tomio Okamura from the post of Speaker of the lower house of parliament. The reason for this is his New Year's statements about Ukraine, which caused outrage and accusations of spreading Russian propaganda.
The U. S. Department of State has updated its recommendations for citizens planning to travel to Russia, urging them to prepare wills and funeral wishes. This is due to the danger of the ongoing war, the risk of persecution, and the limited ability of the U.S. government to provide assistance.
Due to the difficult security situation, over 3,000 children are being evacuated from 44 frontline settlements in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Since June 1, 150,000 people have been evacuated, including 18,000 children.
Emergency rescue operations are ongoing in Kharkiv at the site of the enemy attack; the number of injured has risen to 31, including an infant. A commercial and office building and part of an apartment building have been destroyed.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb will participate in a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris on January 6, 2026. The meeting, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, will discuss support for Ukraine and peace negotiations.
Ukraine handed over lists of Ukrainian prisoners of war and missing persons to the Chief Ombudsman of Turkey, Mehmet Akarca. This was done for verification and repatriation, including the seriously ill and civilians.
On January 3, scheduled power outages and power restrictions for industrial consumers will be applied in most regions of Ukraine. These are the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov will head the Presidential Office to strengthen defense and contacts with the United States. This appointment moves one of Ukraine's most prominent generals into a political role.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko will present new candidates for the position of the head of the State Border Guard Service. Serhiy Deineko, who has headed the service for over six years, will continue to work within the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
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.
The number of victims of the missile attack on Kharkiv has risen to 30 people. Among them, 19 sustained blast injuries and wounds, and another 6 experienced an acute stress reaction, including a 6-month-old boy.
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.
In early January 2026, the capacity for electricity imports from the EU to Ukraine-Moldova increased to 2450 MW. This was the result of cooperation between transmission system operators and increases the resilience of Ukraine's energy system.
As a result of a Russian missile strike on the center of Kharkiv, a shopping center was destroyed, and high-rise buildings and an educational institution were damaged. One woman is in critical condition, while the rest of the injured are in moderate condition.
In Prykarpattia, a law enforcement officer was notified of suspicion of large-scale fraud. He appropriated 2.7 million hryvnias of state aid intended for the father of a fallen National Guard servicewoman who died defending Azovstal.
A new quarter of the "Veteran Sports" program has started in Ukraine, providing veterans with UAH 1,500 to pay for gyms. Applications are accepted until January 20, said Mykhailo Fedorov.
As a result of a Russian missile strike on residential buildings in the center of Kharkiv, 19 people were injured, including a 6-month-old infant. The strike, according to the prosecutor's office, was carried out by an "Iskander" missile around 2:30 PM.
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.
On Friday, January 2, explosions were heard in the Russian city of Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan. This was reported by Russian "media".
Russian troops struck Kharkiv with two missiles, damaging residential buildings. The exact number of casualties is still unknown, and a rescue operation is underway.
Over the course of 2025, sappers of the State Special Transport Service inspected and cleared over 45,000 hectares of Ukrainian territories of explosive ordnance. A total of 52,499 explosive devices were neutralized, with the largest number found in the Kherson region.
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.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said that Russian athletes will not be able to represent their country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. They will only participate as individual athletes without a national flag or anthem.
Russian troops struck a residential high-rise building in the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv. According to preliminary information, there are casualties and significant destruction.
On January 3, from 00:00 to 06:00, planned technical work will be carried out in the "Oberih" register. During this period, the Reserve ID update and service provision will be temporarily unavailable in the "Reserve+" application.