The head of a department of the Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration demanded $2,000 for changing a route schedule and winning a tender. He was detained while receiving the funds and has been notified of suspicion.
Law enforcement officers in Zaporizhzhia have shut down three fraudulent call centers that defrauded citizens of Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Over 50 victims lost almost 4 million hryvnias, and 10 individuals have been notified of suspicion.
Oil prices rose more than 1% after a fall, but are heading for their first weekly decline in almost two months. Investors are focused on US-Iran talks.
A lawmaker was detained in Germany for circumventing sanctions and transporting equipment to Belarus; this happened during a parliamentary session.
The sale of LUKOIL International GmbH for $22 billion and the loss of Gazprom Germania by Gazprom indicate the degradation of Russia's international business. Sberbank and VTB also lost their European assets.
Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan claimed her first Australian Open title, defeating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Sabalenka had previously eliminated Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina in the semifinals.
Kazakh President Tokayev stated that $14 billion was laundered from a "neighboring country" through a Kazakh bank. Kazakhstan is tightening restrictions on Russians using its banks to circumvent sanctions.
Russian company "Lukoil" has reached an agreement to sell its foreign assets to the American investment fund Carlyle. The deal does not include assets in Kazakhstan and requires approval from the US Treasury.
The Foreign Intelligence Service reports that the US initiative to build communications in the South Caucasus deprives Russia of its position as a key player. The TRIPP project involves the construction of infrastructure and communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Oil prices rose 3% after Trump's statement about sending a fleet to Iran and new US sanctions. This heightened concerns about fuel supplies and supply shortages.
Belgium has not joined the Peace Council initiated by Donald Trump. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot stated that his country had not signed the Peace Council Charter.
Global oil prices rose on January 22 after Trump announced the cancellation of tariffs on European goods. Brent reached $65.33, WTI – $60.75 per barrel.
The 2026 European Futsal Championship starts on January 21 and will be held in Lithuania, Latvia, and Slovenia. The Ukrainian national team has announced its final squad for the tournament.
Brent and WTI crude futures fell on Wednesday. This was due to an expected increase in US oil inventories, which outweighed a temporary production halt in Kazakhstan and threats of US tariffs over Greenland.
US President Donald Trump has sent an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the 'Peace Council'. There has been no response from the Ukrainian side yet, Christopher Miller of the Financial Times reported.
Donald Trump has invited a number of countries to his "Peace Council for Gaza" to implement a 20-point plan. The signing ceremony is scheduled for this Thursday in Davos.
Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin received an invitation to join Donald Trump's 'Peace Council' on Gaza. The Russian authorities are studying this proposal.
Caspian CPC Blend oil prices plummeted due to drone attacks on tankers in the Black Sea. ExxonMobil increased the discount on its products, but no buyers were found.
Oil prices began to fall. This happened after Washington's statements about its intention to refrain from military action against Iran.
Three oil tankers operated by Greek companies were attacked by drones in the Black Sea. The vessels were en route to a Russian terminal to load Kazakh oil.
On January 12, Ukraine celebrates Ukrainian Political Prisoner Day, initiated in 1975 by Vyacheslav Chornovil. This day honors Ukrainians who suffered for their beliefs, particularly during the repressions of 1972 and the ongoing Russian aggression.
Finnish police are investigating damage to a telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Tallinn. The cargo ship Fitburg, en route from St. Petersburg, dragged its anchor along the seabed, severing the communication line.
OPEC+ agreed to maintain stable oil production, despite an 18% price drop in 2025 and tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Eight countries raised their production targets by 2.9 million barrels per day from April to December 2025.
Finnish police detained the cargo ship "Fitburg", which was en route from St. Petersburg to Israel. It is suspected of sabotaging an underwater telecommunications cable between Helsinki and Estonia.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine noted that the concern about the fabricated attack on Putin's palace is particularly surprising against the background of the absence of reactions from the respective countries to regular and real Russian strikes on civilians in Ukraine.
The perpetrators gained remote access to online banking, seized funds, and transferred them to accounts under their control.
Ukraine received ambulances from Kazakhstan as part of humanitarian aid. The cost of the ambulances exceeded 9 million hryvnias, and they are equipped with modern equipment for emergency medical care.
Russia has almost doubled its exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Central Asia and Afghanistan, reaching 1. 016 million metric tons from January to November 2025. This happened after the EU imposed restrictions on the import of Russian propane and butane in December 2024.
The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan released an interim report on the crash of an Embraer 190 aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines near Aktau. According to the report, the aircraft was damaged by "striking elements of a warhead," but their origin has not been established.
Russia and Kazakhstan have postponed the first launch of the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle as part of the joint Baiterek space project for additional system checks. The Baiterek program is in its final stages, and the launch was delayed due to falling behind schedule and sanctions.
