The emergency situation in Ukraine's energy system occurred due to technological reasons on the lines between Ukraine and Moldova. This caused cascading outages, and power is promised to be restored in the coming hours.
Traffic and goods clearance have been temporarily suspended at the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. The reason is the failure of the central databases of the customs authorities of the Republic of Moldova.
Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu stated that electricity supply in the country will be restored within one to two hours. This happened due to the activation of the power grid protection system in Ukraine, which caused a partial blackout in Moldova.
President Zelenskyy reported an emergency situation in Ukraine's energy system due to technological reasons on the lines between the energy systems of Ukraine and Moldova. Energy Minister Shmyhal explained that a technological disruption between Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine caused cascading outages, nuclear power plant units were unloaded, and power will be restored in the coming hours.
A technological disruption with the disconnection of power transmission lines between Romania and Moldova and in Ukraine caused a cascading outage of the power system. Emergency shutdown schedules have been applied in Kyiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv regions.
A massive power outage has occurred in Moldova, including the capital Chisinau. Moldova's Minister of Energy stated that the cause is serious problems in the Ukrainian power grid.
The European Commission is providing Ukraine with 145 million euros in humanitarian aid and Moldova with 8 million euros to support Ukrainian refugees. Millions of Ukrainians are facing freezing temperatures without electricity due to Russian bombardments.
Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office, two foreign mercenaries and a citizen of Ukraine, who participated in the armed aggression against our state, have been notified of suspicion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia's wars, including the war against Ukraine, are a consequence of the indifference of leading world states. He emphasized that history punishes those who stand aside.
Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, reported a significant decrease in passenger traffic at the state border after the holidays. Over the past day, 63,000 citizens crossed the border, which is lower than average.
Moldova has officially initiated the process of denouncing key agreements that form the legal basis of its membership in the CIS. By mid-February, the documents will be submitted to parliament for consideration.
On January 17, a 2. 5-meter Russian 'Gerbera' drone was discovered in Moldova. The country's Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as a violation of sovereignty.
Countries that have been waiting for years to join the EU are divided over plans to become members without full voting rights. Some insist on all the benefits, while others are happy to be at the negotiating table.
Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu stated that he would personally support unification with Romania, but as head of government, he is focused on EU integration. His statement drew accusations of treason from the opposition.
Advisor to the President of Romania Dana Nicușor, MEP Eugen Tomac, announced readiness for negotiations on unification with Moldova. This decision depends on Chisinau's will and the support of partners.
At the Mamalyha checkpoint, a DAF truck driver transporting alcohol was detained. Among the goods, seven men of military age were found, whom the driver tried to smuggle to Moldova.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that she would vote for unification with Romania if a referendum were held. She believes this would help protect the country's democracy from Russian pressure.
The prosecutor's office uncovered several schemes of evasion from mobilization and illegal transportation of conscripts abroad. The documented amount of illicit gains exceeds UAH 5.8 million, and 11 individuals have been notified of suspicion.
People's Deputy Iryna Gerashchenko stated that Russia will try to interfere in Ukrainian elections using social networks and messengers. She proposed to start working on legislative changes, including a law on the de-anonymization of Telegram channels.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Cyprus today, where the ceremony marking the country's assumption of the EU Council presidency will take place. He will meet with the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the President of the Republic of Cyprus.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Heorhiy Tykhyi and head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council Andriy Kovalenko commented on a Reuters publication in which a high-ranking Russian source claims that after the US military operation in Venezuela, "Russia also has its own sphere of influence. "
After the New Year holidays, the longest queues at the border are observed in the Polish direction, which complicates crossing for drivers and passengers. The State Border Guard Service advises taking into account the possible unstable operation of electronic systems of control services at checkpoints.
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.
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 Ministry of Energy reported that Ukraine transported 6. 9 billion cubic meters of gas through interstate entry points in the year following the cessation of Russian gas transit. This concerns the needs of Ukraine and other countries through the Ukrainian GTS.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba summarized the results of 2025 in the transport industry, noting an increase in seats on international trains and the launch of the Eurotrack. The "transport visa-free regime" with the EU was extended, and digital systems such as eCherha and e-TTN were introduced.
New Year on the planet lasts almost a day, starting from the Line Islands in the Pacific Ocean and ending in Samoa. Find out the exact time of the 2026 New Year celebration in different countries of the world according to Kyiv time.
Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for former Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat, who was sentenced in France to two years in prison for money laundering. Moldovan law enforcement confirmed receipt of the request, but the country's Constitution prohibits the extradition of its citizens.
Passenger traffic is increasing at the Ukrainian-Polish border due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, especially for departures from Ukraine. The longest queues are observed at the Shehyni, Krakovets, Rava-Ruska, Ustyluh, and Uhryniv checkpoints.
The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 Nations League will take place on February 12, 2026, in Brussels. The Ukrainian national team will compete in League B.
