After entering Hrabovske in Sumy region, the Russians are conducting remote mining to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks. They are using drones and infantry, who are taking up positions in houses.
Since the beginning of the day, 95 combat engagements have occurred on the front, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the Pokrovsk direction, 33 enemy attacks have been repelled, and in the Huliaipole direction – 25.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko have decided on candidates for the new head of the State Border Guard Service. The appointment will take place soon, as Zelenskyy announced on social media.
Serhiy Deineko, head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, has been appointed advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko. After rehabilitation, he will lead a combat unit of the State Border Guard Service.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Today, January 2, and throughout the week, an increase in the load on checkpoints in the Lviv region is predicted. Currently, 200 cars are queuing to leave Ukraine.
The acting head of the internal control department of the Zakarpattia customs was detained for organizing the illegal import of luxury watches without paying customs duties. The official received 3,850 US dollars for importing watches worth over 3.2 million UAH.
Russian occupiers have not attempted to storm Hrabovske in the last few days and have reduced their activity in combat operations in Sumy Oblast. The enemy is suffering significant losses from the actions of the Ukrainian military.
Since the beginning of the day, 45 combat engagements have been recorded, the enemy launched nine attacks each in the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka directions. The enemy also tried to storm the area of the Antonivskyi Bridge twice.
In 2025, Ukrainian border guards detained about 1,400 people who tried to illegally cross the state border of Ukraine in the direction of the border with Belarus. DPSU spokesman Andriy Demchenko noted that the Belarusian direction remains active, despite a larger flow of violations on the border with EU countries.
In 2025, the Russian army increased the pace of its offensive in Ukraine, capturing 4,831 square kilometers of territory and reclaiming 473 square kilometers in the Kursk region. This was made possible by a new operational model, technological adaptations, and a change in attack tactics.
Estonia will chair the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) format from January 1, 2026, coordinating the efforts of eight countries. Key priorities include supporting Ukraine and increasing pressure on the aggressor.
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.
Units of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflicted damage on a number of military and infrastructure facilities in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia regions and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Among the hit targets are an oil depot, a floating craft base, a radar station, deployment points and substations.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has ordered the expansion of the buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions by 2026. This statement was announced by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that Santa crossed the border, bringing gifts and "security guarantees. " A Ukrainian border guard stopped Santa, who confirmed that he was bringing gifts not only for children.
Mandatory evacuation has been announced in the Chernihiv region from 14 border villages, where 300 people live. It should be completed within 30 days, said Viacheslav Chaus, head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that Russia's appetites in peace negotiations regarding Ukraine are too great, and the Kremlin's lack of reaction indicates Moscow's unwillingness to end the war. He noted that the United States has leverage, but Moscow's appetites are currently "exorbitant."
The largest passenger traffic, accounting for 50% of the total, is recorded at the Ukrainian-Polish border. Although there are no queues like before Christmas, certain checkpoints, such as "Krakovets," "Shehyni," and "Ustyluh," remain the busiest.
On the night of December 30, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with two ballistic missiles and 60 attack UAVs. Air defense forces shot down one missile and 52 drones; hits were recorded.
In 2025, over three thousand migrants died trying to reach the Spanish coast, which is three times less than last year. The vast majority of deaths occurred on the Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands.
Latvia has officially completed the construction of 280 km of engineering barriers on the border with Russia. This is the first stage of a comprehensive protection system, which is supplemented by modern video surveillance and technical monitoring systems.
The Bring Kids Back UA and Save Ukraine initiative announced the successful evacuation of a group of children from the temporarily occupied territories. Among those rescued are teenagers with congenital disabilities, former territorial defense fighters, and those who were forcibly attempted to be mobilized into the Russian army.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed on further contacts and steps with US President's Special Representative Steve Witkoff. The conversation took place while Umerov was en route to Ukraine; he is also constantly in touch with European advisors.
At a meeting with the military, Putin heard about the "liberation" of 334 settlements and the advance to Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Orikhove. He also ordered the expansion of the "security zone" until 2026.
