Ukraine

The Russians have created a program called “trainee of the Ministry of Education” for graduates from the occupied territories. The purpose of the program is to overcome the staff shortage and engage Ukrainians in collaboration activities in the occupation administrations.

There were 198 combat engagements on the frontline, with the most difficult situation in the Pokrovsk region, where 13 combat engagements are ongoing. The occupants lost 276 troops and equipment, carried out 10 air strikes and launched 576 drones.

The President of Ukraine said that ceding the territories to Russia would allow it to prepare for a new attack on Europe. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for security guarantees and the impossibility of recognizing the occupied territories.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister commented on the first decisions on the exhumation of the victims of the Volyn tragedy. He emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation with Poland and further implementation of the agreements.

Law enforcement officers identified six minors who were blocking traffic in the center of Kyiv and playing Russian music. One of the participants had previously been prosecuted for similar actions.

Zelensky spoke about Ukraine's preventive steps to protect Kharkiv and Sumy from the Russian offensive. Thanks to these actions, 60,000 Russian troops were pulled back to the Kursk region.

The President of Ukraine has stated the need for serious security guarantees from the United States and Europe. Such guarantees should make it impossible for Russia to aggress against Ukraine again in the future.

Russia uses more than 1,000 vessels to circumvent sanctions, which is 17% of the world's oil tanker fleet. The shadow fleet has brought Russia more profit than Ukraine has received in international aid since the beginning of the war.

We managed to return 17 Ukrainian citizens from the occupied territories, including families, the elderly and people with disabilities. Among the evacuees are a man who lost a limb, a couple from Crimea, and a 77-year-old woman from the combat zone.

The UK has imposed sanctions on Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, which earn $23 billion a year. The sanctions are aimed at limiting Russia's revenues from energy sales.

The United States has imposed sanctions on more than 400 entities linked to the Russian energy sector. Zelenskyy thanked for the support and emphasized that this would significantly undermine the financial basis of the Russian military machine.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister had a phone conversation with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas. The parties discussed coordination of efforts in Ukraine-EU relations, the Food from Ukraine initiative and assistance to Syria.

The Russian Federation is compiling lists of residents of the occupied territories for the spring conscription. The occupiers plan to increase the number of recruits and force them to sign contracts to be sent to the front.

In 2024, FAVBET doubled tax payments to the state budget of Ukraine, paying UAH 5. 7 billion. The company has also become a patron of a project to combat gambling addiction and continues to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

British scientists have found that a wife's higher income increases the risk of mental disorders in a couple by 8%. This especially affects men, increasing the likelihood of mental problems by 11%.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to visit Ukraine in the coming weeks. He will discuss with Zelenskyy the possibility of deploying international peacekeepers after the war ends.

Poroshenko initiates a ban on the transit of Russian oil through Ukraine, although he is involved in the illegal alienation of the pipeline. According to experts, the state's losses from the Medvedchuk pipeline scheme reach $210 million.

Level III avalanche hazard and storm warning have been declared in the Carpathians from January 9 to 13. In the highlands of Transcarpathia, the danger reaches level IV, and tourists are urged to refrain from hiking.

MPs from the Voice party are preparing a resolution to dismiss Herman Halushchenko over systemic corruption and a conflict with Inna Sovsun. The minister accused the MP of “mudslinging” the energy sector because of her statements about the Khmelnytsky NPP.

In 2024, the project “I Want to Find” received 52,000 requests from the families of missing Russian servicemen. Most of the invaders disappeared in Donetsk region - 19,025 people, mostly in Pokrovsk and Bakhmut districts.

In Ukraine, a monopoly has been artificially created on the market of dressings for patients with epidermolysis bullosa. The Swedish company Mölnlycke Health Care controls the entire market.

The tanker Eventin with 99,000 tons of Russian oil lost control off the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. The vessel is part of Russia's “shadow fleet” used to circumvent sanctions.

There were 166 combat engagements in the frontline, most of them in the Liman, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk sectors. The most active enemy attacks were registered near Petropavlivka, Makiivka and Novopoltavka.

In January, the PACE session will hold joint hearings of the three committees on Ukrainian prisoners. The hearings will address the issue of torture and inhuman treatment of prisoners of war and hostages.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called Putin's creation of a headquarters for oil pollution cleanup in the Black Sea a demonstrative “concern. ” About 15-20 thousand birds and more than 30 dolphins were killed in the Russian tanker accident.

NATO countries will not agree to Trump's proposal to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. A compromise decision of about 3% of GDP is expected at the summit in The Hague in June.

The Cabinet of Ministers has set up a Coordination Center for the management of the regions where military operations are underway. The center, headed by Oleksiy Kuleba, will coordinate the government's actions and restore the territories.

Following the attack by a Russian drone, 1800 tons of sunflower oil spilled into the bays of the Bug estuary. 119 tons have already been pumped out of the river, and work continues around the clock.

The European Commission and Slovakia are forming a working group to assess the consequences of the cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine. The group will consider the economic impact and possible compensation for Slovakia.

The Venezuelan authorities have no information about the Ukrainian citizenship of the detainees claimed by Maduro. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is checking the information through diplomatic channels and partner ambassadors.