Ukraine
The Russian occupiers in Melitopol awarded local cultural figures, including employees of museums, clubs, libraries and creative teams, with plastic bags with souvenirs and framed certificates. Such attention is aimed at promoting Russian culture and mobilizing support for the ruling party of Russia.
The EU is considering plans to financially punish Hungary if it continues to block a €50 billion aid package to Ukraine. Possible measures include weakening the Hungarian currency and undermining investor confidence to hurt its economy.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is conducting unannounced inspections of territorial recruitment centers, revealing numerous violations. Defense Minister Umerov thanked the law enforcement agencies for their cooperation in correcting the shortcomings.
NATO chief warns that the world will be "vulnerable" if Putin succeeds in Ukraine and says authoritarian regimes are watching closely.
Zelenskiy announced new defense assistance agreements with partners to strengthen the Ukrainian army. He said Ukraine would receive more weapons, ammunition, and equipment from defense coalitions every week.
The cosmetics company Avon continues to operate in Russia despite criticism, hiring sales agents and producing products.
An air alert has been declared in Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine due to the threat of a Russian ballistic missile attack. Residents are advised to take shelter and not to ignore the air raid alert.
In 2024, Germany will spend more than 7 billion euros ($7. 6 billion) to help Ukraine. European allies should step up their support for Kyiv.
The income of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family decreased from UAH 10. 8 million in 2021 to UAH 3.7 million in 2022.
Naftogaz services have resumed operations after a large-scale cyberattack on January 25 that shut down websites and call centers.
The number of arson attacks on Russian military recruitment offices has doubled in the past six months, reflecting growing public distrust of the government's promise not to conduct further mobilizations. The attacks also reflect a lack of confidence in Putin's recent promise that there will be no further mobilization.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down a Russian X-59 cruise missile over the Dnipro region on January 28. Later that evening, Russia launched ballistic missiles and attack drones, four of which were intercepted by Ukraine.
About 1,300 trucks are currently waiting to enter Ukraine from the Polish side of the border, but border guards say drivers will not have to wait long to cross due to the high volume of traffic. Every day, about 3,000 trucks cross the border in both directions.
The leader of the Hungarian far-right party Mi Hazánk said that they would "claim" the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine if Ukraine loses the war with Russia. At the same time, the Hungarian far-right political force supports an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the path of negotiations.
Former President Trump strongly disagrees with the immigration deal being discussed in Congress, calling the southern border of the United States an "open wound" and "the worst in history. " He warns that the absence of border control means a "100 percent probability" of major terrorist attacks on US soil.
Despite Russia's three major missile attacks on Ukraine from December 29 to January 8, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said that Russia has about 900 long-range precision missiles left. Ignat noted that Russia produces about 100 missiles a month, but is using them up due to constant attacks against Ukraine.
January 28 is International Data Protection Day, established in 2007 by the Council of Europe to promote the protection of privacy rights. The concept of personal data protection and privacy was pioneered by Louis Brandeis, an American lawyer and U.S. Supreme Court Justice from 1916 to 1939.
Ukraine's Navy commander said that Ukraine would have won the war faster if it had been allowed to use Western weapons to hit targets in Russia. Ukraine has managed to destroy more than two dozen Russian ships, but the admiral warned that new methods are needed as the enemy is adapting.
Ukraine's Navy commander says they will gladly accept two British frigates that the UK plans to decommission in 2024 due to a shortage of sailors. The UK Defense Secretary has previously stated that 2024 will be a crucial year for Ukraine's fate and that the UK will continue to support Kyiv.
Russia believes that its growing ties with China and emerging economies allow it to challenge the US-dominated financial system and the West. Russian documents indicate plans to undermine the dollar and create a new financial order that is not dominated by the United States.
According to the deputy director of the Ptukha Institute, the demographic situation in Ukraine is critical, but has not yet reached a critical point. The key problems are high mortality, a rapidly declining birth rate, and a significant outflow of migrants due to the war - more than 6 million Ukrainians are now abroad. It is difficult to accurately predict future demographic development.
Greece has decided to give Ukraine outdated weapons systems that are no longer used by its military. This comes after the United States approved the sale of $8.6 billion worth of F-35 fighter jets to Greece and offered additional military aid of $200 million if Greece provides the weapons to Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podolyak said that Russia spread fake news that Ukraine had shot down an Il-76 aircraft to slow down the transfer of missile defense to Ukraine and divert attention from Russia's violations of the conventions of war. The circumstances and contents of the plane remain unverified.
A 66-year-old Ukrainian pensioner was detained at Munich airport with €455,000 in cash hidden in his luggage. The money was confiscated by authorities investigating possible money laundering.
Ukraine is preparing for the exchange of prisoners of war, although the details of the crash of the russian plane, which the russians claimed was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war, remain unclear.
Ukraine and its Western partners have made progress in working on a decision to confiscate frozen russian assets. These assets can be used to finance Ukraine's defense against russian aggression. Further EU sanctions against russia are also being prepared.
Denis Nikitin, the head of the Russian Volunteer Corps fighting in Ukraine, said that the creation of the unit initially seemed unfeasible. He believes that the creation of a force to counter russian propaganda and influence undecided russians was necessary despite the challenges.
russian soldiers who occupied a part of the Kherson region of Ukraine are killing wild animals for fun and posting photos of themselves posing with the dead animals.
Ukraine and Lithuania are identifying joint steps to increase the production of drones for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The two countries plan to combine Lithuanian drone production technologies with Ukraine's ability to scale up production.
The department reminded that the pre-war population of Vesele was 102 people, and Krokhmalne was 45. Experts explained that this is a minor advance for russia.