IOC President Kirsty Coventry said that Russian athletes will not be able to represent their country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. They will only participate as individual athletes without a national flag or anthem.
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.
In December 2025, 12. 4 thousand new passenger cars were sold in Ukraine, which is the highest figure since March 2014. This represents a 50% increase compared to November 2025 and a 2.2-fold increase compared to December 2024, driven by the expiration of VAT benefits for electric vehicles.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold a telephone conversation with Donald Trump regarding the peace process in Ukraine and the Palestinian issue. The Turkish leader is also in contact with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on these issues.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy heard a report from Pavlo Palisa on preparations for meetings with security advisors and the work of the Coalition of the Willing. The modernization of military education, taking into account the experience of a full-scale war, was also discussed.
More than 53% of Ukrainians are categorically against territorial concessions to the Russian Federation, while 33% are ready for certain losses. 39% of respondents agree to freeze the front line without official recognition of the occupied territories as Russian.
President Zelenskyy met with Kyrylo Budanov and offered him to head the Office of the President of Ukraine. Budanov should focus on security issues, the development of the Defense Forces and the diplomatic track, as well as update the strategic foundations of defense.
In 2025, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, together with partners, intensified personnel training for the Air Force and unmanned systems units. As a result, over 5,000 UAV operators and almost one hundred cadet pilots were trained.
The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kovalenko, believes that the Russians pursued two goals in this way. One of them is to create a rift between Ukraine and the United States.
On January 2, snow fell in five regions of Ukraine, up to 8 cm in places. State roads are passable, 454 units of special equipment and 550 workers are involved.
Law enforcement officers have dismantled an international cocaine supply channel to Ukraine, organized by a group of citizens from Ukraine, Armenia, the Czech Republic, and Germany. The organizer, who had previously served a sentence for drug offenses in the US, planned to import up to 2 kg of cocaine weekly, with the value of a single shipment exceeding $200,000.
Just yesterday, these people were making money from slot machines and gambling addiction, and today they manage private medicine. The Odrex clinic has gone from a casino to a hospital, retaining not only its name but also its business approaches. Against the backdrop of patient deaths, criminal proceedings, and relatives' complaints, the question arises: is there a place for such a background in a field where the price of a mistake is a human life?
Russia attacked energy infrastructure in Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. In Odesa region, more than 11,000 consumers remain without electricity after previous attacks.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine held a meeting on the state of engineering arrangement of defensive lines, discussing fortifications, barriers, and preparing settlements for defense.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine warns of the Kremlin's preparation of an armed provocation with significant human casualties. It may occur on the eve or during Christmas according to the Julian calendar, likely in a religious building or another symbolic object.
The full implementation of the Electronic System for the Circulation of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Products has been postponed until November 1, 2026. This provides for a phased implementation of the system and gives businesses additional time to prepare.
The share of oil and gas revenues in Russia's budget will decrease to 23% this year, compared to 50% a few years ago. The reason is the war against Ukraine and sanctions that force Russia to sell oil at significant discounts.
Vasyl Zvarych, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, called the anti-Ukrainian statements by Czech Parliament Speaker Tomio Okamura disgraceful. Okamura spoke out against providing weapons to Ukraine, calling the war "senseless," and expressed unwillingness to see Ukraine in the EU.
On the night of January 2, Russian occupiers attacked Zaporizhzhia twice with attack UAVs, causing fires and damage. A significant part of the enemy targets was destroyed, which allowed to avoid injuries.
Russia launched 116 attack UAVs over Ukraine overnight, of which 86 were shot down or suppressed. 27 drones were recorded hitting 23 locations.
Brent and WTI crude futures rose by 35 and 34 cents respectively on the first trading day of 2026. This followed the largest annual decline since 2020, caused by drone attacks on Russian oil facilities and US sanctions against Venezuela.
On January 1, Russian troops lost 910 soldiers and 590 UAVs. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 02.01.26 are estimated at 1,209,880 personnel.
On January 2, most of Ukraine is expected to have cloudy weather. Light snow is forecast in the north and west of the country, with black ice on the roads.
A poll by The Economist/YouGov showed that 49% of Americans disapprove of Donald Trump's actions regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine. Only 30% of respondents support his approach.
Czech Parliament Speaker Tomio Okamura spoke out against providing weapons to Ukraine, calling the war "senseless. " He stated that the money of Czech pensioners should not go to support "pro-war propaganda."
The head of the Russian GRU handed over to the representative of the US military attaché materials with decrypted routing data of a Ukrainian drone. Russian special services claim that the target of the attack was Putin's residence in the Novgorod region.
The Russian Federation officially appealed to the US State Department with a demand to stop pursuing the oil tanker Bella 1, which the American authorities consider a stateless vessel. The tanker, en route from Iran to Venezuela, is currently trying to evade the US Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean.
In Bashkortostan, payments for signing a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense have been increased again from 500,000 to 1 million rubles. New payments will take effect on January 1, 2026, despite previous reductions and budget problems.
Australian Russell Allan Wilson was killed on December 12 during combat operations in the Donetsk region, fighting for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He was supposed to get married a week after his last mission.
According to Kaliňák, Ukraine will never be in NATO. In his opinion, Ukraine will also have problems joining the European Union.
