Ukraine
Russian troops suffered significant losses on January 2, losing 750 soldiers and 539 UAVs. The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 02.01.26 amount to 1,210,630 personnel.
On January 3, most of Ukraine will be cloudy, with wet snow and rain in the southern, central, eastern regions and the Carpathians. In Kyiv, variable cloudiness is expected without precipitation, with temperatures ranging from -1° to +1°.
President Zelenskyy proposed Mykhailo Fedorov for the post of Minister of Defense to develop drone technologies. Kyrylo Budanov will head the Presidential Office, taking one of the most influential positions in the country.
Russian troops continue to use drones at low altitudes, attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. This is part of Russia's strategy to prolong the war and delay peace negotiations.
Polls show that 59. 6% of Poles do not expect the war in Ukraine to end by 2026. This trend has been growing since 2024, reflecting war fatigue and expectations of peace among voters.
The German CSU party proposes sending men fit for military service back to Ukraine. It is also proposed to use refugees' personal funds and assets to cover their living expenses.
Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha supported the Ukrainian ambassador after criticism from the Czech Foreign Ministry, calling the diplomat's actions professional and justified. Sybiha emphasized that the ambassador's reaction was a response to unacceptable attacks against Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a change in the format of the Ministry of Defense's work, proposing Mykhailo Fedorov to head it. Denys Shmyhal remains in the team; he has been offered another important area of state work.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Mykhailo Fedorov could take over as Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
Czech opposition parties are initiating a vote on the dismissal of Tomio Okamura from the post of Speaker of the lower house of parliament. The reason for this is his New Year's statements about Ukraine, which caused outrage and accusations of spreading Russian propaganda.
The U. S. Department of State has updated its recommendations for citizens planning to travel to Russia, urging them to prepare wills and funeral wishes. This is due to the danger of the ongoing war, the risk of persecution, and the limited ability of the U.S. government to provide assistance.
Over the next three days, Ukraine is expected to experience snow, rain, frost, and ice. Air temperatures will range from 0-9° below zero at night to 4-10° above zero in the south.
Due to the difficult security situation, over 3,000 children are being evacuated from 44 frontline settlements in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Since June 1, 150,000 people have been evacuated, including 18,000 children.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb will participate in a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris on January 6, 2026. The meeting, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, will discuss support for Ukraine and peace negotiations.
Ukraine handed over lists of Ukrainian prisoners of war and missing persons to the Chief Ombudsman of Turkey, Mehmet Akarca. This was done for verification and repatriation, including the seriously ill and civilians.
On January 3, scheduled power outages and power restrictions for industrial consumers will be applied in most regions of Ukraine. These are the consequences of Russian attacks on energy facilities.
Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov will head the Presidential Office to strengthen defense and contacts with the United States. This appointment moves one of Ukraine's most prominent generals into a political role.
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 2025, Ukraine raised over UAH 569 billion from the sale and exchange of domestic government bonds at auctions, and in total, since the beginning of martial law, this figure has reached almost UAH 2. 03 trillion. The portfolio of war bonds owned by individuals and legal entities as of January 1, 2026, reached the equivalent of UAH 181.6 billion.
On December 30, 2025, the Ministry of Culture added 26 unique museum objects to the State Register of National Cultural Heritage. Among them are the Altar Gospel of 1707 and the anthropomorphic stele "Kernosivsky Idol" from the 2nd millennium BC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is appointing Oleh Ivashchenko to a position in Ukraine's military intelligence. This happened after Kyrylo Budanov agreed to head the Presidential Office.
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.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has amended the rules for providing household waste management services. The new rules provide for a containerless collection system and the consumer's right not to pay for the service if absent for more than 30 days.
A new quarter of the "Veteran Sports" program has started in Ukraine, providing veterans with UAH 1,500 to pay for gyms. Applications are accepted until January 20, said Mykhailo Fedorov.
On January 2, in Poltava, a man threw a live grenade on Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street, damaging several cars. There were no casualties, and the offender, born in 1990, was detained.
Russian troops struck Kharkiv with two missiles, damaging residential buildings. The exact number of casualties is still unknown, and a rescue operation is underway.
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.
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.
A low avalanche danger (level I) has been declared in the highlands of the eastern part of Zakarpattia Oblast from January 2 to 4. Rescuers urge tourists to be careful, as medium-danger avalanches are possible on steep slopes.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, accepted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's offer to head the Office of the Head of State. He thanked him for the trust and called it an honor and a responsibility.