Past 24 hours in the war zone
- Ukraine’s JFO command reported one attack by Russian-hybrid forces on Ukrainian positions in the Donbas region, namely near Novotoshkivske, one Ukrainian soldier was killed.
- As of 19:30 Jan 10, OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission recorded 133 violations, including 7 explosions in Donetsk Oblast; 5 violations, including 2 explosions in Luhansk Oblast.
News flash
- Moscow has prepared a plan for the internal destabilization of Ukraine, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said at a briefing on 11 January. According to her, the US and its European allies are preparing ‘very painful’ sanctions against Russia in case it launches its further military escalation in Ukraine.
- Russia launched large-scale live-fire drills next to Ukraine’s border. The exercises involve tanks and IFVs, and take place in Voronezh, Belgorod, Bryansk, Smolensk oblasts. The United States expects explanations from Russia regarding the drills.
- Ukraine’s partners are coordinating on a united stance against Russian provocations, assured Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.
NATO-Russia talks in Brussels
On 12 January 2022, NATO headquarters in Brussels hosted security talks over Ukraine between envoys of Russia and NATO member countries. The only confirmed result of the negotiations seems to be the agreed point that the sides should meet again in the future. The meeting took place amid tensions over Moscow’s military build-up near Ukrainian borders, still ongoing since mid-fall 2021.
80 Ukrainian soldiers laid down their lives for Ukraine in 2021
Euromaidan Press honors the Ukrainian soldiers who perished in the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2021, 80 names, 80 faces (in 2020 there were 55).
Ukrainian army reservists train amid border tensions with Russia
Watch Euronews’ video on the training of Ukrainian reservists amid the Russian military buildup near Ukrainian borders:
Ukrainians call on US Senate to sanction Putin’s pipeline weapon
Representatives of Ukrainian civil society call on the US Senate to back the new bill sanctioning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and encourage the Biden Administration to swiftly provide Ukraine with defensive weapons, according to a document published by the Atlantic Council. US senators are expected to vote in the coming days on a Nord Stream 2 pipeline sanction bill.
“Russian aggression against Ukraine is part of a mounting global confrontation between democracy and a resurgent brand of authoritarianism championed by Vladimir Putin. Nord Stream 2 is one of Putin’s most important geopolitical weapons. By blocking this pipeline, the US can make an important contribution to protecting Ukrainian sovereignty and safeguarding European security while defending America’s own national interests,” reads the document.
But will the US Congress vote for sanctions against Nord Stream 2? Read Euromaidan Press’ explainer:
Will the US Congress vote for sanctions against Nord Stream 2? | Explainer
US ready to increase defense aid to Ukraine – Blinken assures Ukrainian FM
US Secretary of State Antony Bliken assured his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba of America’s readiness to strengthen defense support for Ukraine, as well as to take other resolute steps to deter Russia should the latter resort to another act of aggression against its neighbor. This is according to an official statement of the US Department of State, released on 11 January after a phone call of the two top diplomats.
Ukraine seeks to launch eight satellites into orbit by 2025
Ukraine’s National Targeted Scientific and Technical Space Program for 2021-2025 has been drafted to launch eight Ukrainian satellites into the low Earth orbit, according to the chief of the State Space Agency, Volodymyr Taftay, Ukrinform reports. According to the official, the production of heavy-class rocket and space complexes (Zenith-7H), medium-range (Cyclone-4M), and light (Cyclone 1) launch vehicles are also in the works, as well as developing an ultralight complex. Additionally, the space program lays down plans to put in mass production components for ESA’s Antares and Vega launch vehicles.
IEA chief accuses Russia of worsening Europe’s gas crisis
The head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, has accused Russia of throttling gas supplies to Europe at a time “of heightened geopolitical tensions” implying Moscow has manufactured an energy crisis for political ends, according to FT.
“We believe there are strong elements of tightness in the European gas market due to Russia’s behavior,” Birol said. “I would note that today’s low Russian gas flows to Europe coincide with heightened geopolitical tensions over Ukraine.”
Day of the Ukrainian Political Prisoner
Today, January 12, marks the Day of the Ukrainian Political Prisoner. On this day in 1972, the KGB began massively arresting Ukrainian Shistdesyatnyky (Sixtiers), a literary movement that arose in protest to the Soviet Union’s destruction of everything Ukrainian.
Nothing much has changed… Today, there are over 120 Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin held in Russia and occupied Crimea and about 300 Ukrainians imprisoned in dark, damp basements in Russian-occupied Donbas.
How Russian imperialism jailed Ukrainian dissidents 50 years ago and today
Schismatic bishop of Russian Orthodox Church died on church’s patriarch birthday
The former Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) bishop of Chukotka, Diomid, who was stripped of his rank by the Moscow Patriarchate, died in an automobile accident near St. Petersburg on 20 November 2021, ROC Patriarch Kirill’s birthday. Commentator Paul Goble highlights that some of Diomid’s followers are likely to suspect foul play as many Russians did when journalist Anna Politkovskaya was killed on Putin’s birthday in 2006.
Maria Prymachenko’s 113th anniversary
Ukrainian naïve art genius Maria Prymachenko, a Ukrainian village folk art painter, was born 113 years ago on 12 January in Bolotnia, Kyiv Oblast.
She didn’t have any artistic education and lived a quiet life in her native village. Maria was involved with drawing, embroidery, and painting on ceramics. You can find her works in Ukrainian Folk Art Museum in Kyiv.
We made her paintings come to life here.
Paintings of Ukrainian Naïve Art icon Prymachenko come to life
Serhii Koroliov’s birthday
Prominent Ukrainian, space exploration pioneer Serhii Korolev (more widely known by the version of his name transliterated from Russian as Sergei Korolev) was born 115 years ago on 12 January in Zhytomyr. Stalin put Korolev behind bars in a politically motivated case. But Korolev prevailed, made a remarkable career, sent the first human to space and expanded space exploration horizons.
