Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1055: UK plans to fund production of air defenses in Ukraine

Military

Frontline report: Ukrainians decimate Russian armor column in Kursk "like sitting ducks" as bodies litter frozen fields. From elevated positions, Ukrainian defenders systematically destroyed six waves of Russian armor attempting to outflank Malaya Loknya, turning frozen supply routes into killing zones. Forbes: Russians pray in Kursk as 33-ton Ukrainian Bradley meets them in church battle. A US-made Bradley fighting vehicle challenged Russian positions around Saint Michael's Church in Pogrebki until a drone's grenade found a gap in its protective netting. Ukrainian soldiers repel North Korean assault in Kursk Oblast, eliminate 18 fighters. Ukrainian Special Operations Forces successfully countered a North Korean-led assault in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Russian troops advance in strategically important Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast – DeepState. The outcome of these battles could determine whether Russia can threaten Ukraine's remaining major population centers in the Donetsk Oblast. As of 13 JAN 2025, the approximate losses of weapons and military equipment of the Russian Armed Forces from the beginning of the invasion to the present day:

Personnel: 809760 (+1510)
Tanks: 9764 (+8)
APV: 20315 (+26)
Artillery systems: 21876 (+37)
MLRS: 1261 (+1)
Anti-aircraft systems: 1044
Aircraft: 369
Helicopters: 331
UAV: 22204 (+183)
Cruise missiles : 3018
Warships/boats: 28
Submarines: 1
Vehicles and fuel tanks: 33708 (+110)

Intelligence and Technology

Ukrainian intelligence unmasks network of 79 Russian weapons behind drone attacks. Russian companies are mass-producing Iranian-designed attack drones for strikes on Ukrainian cities, using thousands of foreign components to sustain a cost-effective terror campaign against civilian infrastructure. UK to finance production of air defense, long-range weapons in Ukraine, Umerov says. The United Kingdom has pledged to maintain comprehensive support for Ukraine's defense industry, including funding for air defense systems and long-range weapons production. Ukraine invites foreign partners to revolutionize military equipment with Western tech. A new Ukrainian resolution paves the way for foreign enterprises to join efforts in upgrading military assets, emphasizing drones, aircraft, and adherence to international standards. Russians destroy their own North Korean-made SAM system, claiming it was "Western-made radar". The Russian footage shows a Russian drone attack on a surface-to-air missile system initially showcased by Pyongyang in 2020. Seoul intelligence unmasks identities of first North Korean POWs in Ukraine, points to their weak spot. South Korea's Intelligence Service confirmed that two North Korean soldiers recently captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk were operatives from Pyongyang's Reconnaissance General Bureau.

International

"Let's meet at Ukraine border and discuss Russian gas," Slovak PM says. "Come to Kyiv on Friday," Zelenskyy replies. Robert Fico wants to renew halted Russian gas transit via Ukraine to Slovakia. German Defense Minister denies reports of Scholz blocking € 3 billion weapons package for Ukraine. The approval of the aid package, which would nearly double Germany's current €4 billion commitment to Ukraine for 2025, is still pending. "Latest cars and five-star hotels": Polish defense minister links Ukrainian refugee wealth to public "war fatigue"

. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also defended Poland's refusal to provide Ukraine its remaining MiG-29 fighters, saying that in the early stages of the full-scale war Poland was sending tanks, "when others were only sending helmets." "Empire is over": Boris Johnson tells Putin to accept end of Russian Empire in Baltics, Ukraine. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Putin a "f***ing idiot" for clinging to imperial ambitions and advocated for Ukraine's NATO membership, critisizing the West's current inaction in this regard. Blinken: Biden to hand over "strongest possible position" on Ukraine to Trump administration. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says his final days in office are focused on securing a strong foundation for the incoming administration's foreign policy decisions. Russia takes 12 Ukrainian war orphans to Moscow for brainwashing tours. Russian forces deport 12 Ukrainian war orphans from occupied Khartsyzsk to Moscow for propaganda activities and placement with Russian families, continuing systematic cultural erasure campaign. Nazi symbols found after attack on Ukrainian refugees' home in German town. Police investigate a crime targeting Ukrainian refugees in German town of Güstrow. Russia's war on culture and freedom of speech: 145 Ukrainian artists, 95 journalists killed since 2022. The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture has condemned Russia's deliberate targeting of artists and journalists, likening it to Stalinist-era repression against Ukraine's cultural elite. Ukraine intercepts 78 out of 110 Russian drones, falling debris damage children's health center. Despite property damage affecting homes, businesses, and public facilities across multiple oblasts, local authorities report no civilian injuries.

Political and Legal Developments

Danish Intelligence: Russia forged letter to spark Trump's Greenland purchase bid

. A Russian disinformation operation involving a forged diplomatic letter may have triggered Donald Trump's ongoing interest in purchasing Greenland, revealing Moscow's strategy to create divisions within NATO's Arctic presence. Pro-Russian candidate wins Croatian presidential elections with 77% of vote. Croatia's presidential election has delivered a landslide victory to Zoran Milanović, who has openly challenged Ukraine's territorial integrity and criticized its national symbols. Volyn exhumations in Ukraine of Polish victims to begin in April, media reports. Polish archaeologists and anthropologists will begin exhuming and identifying of about 80 victims of the 1945 Puźniki massacre this April, following a breakthrough agreement between Poland and Ukraine. Serbia proposes hosting Trump-Putin talks despite ICC obligations to arrest Putin on its territory. President Vučić highlighted Serbia's unique position of having popular support for both leaders.

Economic Developments

Ukraine central bank predicts inflation to rise in first months of 2025. Lower agricultural yields and rising business costs will drive inflation higher in the first months of 2025, Ukraine's central bank warned. Bloomberg: Three tankers with 2M barrels of Russian oil stranded off China as US sanctions bite. Shandong Port Group's terminals are turning away Russian oil shipments after US Treasury sanctions targeted 183 tankers. Newsweek: US corporations are Russia's biggest foreign tax source, paying $ 1.2 billion in 2023. Tobacco giant Philip Morris International and PepsiCo led American corporate payments to Russia in 2023, contributing $220 million and $135 million respectively in profit taxes. Russia's secret $ 250B war fund threatens economic collapse, ex-Bank of America vice chairman says. The Kremlin forced Russian banks to provide $210-250 billion in preferential loans to defense contractors, matching its official military budget. Ukraine offers coal aid to frozen Transnistria as Russian halts gas to breakaway Moldova's region. Russia's sudden gas cutoff has plunged Transnistria into an energy crisis affecting 300,000 residents. Read our earlier daily review here