Exclusives
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Poland orders auto minelayers, bracing for potential Russian invasion. Deputy defense minister: If Ukraine falls, Russia may move on Europe |
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Did 2025 break Russia’s oil revenue model? (INFOGRAPHIC). Kremlin budgeted for $70 oil. Ukrainian strikes and Western sanctions ensured it got $35. |
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Treasury trumpets Iran sanctions but delists ex-Sberbank executive quietly. The press release made no mention of delisting a former Sberbank executive. |
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Huliaipole fell. Its defenders had been abandoned long before.. The battle for Huliaipole was a defeat for the 102nd and 106th Territorial Defense Brigades. But that doesn't necessarily mean the defeat was the territorials' fault. |
Military
Ukraine starts 2026 with strikes on Russian oil, Shahed depot, and command post in Krasnodar and Tatarstan. Ukraine strikes Russian drone storage used for attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Frontline report: Ukraine fields army of robots as Russia falls back on horses. Ukraine is fielding over 40 ground-drone models this year while Russia, hemorrhaging vehicles, sends soldiers on horseback against machines with thermal sensors.
Two more Patriots online: Ukraine's hypersonic missile shield just got stronger with new delivery from Germany. Deployment follows 17 December €1.2bn defense deal signing.
Frontline report: Australian Abrams tanks enter combat at Pokrovsk, bolstering Ukrainian counterattacks. Ukraine's armored forces received a major boost as all 49 Australian-donated Abrams tanks arrived and immediately joined the fight in one of the war's most contested sectors.
Russia lost over 418,000 troops in Ukraine during 2025 – General Staff. Russia lost 1,816 tanks and 77,322 drones in 2025, according to data from the General Staff.
Massive New Year drone attack leaves 100,000 without power in Volyn Oblast (PHOTOS). Russia launched 205 drones in a New Year's assault, striking strategic rail hubs in Kovel and port equipment in Odesa and Izmail.
Russia's river patrol base and radar tower among 12 targets hit by Ukrainian drone force (VIDEO, MAP). Ukraine's SBS drones also struck occupied Luhansk Oblast's fuel base, multiple Russian force positions in Donetsk Oblast, and delivered strikes in occupied part of Zaporizhzhia.
ISW: Ukrainian troops advance in Kupiansk and Pokrovsk. A Kremlin-linked source admits Ukrainian gains in Kupiansk, blaming the weather for stalling Russian drones and favoring Ukraine's numerical advantage.
Ukrainian drones pound Russian oil infrastructure in Tuapse and Yaroslavl (VIDEOS, MAP). Fires erupted at both a Rosneft refinery on the Black Sea coast and an oil depot northeast of Moscow.
Frontline report: Ukraine turns Russian pipeline into kill zone as Kupiansk counteroffensive advances. Both infiltration attempts end in complete destruction of assault forces.
Intelligence and technology
Ukraine fools Russian spies again: "Putin's personal enemy" Kapustin alive, intel keeps $500,000 hit fee. Ukrainian intelligence staged Russian Volunteer Corps commander's death for over a month, then collected the bounty.
95% made in Ukraine: drone production surge to reshape 2026 battlefield. The 1st UAV Systems Center says nearly all long-range drones used in operations are domestically produced — and production is growing.
Bloomberg: Ukraine hit more Russian energy targets this month than in any previous month of the war. Refineries, offshore platforms, port facilities, and shadow fleet tankers all came under attack as Kyiv expanded its campaign.
International
Finland seizes suspected sabotage ship – and finds sanctioned Russian steel in its hold. Fitburg vessel detained after suspected telecom cable damage off Estonia.
Romania commits €50 million to Ukraine's defense through US-led PURL initiative. Bucharest's pledge contributes to a framework that allows coordinated procurement across NATO budgets.
US maps economic transformation of post-war Ukraine with wage-tripling plan, Zelenskyy says. "Prosperity package" aims to restore jobs as task number one.
Belarusian sanatoriums quietly rehab Russian soldiers from Ukraine war. Investigators confirm three-year program for veterans of Russia's invasion.
Humanitarian and social impact
Russia bombs Kharkiv zoo on first day of 2026: Most birds killed, lions wounded, volunteer in hospital after assault. The Russian bomb hit the building with tranquilizers.
Three children, including a baby, hurt in Russia's drone attack on Odesa on New Year's Eve. Despite air defenses intercepting over 100 drones, Russian UAVs still struck 11 separate locations across the country.
Political and legal developments
Ceasefire prospects in 2026 depend on Ukraine surviving next two months, says former foreign minister. Ukraine must first prove Russia "cannot break Ukrainians" through energy terror.
Russia opposes referendum because it can't call Ukrainian people "illegitimate," Zelenskyy says. Moscow prefers parliament ratification it can later dismiss.
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