Exclusives
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Territorial troops first seized, now assaulting—Ukraine's infantry crisis goes critical. A Ukrainian official was wrong or lied. Yes, the Ukrainian assault forces have apparently compelled poorly trained territorials to conduct dangerous assault operations. |
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Moscow's boom, the provinces' bust: Russia's war economy turns predatory (MAP). Civilian sectors starve as military spending and debt service take 46% of federal spending. |
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Ukraine's jam-proof drones have one weakness: icy weather. High tech is not immune to mankind's oldest enemy |
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Ukraine hits 8% inflation as economy shrinks to fit its workforce (INFOGRAPHIC). Non-food prices flatline, but the reason isn't reassuring. |
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US lawmaker introduces Greenland annexation bill as Europe scrambles to defend Denmark from Washington. The worst timing for NATO: as Russia's war on Ukraine enters its fifth year |
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Ukraine's watchdog closes Energoatom probe as criminal investigation expands. Detective who exposed $100 million scheme says main suspect "wasn't the key figure". |
Military
51st Army loses ammunition depot: Ukraine's drone forces destroy Russia's Makiivka stockpile. Ukraine coordinates complex multi-target attack on occupation infrastructure.
Ukraine's 92nd Assault Brigade captures Russian "porcupine" tank wrapped in mesh and cables (PHOTOS). The brigade's tank battalion and 1st Assault Battalion worked together to disable and seize a T-80BVM covered in the mesh-and-cable cage Russian crews have improvised against FPV drones.
Khartia brigade raises Ukrainian flag over Kupiansk city hall after storming the building (VIDEO). National Guard fighters stormed Kupiansk's city council building and raised the Ukrainian flag on 12 January, while an estimated 25 to 90 Russian soldiers remain trapped in the city.
Syrskyi: Ukraine reduced military casualties by 13% in 2025. "We are now destroying more Russian military personnel each month than the aggressor country conscripts," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced, reporting a 13% reduction in Ukrainian Armed Forces casualties during 2025.
Ukrainian missiles hit Russian drone factory in Taganrog as strikes target occupied territories (VIDEO). The Atlant Aero enterprise in Taganrog, which manufactures Molniya strike-reconnaissance drones and Orion UAV components, came under Ukrainian missile fire overnight
Intelligence and technology
Drones attack three tankers en route to Russian oil terminal — Reuters
. Oil production in Kazakhstan dropped 35% in the first 12 days of January due to export constraints at the CPC terminal in the Black Sea, a source told Reuters
Shadow fleet disrupted: Ukraine claims 20% of Russian oil tankers sidelined by sanctions. Ukraine and its allies have successfully forced one-fifth of Russia's shadow tanker fleet offline, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported, with current maritime oil export restrictions expected to cost Moscow at least $30 billion in annual revenues.
International
Iran regime collapse would crash oil prices, weaken Russia's war funding — analyst explains double blow to Moscow. Meanwhile, Russia's alliance network and war economy both shrinking.
Zelenskyy calls on world to help Iranian protesters change regime as death toll reaches over 500.
US and Ukraine to sign $800 bn reconstruction deal. The decade-long prosperity plan combines loans, grants and private investment to rebuild Ukraine's economy, The Telegraph reports.
"Cold will not win the war": Zelenskyy responds to Russian winter offensive. President Zelenskyy urges US and Europe to speed up promised air defense deliveries amid Russian daily attacks on critical infrustructure
Humanitarian and social impact
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UN reports record 2,514 civilian deaths in Ukraine during 2025, 31% rise from previous year. Nearly two-thirds of Ukrainian civilians killed in 2025 died in front-line districts, where intensified Russian offensive operations destroyed critical infrastructure and made even emergency medical care too dangerous to provide
Russian double-strike tactic kills logistics workers in Kharkiv; 30 rescued from rubble. Emergency power cuts hit three districts of Kyiv Oblast after overnight Russian strikes sparked fires in homes and industrial sites, while in Kharkiv four postal workers died in a combined missile-and-drone attack on a logistics center. No casualties were reported in Kyiv region despite widespread destruction.
Political and legal developments
Poland extends detention of Hermitage archaeologist wanted by Ukraine for Crimea looting. First Russian held in Europe for Crimea heritage crimes
Read our earlier daily review here.
