1 killed, 2 injured following Russia's attack on Donetsk Oblast

1:28 PM

Russia claims to occupy 2 more villages in Ukraine's east; Kyiv hasn't confirmed.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Jan. 12 that its forces had captured the village of Yantarne in Donetsk Oblast and Kalynove in Kharkiv Oblast.

5:18 PM  (Updated:  January 13, 2025 1:14 pm)

War analysis

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12:56 PM

Opinion

The question isn't if China will turn on Russia, but when

12:36 PM

Opinion

Slavoj Žižek: The magic tricks behind Russia’s propaganda machine

12:19 PM

Ukraine's special forces claim to repel North Korean assault in Russia's Kursk Oblast, killing 17 soldiers.

A Ukrainian mopping-up group encountered one surviving North Korean fighter who had set an unsuccessful trap. The soldier attempted to mislead the Ukrainian soldiers and then detonated a grenade to avoid capture, fatally injuring himself, according to the Special Operations Forces.

11:20 AM

Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers carrying 2 million barrels of crude idling off China’s coast, Bloomberg reports.

Three sanctioned tankers carrying over 2 million barrels of Russian crude oil are floating off China's coast after they were hit by fresh U.S. sanctions last week, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 13.

11:00 AM

Biden team preparing strong Ukraine policy foundation for Trump handover, Blinken says.

According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, there is no sense in "speculating on the point" that the war may not end in Ukraine's favor under the new administration.

10:50 AM

Lithuania to deliver 4,500 drones to Ukraine this week.

Sakaliene's statement came shortly after the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported that thousands of drones, which were to be delivered to Ukraine several months ago, are still in Lithuanian warehouses as their delivery is delayed by bureaucratic obstacles.

9:56 AM

Russian attacks across Ukraine kill 1, injure 17 over past day.

Russian forces launched 110 drones at Ukraine overnight from the directions of Millerovo, Bryansk, Orel, and Primosk-Akhtarsk in Russia, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

9:15 AM

Poland denies banning Slovak delegation's flight to Moscow through Polish airspace.

"We didn't refuse the flight; the Slovak side simply sent us incomplete documents... when they were asked to complete them, they informed us about the change of route," the Polish Foreign Ministry's spokesperson said.

8:55 AM

'Lack of understanding of modern warfare' — Seoul reports 3,000 North Korean casualties in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

The NIS attributed the high casualties to the soldiers' "lack of understanding of modern warfare," including their "useless" attempts to shoot down long-range drones.

8:14 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 809,760 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,510 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

4:41 AM

Russian drone strikes on Sumy Oblast spark fire at children's wellness center, 2 injured in attack on bus.

Russian drones struck civilian infrastructure in Sumy Oblast on Jan. 12, leading to multiple casualties.

3:43 AM

German Defense Minister denies Scholz blocked proposal for $3 billion arms package for Ukraine, says decision awaits.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius denied media reports that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz blocked a proposal for an additional military aid package for Ukraine worth 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion), adding that a decision on the funding awaits.

2:09 AM

Russian-friendly incumbent Zoran Milanovic re-elected president of Croatia.

Milanovic's re-election to the largely symbolic position serves as a setback for Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s government, whose government was recently embroiled in a corruption scandal implicating a former health minister.

12:54 AM

Sweden to increase military presence in Baltic Sea following suspected cable sabotage.

Sweden will increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea through the deployment of three warships and a radar reconnaissance aircraft in response to the suspected sabotage of several underwater cables, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Jan. 12.

12:31 AM

'Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives' — Zelensky says Kyiv ready to send firefighters to California.

"The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives. This matter is being worked out... We already have 150 firefighters prepared."

11:06 PM

Serbian president offers to host Trump-Putin meeting in Belgrade.

"There is no country that can compare to Serbia in terms of the level of support for President Trump. ... And on the other hand, it is a country where President Putin is still very, very popular."

10:38 PM

KI Insights

The Week Ahead: Key Developments Impacting Global Politics & Markets

10:07 PM

Ukraine ready to return North Korean POWs to Kim Jong Un or find 'other ways,' Zelensky says.

"Ukraine is ready to hand over his people to Kim Jong Un if he can organize their exchange for our soldiers who are held captive in Russia. For those North Korean soldiers who do not want to return, there may be some other ways."

9:19 PM

Fico refused Kyiv's offers to help with gas supplies, Zelensky says.

"We offered our assistance to the people of Slovakia during their adaptation to the absence of Russian gas transit, but Fico arrogantly refused," Zelensky said on Jan. 12.

8:19 PM

Far-right Slovak delegation flies to Moscow for talks on Russian gas supplies.

Andrej Danko, co-leader of the delegation, claimed that Warsaw refused to allow their flight to enter Polish airspace and the plane had to be rerouted via Czechia and Germany.

7:28 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: 'Irrefutable evidence of North Korea's involvement' — Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean POWs in Kursk Oblast.

6:55 PM

Trump, Putin call expected in near future, incoming national security adviser says.

"I do expect a call, at least in the coming days and weeks, so that would be a step, and we'll take it from there," incoming U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Jan. 12 regarding upcoming talks between Trump and Putin.

5:37 PM

Military: Russian troops dress as civilians in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast.

Aerial reconnaissance footage posted by the brigade on Facebook shows a couple of alleged Russian soldiers dressed in civilian clothes. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the images.