Ukraine, allies initiate proceedings against Iran over airplane downing
Flight 752 was a civilian passenger flight from Tehran to Kyiv that was hit by two missiles shortly after takeoff, with all 176 people on board being killed.
Nate Ostiller
Articles
Russian official claims Ukrainian attack on Belgorod Oblast, 3 injured
Several buildings and cars were also reportedly damaged, said Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Update: 4 killed, 45 injured in Russian missile attacks on Jan. 8
Zelensky said the casualties were reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts.
Scholz criticizes EU for providing insufficient military aid to Ukraine
"As significant as the German contribution is, it will not be enough to ensure Ukraine's security in the long run," said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Media: European Commission sends letter of concern to Poland over border blockade
Polish truckers have been blocking three crossings with Ukraine since November 2023 in protest of the EU's liberalization of transit rules for Ukrainian truckers, causing massive lines on the border and negatively impacting Ukraine's economy.
WSJ: Poland hindering investigation into Nord Stream explosions
The Nord Stream underwater pipelines connecting Russia to Germany were blown up in September 2022. Investigations have been ongoing since then, but have yet to produce a definitive conclusion into the source of the explosion.
Media: Explosions reported on railway by oil depot in Russia
The Russian state-run media outlet TASS, citing local authorities, said there was an explosion on the tracks but that there were no casualties or damage to infrastructure.
Energy Ministry: Bad weather, Russian attacks cause widespread blackouts
Twelve oblasts throughout Ukraine were affected, causing at least 560 settlements to lose power.
Italian FM: EU should have common army
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that the proposed EU army could be involved in peacekeeping and preventing conflict. When asked if the EU was ready to go to war, Tajani said the focus should rather be on "peacekeeping, monitoring, deterrence."
Japan pledges $37 million for anti-drone equipment for Ukraine
Along with the funds for anti-drone equipment, Japan will also provide five mobile gas turbine generators and seven generators to help Ukraine through the winter and likely increase in Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.
Bild: Unidentified drones repeatedly spotted over German military bases where Ukrainians train
German lawmaker Marcus Faber said that he suspects Russia is behind the drone incursions but has no concrete evidence to support the claim because no drones have been intercepted.
Russian media: 16-year-old Russian arrested for allegedly torching Su-34 jet at Chelyabinsk airbase
The jet was lit on fire overnight on Jan. 4 while parked at the Shagol airbase outside of Chelyabinsk, some 2,000 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border.
UK invests 300 million pounds in nuclear fuel, eroding Russia's dominance of sector
The U.K. is investing 300 million pounds ($381 million) into the production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) as a part of a larger bid to improve the country's self-sustainable energy resources and cut dependence on Russia.
Energy Ministry: Russian attacks cut off power in 2 mines in Donetsk Oblast
Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast caused power outages at two mines while 18 workers were inside, Ukraine's Energy Ministry reported on Jan. 7.
Sweden to withdraw aid to Mali over stance toward Russia
"When we cooperate with other countries, we also want those countries to cooperate with Sweden, but Mali's military junta instead turns to Russia and supports its full-scale war against Ukraine," said Johan Forssel, Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation.
DTEK: Russian attacks target, damage front-line power plant again
DTEK said the plant struck on Jan. 4 had been attacked more than a dozen times in the past 2.5 months. In one Russian strike, five workers were injured.
Ukraine's international reserves rise to $40.5 billion after months-long slump
The increase over the last month was largely due to foreign exchange (FX) inflows from Ukraine's international allies, the NBU said, which outstripped FX sales and debt repayments.
Ukraine's military intelligence claims cross-border raid on Russian positions in Belgorod Oblast
The agency said it planned the operation after receiving reports that Russian commanders were coming to inspect positions in the area.
Official: 2,000 trucks waiting in line at Polish border to enter Ukraine
Border Guard Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko said that four border crossings between Poland and Ukraine were blocked as of the morning of Jan. 5.
Ukraine's Air Force can't confirm yet that Russia has used North Korean missiles in Ukraine
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said that Ukrainian specialists are yet to study the fragments and identify if they can be definitively traced to North Korea.
Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast kill 1 civilian, injure 7
Russian forces used artillery, mortars, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, aircraft, and drones to attack the oblast, and fired on the city of Kherson more than 30 times.
State Department: US may not continue supporting Ukraine at level of 2022, 2023
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller's comments come as other U.S. officials have acknowledged that there is essentially no money left for Ukraine aid absent legislative action by Congress.
Commander: Russia doubles attacks in southeastern sector
Over the past day, Tarnavskyi said that Russian forces in the sector had launched almost 900 artillery barrages, 25 airstrikes, and dozens of assaults on Ukrainian positions. As a result of the clashes, Russia suffered heavy losses, including 423 personnel and 72 pieces of military equipment.
Belgium to send F-16 fighter jets to Denmark for Ukrainian pilots training
The training program will include instruction for Ukrainian pilots, technicians, and mission planners.
WSJ: Russia plans to buy ballistic missiles from Iran
U.S. officials said that they believed the deal had not been completed yet but added that it was possible Russia could receive the missiles in the spring of 2024. They also said that North Korea has already provided Russia with launchers and several dozen ballistic missiles.
SBU uncovers scheme to help Ukrainians evading mobilization escape to Transnistria
As part of the joint operation, the SBU and its Moldovan counterparts caught conspirators both in Transnistria and Odesa. The main organizers of the scheme were from Transnistria and had both Moldovan and Ukrainian passports.
Over 220 Russian soldiers surrender through 'I want to live' hotline
More than 220 Russian soldiers have surrendered to Ukraine via the "I want to live" hotline as of December, HUR spokesperson Vitalli Matviienko said, and another 1,000 cases are pending.
Military intelligence: Russian Su-34 jet set on fire at Chelyabinsk airbase
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) shared a video of a fighter jet being set on fire at the Shagol airbase, confirming the incident, but did not explicitly take responsibility for the torching.
SBU cybersecurity chief: Hackers had access to Kyivstar months before December attack
Russian hackers likely penetrated Kyivstar's cybersecurity as far back as May 2023, and gained full access in November, said Illia Vitiuk, the cybersecurity chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
White House: No money left for Ukraine aid without bill from Congress
Due to a lag between the signing out of funding packages and their actual delivery, Ukraine will still receive items allocated on Dec. 27 for the "coming days and weeks," said U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
Update: Death toll in Dec. 29 Russian attack on Kyiv rises to 32, 30 injured
The figure previously increased to 30 on Jan. 3 after another wounded person died in the hospital.
Former Interior Ministry chief of Yekaterinburg killed in Ukraine
Igor Trifonov, who was convicted on bribery and weapons charges in 2022 and sentenced to nine years and four months in prison. He lobbied for his release to go fight in Ukraine.
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