General Staff: Armed Forces liberated 93 settlements since Sept. 21 in northeastern Ukraine

Deineko has been appointed as an adviser to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. A permanent replacement to lead the State Border Guard Service will be named shortly, Zelensky said.

"Control over key positions is maintained. The enemy is suffering significant losses in manpower and equipment," Ukraine's Air Assault Forces said.

NIS, one of the few remaining Russian energy assets operating in Europe, was sanctioned by Washington last January as part of broader efforts to restrict Russian energy exports.

The blast occurred as the soldier was opening the trunk of his car, the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office said.

The new measures target 95 individuals and 70 entities, including manufacturers of communications, electronic warfare, and microelectronics for Russia's military-industrial complex and security agencies.

In the first episode of Ukraine This Week in 2026, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur examines how international sports federations are gradually rolling back bans on Russian and Belarusian athletes as the Olympic year begins.

Russian air defense systems shot down 132 Ukrainian drones overnight on Jan. 3-4, including 11 intercepted over Moscow Oblast, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed.

Ukrainian forces downed 39 out of the 52 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Thirteen drones struck nine different locations, according to the statement.

The number includes 900 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day, the General Staff said.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country," Donald Trump said on Truth Social.

Zelensky told reporters that his government "reboot" applies to various institutions, including Ukraine's Armed Forces, but added that "replacing the commander-in-chief is not envisaged at this time."

"I'm not thrilled with Putin. He's killing too many people," Trump told reporters on Jan. 3 during a news conference announcing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's capture.

Any future security guarantees for Ukraine must include the physical presence of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 3, stressing that forces from France and the U.K. are essential for peace.