Russia will allegedly demand that Ukraine cut its ties with NATO and become "a neutral state with a limited military" during talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 15, citing its sources.
Key developments on Jan. 15: * Ukraine's military now totals 880,000 soldiers, facing 600,000 Russian troops, Zelensky says * Russia launches mass missile attack against Ukraine * Ukraine, Russia have to make concessions to end war, Rubio says * Ukraine brings back 25 people from Russian captivity, including Azovstal defenders * Lithuania would
"It is important for everyone to be realistic: There will have to be concessions — made by the Russian Federation, but also by the Ukrainians," said Marco Rubio, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state.
Just days out from the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the future of Russia’s war against Ukraine is dominated by a great unknown: whether the incoming president will manage to push Moscow to stop its advance on the battlefield, or whether he will disengage and perhaps
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 15 that Ukraine's military now comprises 880,000 soldiers, tasked with defending the entire country against 600,000 Russian troops concentrated in specific areas.
The Ukrainian government in recent months has been aggressively touting fresh developments in its missile-making. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the country had built 100 of its own missiles in 2024 as of November. He called for 3,000 “cruise missiles or missile-drones” to be manufactured in 2025. Traditional missiles
"No one but Europe will solve its defense problems," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Jan. 15.
The decision highlights the continued presence of officials with ties to Russia in the Ukrainian government.
"These acts of sabotage are versions of the war that Russia has declared to the whole world, not just Ukraine," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said some of those brought back have serious injuries and illnesses.
Oscar Jenkins, a 32-year-old teacher from Melbourne, was reported captured by Russian forces in December.
"We’d talk with our allies and partners about what it looks like, and we’d talk with Ukraine about what it looks like," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said.
Russian missiles hit critical infrastructure in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblasts, with no reports of casualties.
There is no clear consensus among Ukrainians about what a potential peace agreement with Russia should look like, a new global poll published on Jan. 15 has found. The poll, conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), presented respondents with four options relating to NATO/EU membership, security
Pete Hegseth’s nomination in November sent shockwaves through Pentagon corridors.
Editor’s note: This is issue 9 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Jan. 6–12, 2025. This newsletter was until recently titled “Ukrainian Economy in Brief." The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial
The Volyn massacre involved widespread violence that claimed tens of thousands of Polish and Ukrainian lives.
This number includes 1,580 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Explosions were reported in Kharkiv, Khmelnytsky Oblast, and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.
Key developments on Jan. 14: * Ukraine targets Russia's industrial plants, ammunition depots in 'massive' strike overnight * Equipping troops takes priority over lowering draft age, Zelensky says * Ukraine denies transferring Air Force personnel to infantry amid troop shortages * Germany to deploy Patriot at Poland's key hub for Ukraine aid by end
Seoul plans to hold consultations with Kyiv regarding the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers if they request defection, Yonhap reported on Jan. 14, citing South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong.
U.S. President Joe Biden will be passing around $3.8 billion in the so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to his successor — Donald Trump. On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for providing Ukraine with military assistance, including through military shipments using the PDA. Countering Trump's
The German government is still discussing a proposed 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion) aid package for Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Jan. 14, according to Ukrinform.
Metinvest, Ukraine's largest steel producer, has suspended operations at the Pokrovsk coking coal mine in Donetsk Oblast due to worsening security conditions and power outages, the company announced on Jan. 14.
The Ukrainian Air Force will transfer military personnel "en masse" to reinforce the Ground Forces' combat brigades in early 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Jan. 14, citing an undisclosed Air Force source.
Ukraine's immediate focus is on adequately equipping its military, rather than further reducing the draft age, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 14, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
Chemical plants, refineries, the Engels airbase, and other facilities in Russia were successfully targeted, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent.
Canberra is making "urgent inquiries" about the status of Australian citizen Oscar Jenkins, a volunteer soldier captured by Russia in Ukraine, after unconfirmed reports of his death, the 7News outlet wrote on Jan. 14.
Following closed-door talks with Trump's team, European officials see a rising chance that the new U.S. leadership will seek to help Ukraine negotiate from the position of strength, the outlet wrote.
Located in Saratov Oblast, over 750 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, Engels airbase is home to Russian heavy bombers.
The development is the latest in an escalating conflict between Ukraine and Slovakia over Kyiv's decision to stop Russian gas transit.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 80 Shahed-type drones and various other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) overnight, Ukraine’s Air Forces reported on their Telegram channel. Air defenses shot down 58 drones over 11 oblasts, while 21 dummy drones were lost in the airspace, the Air Force said.
