Civilian casualties

4:39 AM

NATO membership is Ukraine’s best security guarantee, Finland's FM tells Reuters.

"We are supporting Ukraine's NATO membership further down the line and hopefully not in (the) too-distant future," Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Jan. 8.

2:01 AM

Russia doesn't have as many advantages as it seems, US defense secretary says.

"There's a thought that Russia has the ultimate hand here and it has every advantage," outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Bloomberg News. "It has some advantages, but it doesn't completely dominate this equation here."

12:02 AM

Ukraine to help Moldova amid worsening energy crisis.

"An important task now is to help Moldova overcome its energy challenges and prevent Moscow from stirring up social tensions. ... We are ready to help," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 8.

11:14 PM

Trump wants to end war in 100 days, incoming peace envoy tells Fox News.

"People need to understand, he's not trying to give something to Putin or to the Russians, he's actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty," Trump's peace envoy Keith Kellogg said on Jan. 8.

10:23 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot, command post; Moscow bombs civilians in Zaporizhzhia

5:33 PM  (Updated:  January 8, 2025 10:22 pm)

UPDATE: Russian airstrike on Zaporizhzhia industrial site kills 13, injures 63.

The attack killed 13 people and injured at least 63, Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported. Search and rescue operations have now been completed.

10:10 PM

Donald Trump

Despite Trump's claims, Russia didn't invade Ukraine because of NATO

9:22 PM

Biden’s final $500 million Ukraine military aid to be announced on Jan 9, VOA reports.

Despite previous commitments to exhaust the remaining PDA funds, approximately $3.8 billion will remain unused, according to the Pentagon, leaving the funds at the disposal of the incoming administration.

8:51 PM

Hungary's FM condemns Ukraine’s bill to suspend Russian energy transit, says his country will block Kyiv's EU accession.

Ukraine had already decided not to renew its gas transit deal with Russia beyond Dec. 31, 2024, but continues to allow Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline under a contract valid until the end of 2029.

8:30 PM

Interview

Garry Kasparov: 'You never hear Russian opposition actually say Ukraine must win'

8:20 PM

Zelensky addresses Trump’s comments on NATO, stresses security guarantees.

The Ukrainian president argued that the absence of NATO membership and concrete security guarantees contributed to Russia’s decision to launch the full-scale invasion.

7:38 PM

Russia

As Russian losses in Ukraine mount, Putin faces ‘devastating’ demographic timebomb

6:58 PM

Finland to host NATO Baltic summit, address Russia’s 'shadow fleet' sabotage threats.

The meeting, co-organized by Finland and Estonia, will focus on enhancing NATO's presence in the Baltic Sea and responding to risks posed by Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a group of tankers allegedly used for sanction evasion and espionage.

5:10 PM

Interview

Garry Kasparov on modern Russian empire.

The Kyiv Independent’s Kate Tsurkan discusses with Garry Kasparov, Russian chess grandmaster and political activist based in the U.S., the current state of Russia, its continued pursuit of empire and the failures of the Russian opposition to create meaningful change.

4:58 PM

Next Ramstein meeting may be its last, Polish defense minister says.

The Jan. 9 meeting will focus on strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities through 2027, including air force, armor, artillery, drone, de-mining, missile defense, and maritime security needs, according to a Pentagon statement on Jan. 7.

4:11 PM

Polish consulate in St. Petersburg closes after over 50 years.

Poland closed its consulate building in St. Petersburg after 53 years. The decision follows Warsaw's order to close a Russian consulate in the Polish city of Poznan last year after accusing Moscow of sabotage plots.

3:52 PM

Ukraine strikes Russian command post in Donetsk Oblast, military reports.

The military said that Russia has seized the facility to coordinate attacks against Ukrainian forces and civilians, especially in Kurakhove. Russia announced a full capture of Kurakhove earlier this week.

3:25 PM

French-trained brigade had 'systematic shortcomings,' Ukraine's top general reports to Zelensky.

General Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ukraine's Ground Forces chief, reported to President Volodymyr Zelensky on the causes of the problems facing the French-trained 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade and presented solutions, Drapatyi said on Jan. 7.

2:27 PM

NATO reportedly sending ships to guard cables under Baltic Sea.

A fleet of up to 10 NATO vessels will guard the infrastructure under the Baltic Sea until April, the Finnish broadcaster YLE reported on Jan. 7 after several cables were cut in suspected sabotage.

2:12 PM

Photos of jailed Belarusian opposition leader appear after almost 2 years of no news.

Photos and a video of Viktar Babaryka were published by blogger Raman Pratasevich on Jan. 8 after the jailed Belarusian opposition leader was held incommunicado since February 2023.

1:17 PM

Trump calls on NATO to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Jan. 7 that NATO should raise its defense spending benchmark from 2% of GDP to 5%, echoing his earlier calls for Europe to spend more on its security.

12:36 PM

Poroshenko's party urges ban on Russian oil transit via Ukraine.

Ex-President Petro Poroshenko and members of his European Solidarity opposition party submitted a bill on Jan. 7 banning the transit of Russian oil and gas through Ukraine's territory during martial law.

12:03 PM

US lawmakers submit resolution labeling Russia's war in Ukraine genocide.

The draft resolution was submitted by a bipartisan group of legislators, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said in a Facebook post.

11:45 AM

Azerbaijan's President Aliyev calls Armenia 'fascist state, threat to region.'

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Jan. 7 called Armenia effectively a "fascist state," adding that Baku might have no other choice but to "destroy" its neighbor's so-called "fascist ideology."

11:05 AM

Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot supplying fuel to Engels-2 airbase, military confirms.

The operation, carried out jointly by Ukraine's military intelligence, the Unmanned Systems Forces, and other units, targeted the Kristal Plant used to supply fuel to the nearby Engels-2 airbase, the military said.