Winter Holidays

6:25 AM

US, Armenia sign strategic partnership agreement.

The charter establishes a framework for expanded bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Armenia in the areas of economic cooperation, security and defense, and democracy.

4:50 AM

EU considering ban on Russian LNG, aluminum, Bloomberg reports.

The phase-out of LNG could be enacted as a sanction or part of a road map presented by the European Commission next month. Restrictions on aluminum would be gradual, with a time frame yet to be determined, officials said.

3:47 AM

Drone hits distillery in Russia's Tambov Oblast, local media reports.

Local residents said a fire broke out at the distillery, which is located near a military training ground in the village of Novaya Lyada.

2:26 AM

Putin aide claims 'Moldova will become part of another state or cease to exist,' Chisinau responds.

Moldovan officials have condemned recent remarks by Nikolai Patrushev, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed that Moldova “will either become part of another state or cease to exist” due to its “anti-Russian policy,” Moldovan media outlet NewsMaker reported on January 14.

12:02 AM

Zelensky addresses personnel transfer controversy, orders Air Force commander not to reassign specialists to Ground Forces.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has addressed the controversy surrounding the reassignment of Air Force personnel to the Ground Forces, in his evening address on Jan. 14.

11:08 PM

Slovak opposition announces no-confidence vote against PM.

Slovakia's pro-Western opposition parties announced plans to initiate a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Robert Fico's government, citing concerns over his governance and foreign policy direction, TASR news agency reported on Jan. 14.

10:12 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine targets Russian industrial plants, ammunition depots in overnight strike

10:09 PM

Seoul to consult with Kyiv on transfer of captured North Korean soldiers, Yonhap reports.

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.

10:07 PM

US aid

Biden leaves nearly $4 billion in US aid to Ukraine unused. What will happen to it under Trump?

10:05 PM

Germany continues talks on $3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Pistorius says.

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.

8:56 PM

Transnistria head travels to Russia for talks amid energy crisis, Russian state media claims.

Vadim Krasnoselsky, the head of Moldova's Russian-controlled region of Transnistria, held talks in Moscow regarding the region’s energy crisis, Russian state news agency TASS claimed on Jan. 14, citing sources within Transnistria's administration.

8:11 PM

Metinvest suspends operations at Pokrovsk coal mine amid security concerns.

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.

6:15 PM

Ukraine denies transferring Air Force personnel to infantry amid troop shortages.

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.

5:22 PM

Equipping troops takes priority over lowering draft age, Zelensky says.

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.

4:07 PM

NATO launches Baltic Sea naval operation after undersea infrastructure sabotage.

The summit welcomed NATO’s "Baltic Sentry" mission, aimed at monitoring, deterring, and responding to potential threats. Up to 10 NATO vessels will patrol the Baltic Sea until April, enhancing situational awareness and protecting critical undersea infrastructure.

3:54 PM

Germany to deploy Patriot at Poland's key hub for Ukraine aid by end of January.

Monitoring group German Aid to Ukraine wrote earlier that two MIM-104 Patriot fire units and a total of 200 Bundeswehr soldiers will be deployed to Poland for an estimated six months to protect Polish airspace.

3:33 PM

Ukraine targets Russia's industrial plants, ammunition depots in 'massive' strike overnight.

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.

2:57 PM

Russian FSB officer found dead in Moscow Defense Ministry building, media reports.

Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) counterintelligence officer Vladimir Feshchenko was found dead in a Russian Defense Ministry building in Moscow, Russian state-owned outlet RIA Novosti reported on Jan. 14.

2:49 PM

Biden's aides warned Putin against Russia's plot to smuggle incendiary devices onto cargo planes, NYT reports.

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden's team delivered a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to Russian intelligence's suspected plans to smuggle incendiary devices onto U.S.-bound cargo planes, The New York Times reported on Jan. 14, citing unnamed sources.

2:18 PM

Australia making 'urgent inquiries' after reports of volunteer fighter's execution in Russian captivity.

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.

2:02 PM

Moldova

Will Transnistria's gas crisis lead to its collapse and reintegration into Moldova?

1:00 PM

65 oil tankers drop anchor after latest US sanctions against Russia, Reuters reports.

Sixty-five oil tankers paused operations in various places around the world following the recent U.S.-U.K. sanctions against Russia’s oil industry and shadow fleet, Reuters reported on Jan. 13, citing maritime tracking data.

12:40 PM

European allies grow optimistic about Trump not abandoning Ukraine, Bloomberg reports.

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.

12:39 PM

Ukraine says it targeted Russia's Engels airbase infrastructure in 'multi-day, comprehensive operation.'

Located in Saratov Oblast, over 750 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, Engels airbase is home to Russian heavy bombers.

12:07 PM

NATO chief says alliance either raises defense spending or can begin taking 'Russian language courses.'

"Everything I'm seeing at this moment is not nearly enough, and if we don't do it (raise the spending targets) we are safe now but not in four or five years. So if you don't do it, get out your Russian language courses or go to New Zealand," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.