Ukraine

1:15 AM

China may have stopped Putin from using nuclear weapons, Blinken says.

"We have reason to believe that China engaged Russia and said: 'Don't go there,'" outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the Financial Times on Jan. 3.

12:06 AM

Transnistria rejects offer to buy gas from Europe, expects Russia to resume supplies.

Moldova had previously offered to assist the Russian-occupied region in securing gas via European platforms to mitigate the energy crisis. Transnistrian officials rejected the offer, saying they believe Gazprom will resume Russian gas supplies.

10:59 PM

'We are not Russia' — Thousands protest Fico's pro-Kremlin agenda in Bratislava.

Approximately 4,000 people assembled in Bratislava on Jan. 3 to protest Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's pro-Russian policies, according to local media.

10:13 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russian envoy dismisses Trump’s reported peace deal; Over 50,000 Russians seek soldiers MIA

9:48 PM

'Nothing of interest' — Russian envoy dismisses Trump’s reported peace deal proposals on Ukraine.

"President (Vladimir) Putin last outlined our conditions for ending the conflict on Dec. 19. So far, nothing from the incoming U.S. administration suggests anything of interest to us," Russia's envoy to the U.N., Vasily Nebenzya, said.

9:10 PM

Ukraine hits $24.5 billion in agro-exports, nearing pre-war levels, Agriculture Ministry reports.

Ukraine, a global agricultural powerhouse, exported 78.3 million tons of products in 2024, including grains and sunflower seeds critical to markets across Africa and Asia.

8:53 PM

Russia

Vladimir Putin's 25-year-long reign over Russia in photos

8:26 PM

Ukrainian Navy ensures safe passage for over 9,000 vessels through sea corridor in 2024, Navy Commander says.

Navy Commander Oleksii Neizhpapa said that 4,651 vessels arrived in Ukraine, while 4,410 departed for other ports, enabling the export of over 74.4 million tons of cargo, including agricultural products.

7:24 PM

Russian missile attack on Chernihiv kills 1, injures 4.

The attack targeted a residential area on the outskirts of Chernihiv, causing significant damage to multiple apartment buildings, Chernihiv Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Chaus said.

6:57 PM

Rolling blackouts begin in Russian-occupied Transnistria amid gas shortages, local authorities say.

Moldova has offered to help Transnistria purchase gas through European platforms. Vadim Cheban, head of Moldovagaz, said on Jan. 2 that Chisinau is ready to assist Transnistrian authorities in securing energy resources on market terms to mitigate the crisis.

6:07 PM

Over 50,000 Russians seek MIA through Ukraine’s project, representative says.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Tsivilyova disclosed on Nov. 26 that her ministry received 48,000 DNA test applications from relatives seeking information about missing soldiers.

5:30 PM

Germany should not rule out peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, CDU lawmaker says.

Germany should not rule out deploying Bundeswehr troops to Ukraine after the war ends, Roderich Kiesewetter, a lawmaker from the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said on Jan. 3, Schwäbische Zeitung reported.

4:01 PM

Polish farmers protest in Warsaw against Ukrainian imports, EU policies.

The protest follows a series of demonstrations by Polish farmers against Ukrainian agricultural imports after the EU lifted tariffs on goods from Ukraine in 2022.

3:56 PM

Ukraine aims to raise over $1 billion for 'Danish model' of defense industry funding in 2025.

The Danish model is a partnership that enables Kyiv to secure funding from allies specifically for its defense production.

3:46 PM

Ukraine state-owned enterprises weekly — Issue 159

2:58 PM

Number of Ukrainians open to territorial concessions rises to 38%, poll shows.

Around 38% of Ukrainians are open to conceding some of the territories while preserving independence in order to end the war with Russia as fast as possible, according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey published on Jan. 3.

2:46 PM

Ukraine's largest steelmaker launches production of Patriot system armor.

"In a month and a half, we created a project from scratch and made a shield from Metinvest's Ukrainian armor steel for the Patriot air defense system crew, which guarantees protection against debris damage to both the defenders and the air defense control center," said Oleksandr Myronenko, a COO of Metinvest Group.

1:59 PM

Poland didn't invite Orban, Hungarian envoy to EU presidency opening event.

The reason is Budapest granting political asylum to former Polish Deputy Justice Minister Marcin Romanowski, who is investigated at home for suspected misuse of funds.

1:55 PM

Russia plans to redeploy some arms, equipment from Syria to Libya, Ukraine's intel claims.

According to the agency, Russian large landing ships Ivan Gren and Aleksandr Otrakovsky, as well as the dry cargo ship Sparta, are scheduled to arrive in the Syrian port on Jan. 5. Two more Russian vessels — the universal cargo vessel Sparta II and the tanker Ivan Skoblev — are expected to arrive on Jan. 8.

12:57 PM

Ukrainians in Poland receive fake military summonses.

Poland's Office for Foreigners, which the letter falsely attributes as the author, stressed that it did not issue the document and that its content is fake. Ukraine's Embassy in Warsaw also denied the document's authenticity.

12:06 PM

Next Ramstein summit to be held on Jan. 9.

The meeting will be the first since October 2024, when a leader-level summit in Germany was postponed after U.S. President Joe Biden canceled his foreign trips to handle Hurricane Milton.

11:42 AM

Ukraine investigating French-trained brigade after reports of desertions, mismanagement.

The statement comes following a media investigation that claimed that soldiers of the unit, deployed near Pokrovsk, have suffered heavy losses and went AWOL in large numbers due to poor command and organization on Ukraine's side.

11:27 AM

Russian court reportedly orders Yandex to block access to oil refinery's maps, photos over Ukrainian drone attacks.

This is the first court decision that obliged the Russian tech giant to remove from public access photos and maps of a strategically important facility for the defense industry, according to Russian state-controlled TASS news agency.

9:57 AM

Russia has recruited up to 180,000 convicts for war against Ukraine, Foreign Intelligence Service says.

There were about 300,000-350,000 prisoners in Russian colonies and prisons in 2024, which is half as many as in 2014, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service said.

9:50 AM

Kursk incursion had 'big impact' on Global South countries, Zelensky says.

"I never thought it would have such a big impact on them because they were so influenced by the idea of 'invincible Russia,'" President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview on Ukrainian television released on Jan. 2.