According to the recent intelligence update by the U.K. Defense Ministry, Russia’s current efforts to augment its forces on Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island) in the Black Sea offer Ukraine more opportunities to “engage Russian troops and attrit materiel.” However, if Russia “consolidates its position on Zmiinyi Island with strategic air defense and coastal defense cruise missiles, it could dominate the north-western Black Sea,” the update reads.
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Friday, January 2
Earlier on Jan. 1, Volodymyr Saldo, a Ukrainian politician turned top Russian proxy head of Russian-occupied parts of Kherson Oblast, accused Kyiv of launching three drones at a hotel and a cafe on the Black Sea coast. Saldo claimed that the alleged New Year drone strike on the village of Khorly killed 24 people, including a child, and wounded more than 50.
The number includes 910 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day, the General Staff said.
Friday, January 2
Russian forces occupied 4,336 square kilometers (1,674 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in 2025, accounting for less than 1% of the country, the Ukrainian open-source mapping project DeepState reported in an year-end assessment published on Jan. 1.
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The report confirms Ukraine's original denial and undercuts claims made by the Kremlin.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, over 100 animals and five people, including employees and volunteers, have been killed by Russian forces on the eco-park's grounds.
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Ukraine is preparing to host a new round of high-level security discussions with Western partners in early January, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Dec. 30, signaling an effort to maintain diplomatic momentum.
Ukraine formally joined the European Union's single roaming zone on Jan. 1, allowing Ukrainian citizens to use their mobile phone service across the European bloc without incurring additional charges.
Patriot is one of the world's most advanced air defense systems, capable of intercepting aircraft as well as cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles.
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'All memories of my childhood in Pokrovsk seem like a dream, as if it never really happened.'
Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), was reported killed in action on Dec. 27.
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Several fires were reported at oil facilities in Kaluga Oblast and Krasnodar Krai overnight on Jan. 1, according to Telegram monitoring channels.
Putin's speech avoided any mention of Ukraine, peace talks, or plans to bring the war to an end in 2026.
Russia launched 205 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.
