Ukraine, Russia exchange 5 prisoners

3:43 AM

German Defense Minister denies Scholz blocked proposal for $3 billion arms package for Ukraine, says decision awaits.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius denied media reports that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz blocked a proposal for an additional military aid package for Ukraine worth 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion), adding that a decision on the funding awaits.

2:09 AM

Russian-friendly incumbent Zoran Milanovic re-elected president of Croatia.

Milanovic's re-election to the largely symbolic position serves as a setback for Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s government, whose government was recently embroiled in a corruption scandal implicating a former health minister.

12:54 AM

Sweden to increase military presence in Baltic Sea following suspected cable sabotage.

Sweden will increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea through the deployment of three warships and a radar reconnaissance aircraft in response to the suspected sabotage of several underwater cables, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Jan. 12.

12:31 AM

'Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives' — Zelensky says Kyiv ready to send firefighters to California.

"The situation there is extremely challenging, and Ukrainians can help Americans protect lives. This matter is being worked out... We already have 150 firefighters prepared."

11:06 PM

Serbian president offers to host Trump-Putin meeting in Belgrade.

"There is no country that can compare to Serbia in terms of the level of support for President Trump. ... And on the other hand, it is a country where President Putin is still very, very popular."

10:38 PM

KI Insights

The Week Ahead: Key Developments Impacting Global Politics & Markets

10:07 PM

Ukraine ready to return North Korean POWs to Kim Jong Un or find 'other ways,' Zelensky says.

"Ukraine is ready to hand over his people to Kim Jong Un if he can organize their exchange for our soldiers who are held captive in Russia. For those North Korean soldiers who do not want to return, there may be some other ways."

9:19 PM

Fico refused Kyiv's offers to help with gas supplies, Zelensky says.

"We offered our assistance to the people of Slovakia during their adaptation to the absence of Russian gas transit, but Fico arrogantly refused," Zelensky said on Jan. 12.

8:19 PM

Far-right Slovak delegation flies to Moscow for talks on Russian gas supplies.

Andrej Danko, co-leader of the delegation, claimed that Warsaw refused to allow their flight to enter Polish airspace and the plane had to be rerouted via Czechia and Germany.

7:28 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: 'Irrefutable evidence of North Korea's involvement' — Ukraine says it captured 2 North Korean POWs in Kursk Oblast.

6:55 PM

Trump, Putin call expected in near future, incoming national security adviser says.

"I do expect a call, at least in the coming days and weeks, so that would be a step, and we'll take it from there," incoming U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Jan. 12 regarding upcoming talks between Trump and Putin.

5:37 PM

Military: Russian troops dress as civilians in Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast.

Aerial reconnaissance footage posted by the brigade on Facebook shows a couple of alleged Russian soldiers dressed in civilian clothes. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the images.

5:03 PM

Video

New Kursk offensive and French-trained brigade scandal | Ukraine This Week

This Sunday, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur covers the trending news of the week from developments on the front lines to the Ramstein meeting with top officials. And what happened with the new brigade trained in France?

4:00 PM

Russia launches double airstrike on nursing home in Kursk Oblast, military claims.

According to the military, around 2,000 people remain in areas under Ukrainian control. Over 70 people are currently staying in the nursing home that came under attack.

1:34 PM

Switzerland ready to host Trump-Putin meeting.

Switzerland has expressed its readiness to host a high-level meeting between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nicolas Bideau, head of communications at the Swiss Foreign Ministry, told Swiss newspaper Le Temps.

12:37 PM

Over 130 people, including 12 children, evacuated from Donetsk Oblast on Jan 11.

According to Filashkin, Russian troops shelled the settlements of Donetsk Oblast 20 times over the past day, killing one person in the village of Hryshyne, not far from Pokrovsk.

10:27 AM

Ukraine downs 60 Russian drones overnight, Air Force reports.

Russia launched a total of 94 Shahed-type and decoy drones from bases in Millerovo, Oryol, Bryansk, and Kursk, according to the report.

9:44 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 808,250 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,750 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

6:40 AM

Transnistria eases blackouts amid gas shortage.

Authorities in Moldova's Russian-controlled region of Transnistria announced on Jan. 11 that energy-saving measures have allowed them to ease restrictions caused by a halt of Russian gas supplies.

3:46 AM

Russia condemns new US sanctions on energy sector, says it will continue oil and gas projects.

Russia's Foreign Ministry argued the U.S. sanctions represented "an attempt to inflict at least some damage to the Russian economy, even at the cost of the risk of destabilising world markets."

1:56 AM

EU to start drafting new sanctions against Russia next week, media reports.

The European Commission plans to begin drafting new sanctions against Russia next week, with the goal of approving the package on Feb. 24 — the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

11:11 PM

Ukrainian drone hits large oil refinery in Russia’s Tatarstan, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation confirms.

A drone strike reportedly hit the Taneko oil refinery in Tatarstan, Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported on Jan. 11.

9:04 PM

Fico accuses Zelensky of 'begging' and 'blackmailing' European leaders for support.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called Ukraine an unreliable partner and accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of blackmailing European leaders for support at a parliamentary meeting on Jan. 10.

8:18 PM

Taliban-led Afghanistan became leading purchaser of Russian flour in 2024.

Afghanistan became the largest importer of Russian flour in 2024, Russia's state agricultural export agency Agroexport reported on Jan. 10.

5:58 PM

41-year-old Latvian volunteer soldier killed in Luhansk Oblast on Christmas

Platonov was fighting in the areas near the village of Novoiehorivka in the largely Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast as part of the Ukrainian military's International Legion, composed of mostly foreign volunteers who came to fight, according to the Latvian Armed Forces.