Key developments on Jan. 20:
- Commander of scandal-hit Ukrainian brigade detained, accused of failing to report desertions
- Ammunition used by Russians halved following Ukrainian strikes, Syrskyi says
- Ukraine Air Force specialists safe from transfer to infantry but mobilization issues remain, Syrskyi says
- 'I didn't know who I'd be fighting' — North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine speaks in new footage
- 150,000 Russian soldiers killed fighting Ukraine in 2024, Syrskyi says
- Putin congratulates Trump amid inauguration, signals readiness for talks
Russia's ammunition use has been cut nearly in half amid the long-term impacts of Ukrainian strikes on Russian military targets, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with the Ukrainian news outlet TSN on Jan. 19.
Ukraine has intensified strikes deep into Russian territory in an attempt to weaken Russia's ability to wage war in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"For several months now, the artillery ammunition expenditure rates in the Russian army have practically halved. If previously the figure reached up to 40,000 rounds per day, it is now significantly lower," Syrskyi said when asked what the impact of Ukrainian strikes has been on Russia's military supply-chain.
Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory target "industrial enterprises that produce ammunition, missile parts, or dual-use products are targeted for destruction," Syrskyi said, adding that oil refineries serve as regularly military targets.
Ukraine has regularly targeted Russian ammunition depots in an attempt to stall Russia's operations on the front line.
Despite being regularly outgunned by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has managed to progress in arms production, with the country producing about 33-34% of its annual weapons needs — up from less than 10% before the full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 15. Europe and the U.S. supply more than 60% of Ukraine’s weaponry, with each accounting for about 30%.
Earlier in his interview, Syrskyi said that Ukraine is working on developing its own air defense systems, including ones that can repel the the Oreshnik missile.
"This encourages us to create our own air defense system, which would be not just an air defense system, but also an anti-missile system," Syrskyi said. "The work is underway, it is being actively pursued in this direction. I hope that we will soon get the desired result for us," he added.
Ukraine aims to spend a record $35 billion on weapons production in 2025, according to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The Ukrainian government intends to provide $17 billion, while the rest may be financed by allies.
Abbey Fenbert
Commander of scandal-hit Ukrainian brigade detained, accused of failing to report desertions
The commander of a scandal-hit Ukrainian brigade has been detained, accused of failing to report violations in his unit, the State Bureau of Investigation said on Jan. 20.
The 155th "Anne of Kyiv" Brigade was intended to be a flagship project for Ukrainian brigades trained and armed with the assistance of foreign partners.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced in June that France would provide training and military supplies as part of this initiative.
Despite Paris fulfilling its commitments for training and arms provision, an investigation led by Yurii Butusov, editor-in-chief of Ukrainian media outlet Censor.net, claimed soldiers of the unit, currently deployed near Pokrovsk, have suffered losses and gone AWOL (absent without leave) in large numbers due to poor command and organization within Ukraine’s military leadership.
The State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the unit on Jan. 3.
In a statement on Jan 20, the bureau said the commander "did not respond to violations in his unit, including the unauthorized abandonment of the military unit by his fighters."
"The commander also deliberately failed to perform other actions assigned to him by his official duties. In particular, during 2024, he did not send a single report to pre-trial investigation bodies regarding subordinate servicemen who committed criminal offenses," it added.
If found guilty, the commander faces up to 10 years in prison.
Kateryna Hodunova
The 155th Brigade has about 5,800 troops, fewer than 2,000 of whom have undergone training in France. It is armed with French AMX10 armored vehicles, Caesar howitzers, and German Leopard 2A4 tanks, among other weapons.
According to Butusov's investigation, the unit's founding was "organizational chaos" from the very beginning. Even before the training in France began, 2,500 service members were reportedly sent to other units, thus removing many of the most qualified personnel from the brigade.
Of the 1,924 soldiers eventually sent to France, only 51 had more than a year of military service, while 1,414 had served for less than two months, Butusov wrote.
The unit was also plagued by large numbers of soldiers going AWOL — about 50 deserted in France, in addition to hundreds who left their posts even before the unit was deployed at the front, according to the journalist.
Between March and November, over 1,700 soldiers had gone AWOL, Butusov reported.
Though the unit was replenished with new recruits, these often did not undergo a "proper selection process," the journalist added.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
Ukraine Air Force specialists safe from transfer to infantry but mobilization issues remain, Syrskyi says
Highly-trained Air Force specialists are protected from being transferred to front-line infantry units, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 19.
Reports last week indicated that since 2024, thousands of Air Force soldiers have been transferred to the Ground Forces.
Videos filmed by Air Force specialists themselves then surfaced, claiming their transfer to front-line units was "a real challenge" that could "destroy the very foundation of our aviation."
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces on Jan. 14 said the transfer of some personnel is "a necessary step" to strengthen defense by reinforcing combat brigades with soldiers from other branches of the Armed Forces.
But it stressed that Syrskyi prohibited the transfer of high-tech specialists and those trained abroad on foreign models of weapons and equipment.
"I have an order prohibiting the transfer of highly qualified personnel who have undergone training and specialize in aircraft maintenance," Syrskyi reiterated in an interview with journalist Andriy Tsaplienko.
"Clearly, these are specialists on whom money has been spent, who have gained experience, and who are practically irreplaceable," he added.
But in a separate interview with Ukrainian news outlet TSN on Jan. 19, Syrskyi acknowledged that current mobilization efforts are not sufficient on their own to meet the needs of the Armed Forces.
Fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv and Moscow try to gain an upper hand in potential upcoming peace negotiations following the inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20.
"We have needs at the front. We must increase the number of personnel in our mechanized brigades, " unfortunately, mobilization does not cover demand from the front line, Syrskyi said.
Kateryna Hodunova
'I didn't know who I'd be fighting' — North Korean soldier captured by Ukraine speaks in new footage
President Volodymyr Zelensky released on Jan. 20 new footage of the interrogation of a North Korean soldier captured by the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk Oblast earlier in January. They are currently in the custody of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv. Both were wounded and are reportedly receiving medical attention.
The prisoner of war (POW) in the newly released footage said he arrived in Russia on a cargo ferry with over 100 soldiers. He was not trained with Russian military equipment but claimed that several other North Korean soldiers were taught to do so.
Communication between captured North Korean soldiers and SSU investigators continues.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 20, 2025
Intelligence data on the movement of such troops to Russian territory, their training and complete information isolation have been confirmed by the prisoners.
All the facts about North… pic.twitter.com/E2wiFlPBiw
North Korean troops were deployed to Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian forces against a Ukrainian incursion launched on Aug. 6. Ukrainian troops continue to operate in the region, leveraging their position for potential future negotiations.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) estimates that North Korean casualties have reached 300 killed and 2,700 wounded, attributing the losses to inadequate training and ineffective counter-drone tactics.
The NIS also reported that some North Korean soldiers have been forced to commit suicide to avoid capture by Ukrainian forces. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby echoed these claims on Dec. 27, adding that captured North Korean troops fear severe retaliation against their families if they surrender.
Neither Russia nor North Korea have officially acknowledged the deployment, which is the latest move in Moscow's ever-increasing — and humiliating — reliance on Pyongyang to bolster its military, following long-running shipments of artillery shells and ballistic missiles.
Kateryna Hodunova
150,000 Russian soldiers killed fighting Ukraine in 2024, Syrskyi says
Russian forces suffered their heaviest losses last year since the start of the full-scale war, with total military losses reaching 434,000 soldiers, including approximately 150,000 killed in combat during 2024, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Jan. 19 interview with the Ukrainian news outlet TSN.
"In this year of fighting, (Russian President Vladimir Putin) lost more than in the previous two years of the war (combined)," Syrskyi said.
As of Jan. 19, Russia has lost a total of 818,740 troops since the full-scale invasion began, Ukraine's General Staff reported. The estimate, which is broadly in-line with estimates made by Western intelligence agencies, likely includes those killed, captured, wounded, and missing.
Russia has gained ground in eastern Ukraine and Kursk Oblast over the past year but at the cost of heavy casualties.
Russian losses reached record highs in November and December, with a daily high of 2,030 troops lost in November, marking the highest daily loss since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Moscow does not disclose its casualty figures, though a Defense Ministry official recently let slip that the department received 48,000 requests to identify missing soldiers.
According to a joint investigation by BBC Russia and Mediazona, journalists have identified the names of 88,726 Russian soldiers who died during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the outlets' conclusions for the year, 2024 will likely mark the "war's deadliest year," with a current count of over 20,000 confirmed deaths over the past 12 months — although final conclusions cannot yet be made as data on casualties continues to emerge.
In December, President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in a rare statement that Ukraine had lost 43,000 soldiers on the battlefield since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
When asked during the wide-ranging interview about the Ukrainian losses, Syrskyi broadly replied that there were "many times" less Ukrainian losses than those sustained by the Russians.
At the current rate of Russian military casualties, Russian losses are expected to surpass 1 million troops within six months.
Kateryna Hodunova
Putin congratulates Trump amid inauguration, signals readiness for talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on his upcoming inauguration and expressed readiness for dialogue during a Russian Security Council meeting on Jan. 20.
Putin emphasized his openness to engaging with the incoming Trump administration, including discussions related to Russia's war war against Ukraine.
"We are open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukrainian conflict (Russia's war against Ukraine). The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis," Putin said.
This comes as reported peace proposals, including freezing the front lines, have been publicly rejected by Russia. Putin previously stated that his country would begin peace negotiations if Kyiv agreed to withdraw from the four Ukrainian regions — Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson — that it partly controls.
Trump has signaled his intent to meet Putin "very quickly" after taking office, according to CNN. While the Kremlin welcomed the remarks, it noted that no preparations for the meeting are currently underway.
Trump's team is reportedly working on arranging a call with Putin shortly after the inauguration, with the goal of initiating a settlement plan for the war in Ukraine within the first months of his presidency.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, though his choice for Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, has since adjusted this timeline to 100 days.
Oleg Sukhov
