Key developments on Jan. 7:
- Ukraine hits Russia's infantry brigade command post in Kursk Oblast, military claims
- In historic record, Ukrainian F-16 pilot downs 6 cruise missiles in single mission, Air Force claims
- Trump blames Biden for provoking Russia's war by supporting Ukraine's NATO aspirations
- Ukraine says it holds Kurakhove's western outskirts despite Russia's claim of capture
Ukrainian soldiers struck on Jan. 7 the command post of Russia's 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade near the village of Belaya in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff claimed.
The report came days after Ukraine reportedly launched renewed offensive operations in Kursk Oblast, which is seen as a crucial bargaining chip for potential peace negotiations. Almost 100 Russian ground assaults were repelled in Kursk Oblast over the past day, the General Staff said.
"Such fire damage is an integral part of combat operations of Ukraine's Defense Forces units, which are engaged in combat operations on the territory of the Russian Federation," the statement read.
No further details on the attack and the extent of the damage were disclosed. The Russian military has not commented on Ukraine's claim.
Another Russian command post came under Ukraine's attack in Maryino, Kursk Oblast, on Jan. 2, according to the military.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
The Russian Defense Ministry alleged on Jan. 6 that the Ukrainian advance was halted and that Ukraine's primary units were destroyed near Berdin, a settlement along a road leading northeast to the city of Kursk.
Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale operation in Kursk Oblast in early August, allegedly capturing up to 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian soil.
Since then, Russia has deployed reinforcements — including North Korean soldiers — in the area and reportedly retook around half of the lost territory.
Boldizsar Gyori
In historic record, Ukrainian F-16 pilot downs 6 cruise missiles in single mission, Air Force claims
For the first time in the history of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a Ukrainian-operated jet shot down six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission in December, including two with the aircraft cannon, the Air Force claimed on Jan. 7.
The interception reportedly took place during a mass Russian aerial strike on the morning of Dec. 13, 2024, which saw Russia deploy almost 200 drones and 94 missiles.
"For the first time in the history of the Fighting Falcon, an F-16 fighter jet destroyed six Russian cruise missiles in one combat mission," the Air Force Command said on social media.
Ukraine has received a number of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark, deploying them multiple times in air defense roles during Russian mass strikes on cities and infrastructure.
"They say that even Americans couldn't believe you did it," Air Force Command spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said in an interview with the pilot, whose identity was not revealed.
The aviator said that he approached a group of cruise missiles and, despite their electronic warfare countermeasures, managed to lock on to targets. The F-16 reportedly shot down one pair of Russian projectiles with medium-range missiles and then another pair with short-range missiles.
Ukrainian F-16s are equipped with four air-to-air medium-range and short-range missiles.
Without missiles and low on fuel, the pilot was then recalled from the area but spotted another missile heading toward Kyiv. He moved to intercept it and opened fire from his aircraft cannon against the projectile, which was flying over 650 kilometers per hour, a difficult and risky maneuver, the Air Force said.
"A few bursts from the cannon — and an explosion... then another one! 'A secondary detonation,' I thought, but, as it turned out, there were two missiles," the pilot said, adding he did everything as taught by U.S. instructors.
According to the Air Force Command, Ukrainian pilots have learned how to shoot down missiles with aircraft cannons in simulators in the U.S. but have never attempted it during actual combat before.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon entered into service in late 1978, and its various versions have been used by over two dozen countries, including the U.S. and its European allies. More than 4,600 F-16s have been built, and the platform has been deployed in multiple conflicts worldwide.
Martin Fornusek
Trump blames Biden for provoking Russia's war by supporting Ukraine's NATO aspirations
During a Jan. 7 press conference, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump blamed President Joe Biden for provoking Russia’s full-scale invasion by supporting Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations.
Trump argued that Ukraine’s potential NATO membership has long been a major concern for Moscow. "That’s been like written in stone. And Biden said, 'No, they should be able to join NATO.' Then Russia has somebody right on their doorstep. I could understand their [Russia's] feelings about that."
A report by The Wall Street Journal has previously suggested that Trump’s team was exploring a plan to delay Ukraine’s NATO membership by at least 20 years in exchange for Western arms supplies and European peacekeepers to monitor a potential ceasefire with Russia.
Trump also criticized Biden’s foreign policy decisions, including the withdrawal from Afghanistan, repeating his claims that they contributed to Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to launch a full-scale war against Ukraine.
When asked about possible negotiations with Putin, Trump said he would wait until after his Jan. 20 inauguration to hold talks.
"I don’t think it’s appropriate that I meet until after Jan. 20, which I hate because you know every day people are being — many, many young people are being killed — soldiers," he said.
On Dec. 19, Putin reiterated his willingness to engage in dialogue with Trump but upheld Moscow’s demands, including the desire to fully occupy four Ukrainian regions — Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson — and a rejection of Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Trump has pledged during the election campaign to bring a swift end to the war but has not outlined concrete steps for achieving peace.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s reported peace deal proposals on Dec. 29, saying that Moscow rejects any plan that fails to meet its demands.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed cautious optimism about working with the incoming U.S. administration, reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to a diplomatic resolution by 2025.
Francis Farrell
Ukraine says it holds Kurakhove's western outskirts despite Russia's claim of capture
Ukrainian forces continue to hold positions in the western outskirts of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast and a local power plant, but the situation in the town is "difficult," a military spokesperson said on Jan. 7.
"The situation in Kurakhove is really quite difficult right now because a significant part of the city has been destroyed," Khortytsia group of forces spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said on national television on Jan. 7, only a day after Russia claimed to have full control over the town.
Kurakhove has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast over the past few months, turning the town into one of the hottest sectors of the front.
The town lies over 20 kilometers (over 10 miles) north of Russian-occupied Vuhledar and over 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) south of the key front-line town of Pokrovsk.
"Ukrainian troops are holding on the western part of the town, its western outskirts. They are also holding onto a power plant located in the town," Trehubov added. According to the spokesperson, Russian forces are attempting to raze Kurakhove building by building, destroying any potential defenses for Ukrainian soldiers.
This method mirrors Russian tactics used in other front-line towns like Toretsk, where there are reportedly "no intact buildings left" after Moscow's onslaught.
In its Jan. 7 report, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported fending off 26 Russian assaults in the Kurakhove sector, including in the area of the town itself.
The DeepState monitoring group shows Kurakhove almost completely in Russian hands, save for small areas in the west.
If taken, Kurakhove would be the first significant town to fall into Russian hands in 2025 after Russia took Avdiivka and Vuhledar last year. Moscow's troops now focus their efforts on Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub, as part of their overall goal to capture the entire Donetsk Oblast.
Boldizsar Gyori
