Ukraine war latest: Ukraine denies Russia's claim of capturing town near Pokrovsk, maintains 'control over key positions'
Key developments on Jan. 3-4:
- Ukraine denies Russia's claim of capturing town near Pokrovsk, maintains 'control over key positions'
- Ukraine slaps sanctions on companies supplying Russia's military industry
- Ukrainian drones target Moscow, trigger airport closures, Russia says
- Peace deal must include British, French military presence in Ukraine, Zelensky says
- Zelensky not considering replacing Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi amid government reshuffle
Ukraine's Air Assault Forces refuted on Jan. 4 Russia's reports about the capture of the town of Rodynske in Donetsk Oblast.
Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold the defense inside Rodynske and its outskirts, the military said.
On the same day, the 1st Azov Corps of the National Guard published a similar statement, specifying that units of the 20th and 14th National Guard Brigades, as well as the 132nd Separate Reconnaissance Battalion, were holding positions inside the town.
Russia's defense ministry had announced the capture of Rodynske, along with Myrnohrad and two other villages on Jan. 2.
Rodynske is located to the north of Pokrovsk, a key battleground in Donetsk Oblast and consistently one of the hotspots of the front line.
Located along what was once the main Ukrainian logistics route into Pokrovsk, Rodynske has seen heavy fighting since summer 2025, when Russian forces approached the large mine on the town's eastern outskirts.
Pokrovsk itself, Kyiv claims, remains contested, although the majority of the city lies firmly under Russian control.
"Russian propaganda continues to spread false statements regarding the situation on the front line near the town of Rodynske," the Air Assault Forces' statement read.
"Control over key positions is maintained. The enemy is suffering significant losses in manpower and equipment."
According to the Air Assault Forces, Russia is spreading "fabricated videos" and "manipulative reports" to falsely portray the capture of the settlement.
The Kyiv Independent couldn't verify the reports. According to Ukrainian battlefield mapping project Deep State, Rodynske lies in the grey zone between areas confirmed contested by the respective sides.
Ukraine slaps sanctions on companies supplying Russia's military industry
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an order on Jan. 4 to impose sanctions on individuals and legal entities linked to the servicing of Russia's military-industrial complex.
The new measures target 95 individuals and 70 entities, including manufacturers of communications, electronic warfare, and microelectronics for Russia's military-industrial complex and security agencies.
Among those sanctioned are citizens of Russia and China.
Ukraine's sanctions include a full asset freeze, a temporary ban on managing or disposing of property, restrictions on trade operations, the suspension of transit, flights, and transportation through Ukrainian territory, and the revocation of state honors.
"The imposed restrictions are intended to complicate the servicing of Russia's military-industrial complex and to limit its capacity to produce weapons and military equipment used in the war against Ukraine," the statement released by the President's Office read.
The sanctions also target Russia's industrial sectors, including chemicals, mining, metallurgy, and its energy and fuel complex.
Some companies hit with recent Ukrainian sanctions are also set to face European sanctions, according to the statement.
In late December, the European Union imposed sanctions on 41 more vessels in Russia's "shadow fleet", tankers with opaque ownership structures that operate under flags of convenience to evade Western sanctions and oversight.
Ukrainian drones target Moscow, trigger airport closures, Russia says
Russian air defense systems shot down 132 Ukrainian drones overnight on Jan. 3-4, including 11 intercepted over Moscow Oblast, the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed.
Russian air defense assets shot down three drones bound for Moscow, according to the Russian ministry.
Emergency crews are working to clear debris at the crash sites, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said. No casualties or damage have been reported.
Moscow's Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports introduced temporary flight restrictions during the attack, according to Russia's federal aviation agency.
Ukrainian drones were also shot down over Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, Rostov, Belgorod, Tula, Kaluga, Voronezh, Moscow and Lipetsk oblasts, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports at the time of publication.
Ukraine regularly launches drone attacks against Russian military and industrial facilities in the rear to undermine Russia's ability to wage its all-out war.
While drone attacks on Moscow have been recorded on several instances and often brought about temporary airport closures, the capital is also well-defended against aerial threats.
Peace deal must include British, French military presence in Ukraine, Zelensky says
Any future security guarantees for Ukraine must include the physical presence of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory, Zelensky said on Jan. 3, stressing that forces from France and the U.K. are essential for peace.
Zelensky's comments come as Kyiv and its partners continue work on a draft peace plan aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine.
Speaking after a meeting with advisers to Western leaders in Kyiv, he said there is still no final version of the security guarantees agreement, but emphasized that military presence is a mandatory element of any peace package.
"Undoubtedly, the (military) presence is important to us. And undoubtedly, not everyone is ready for this… But the presence is one of the important factors, and even the existence of the Coalition of the Willing depends on whether they are ready to step up their presence," Zelensky said.
Zelensky acknowledged that some coalition members may ultimately refrain from sending troops, but underscored that there are minimum requirements.
"The UK and France are the chairs (of the Coalition of the Willing). Their military presence is mandatory," Zelensky emphasized.
He added that the final list of countries willing to deploy troops will only become clear after parliamentary ratification processes in partner states.
"There is a parliamentary dimension, because even if a leader is ready to make certain decisions, ready to help Ukraine, even if the military is ready to be present in Ukraine, parliamentary backing is still required under the constitutions of many European countries," he said.
Zelensky not considering replacing Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi amid government reshuffle
President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Jan. 3 that he is not considering replacing Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi at this time amid a wider government reshuffle.
Zelensky's comments come after his Jan. 2 announcement of major political shake-up, with changes to several key portfolios.
Zelensky told reporters that his government "reboot" applies to various institutions, including Ukraine's Armed Forces, but added that "replacing the commander-in-chief is not envisaged at this time."
"Next, after the defense sector has been reset, I will move on to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. But to get to that point, I need to be sure that everything else has been reset and everything else is functioning,” Zelensky added, without specifying additional anticipated changes.
Among lower-level changes, Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief, was appointed as the new head of the President's Office, while Oleh Ivashchenko, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, assumed Budanov's former role.
Similarly, Mykhailo Fedorov, the current deputy prime minister and digital transformation minister was proposed as as the country's new defense minister, while current Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal is slated to take over the vacant energy minister portfolio.
Additionally, Zelensky announced on Jan. 3 that his team was finalizing a list of new heads for Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk and Chernivtsi oblasts.
Syrskyi has been serving in his role as commander-in-chief since February 2024, after replacing his predecessor Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
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