Ukraine's military intelligence on Nov. 18 dismissed Russia's claims that a Ukrainian military pilot fled to Russia with his aircraft.
Earlier the same day, Russian state-run news agency TASS claimed that a Ukrainian Ka-52 helicopter pilot named Oleksiy Voyevoda supposedly flew over into Russian territory.
In response, Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov said that Russia created this propaganda to control for reputational damage that resulted from "mass surrender and defection by Russian occupiers, including officers and pilots with vehicles."
In September, Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov flew a Russian Mi-8 helicopter into Ukraine and surrendered it and himself to Ukrainian forces that coordinated the operation with him. Kuzminov's family had been covertly moved out of Russia before his own escape. He was awarded $500,000 bounty by the Ukrainian government.
After Kuzminov's defection went public, Ukrainian intelligence officials claimed they recorded a surge of Russian offers to surrender through the dedicated hotline.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Cyprus to meet his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, and top EU officials, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said on Jan. 7.
A fire broke out at the Stary Oskol oil depot in Russia's Belgorod Oblast after it was hit by Ukrainian drones, Governor Vyacheslov Gladkov said. "As a result of the detonation, several tanks caught fire on the site," he claimed.
The French president nevertheless stressed that "in the short term, we must continue to support Ukraine in its defense efforts."
The Wall Street Journal reported that Moscow sent a submarine and other vessels to escort the Marinera tanker, previously known as Bella 1.
The interceptor features advanced hit-to-kill technology, enabling it to destroy high-speed missiles, such as Russia's Kinzhal and Zircon, with precision.
In a private message sent late December, Leonid Volkov welcomed the news of the apparent death of Denis Kapustin, the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a right-wing militia made up of ethnic Russians fighting on Ukraine's side. It was later revealed that Kapustin was alive and his death was faked by Ukraine.
Despite leading several of Ukraine's most consequential operations against Russia, Maliuk's tenure has been marked by controversy, particularly over his involvement in actions targeting anti-corruption bodies.
Former Trump adviser Fiona Hill's congressional testimony resurfaced after the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Hill claimed Moscow sent signals proposing a "very strange swap arrangement between Venezuela and Ukraine" based on the Monroe Doctrine.
"I have decided, even after consulting with coalition partners, that we will not disrupt the ammunition initiative. The project will continue, and the Czech Republic will be in the role of coordinator," Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Jan. 6.
Petr Macinka, Czechia's new foreign minister, said he would visit Ukraine in the near future, local media reported on Jan. 6.
According to a reported draft joint statement, still subject to changes and a final approval by the leaders, the Coalition's security guarantees would include a U.S.-backed, European-led force deployed in post-war Ukraine, as well as ceasefire monitoring by Washington.
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