Friday, January 24
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A woman stands amid rubble following a Russian missile strike on Jan. 23, 2025 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. The strike killed 1 person and injured a further 45, including a child. (Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administation/Anadolu via Getty Images)
‘Trump needs to come out on top’ — Zelensky on US president’s role in ending war. “I think the issue of ending the war in Ukraine must be a victory for (Donald) Trump, not for (Vladimir) Putin,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky clarifies comment on 200,000 peacekeepers, says figure depends on Ukrainian army size. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 22 clarified his earlier comments on the number of European peacekeepers needed to maintain peace in Ukraine, saying the required numbers depend on the size of Ukraine’s own military.
Ukrainian soldiers near Velyka Novosilka at risk of encirclement, spokesperson says. “Velyka Novosilka is currently in a rather difficult situation,” military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said on Jan. 23.
Trump’s 90-day foreign add suspension order does not impact weapon deliveries to Ukraine, Pentagon says. U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order suspending foreign aid programs for 90 days does not apply to military assistance for Ukraine, the Pentagon confirmed on Jan. 23.
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Trump announces readiness to meet with Putin as soon as possible, Reuters reports. U.S. President Donald Trump said that he wanted to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible to end the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Jan. 23.
North Korea to send artillery units, 150 more ballistic missiles to aid Russia’s war, Budanov says. North Korea is expected to send reinforcements to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, mainly gun and rocket artillery units, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with The War Zone magazine published on Jan. 23.
Syrskyi sees ‘gradual’ improvement in scandal-hit French-trained brigade’s capabilities. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi observed on Jan. 23 that the French-trained 155th “Anne of Kyiv” Brigade is “gradually acquiring certain combat capabilities” after reports of poor command and training.
Fire reported at oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan Oblast amid drone strike. A fire erupted at the Ryazan Oil Refinery in Russia after a mass drone attack targeting several regions, Russian Telegram channels reported on Jan. 23
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Russian forces suspected of killing 6 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast
Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating a case of Russian troops summarily executing six Ukrainian captives in the embattled Donetsk Oblast, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Jan. 23.
Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images
‘King of the playground’ — Russian milbloggers react to Trump’s war in Ukraine ultimatum
Russian military bloggers, known as milbloggers, have responded in defiant terms to Donald Trump’s ultimatum to his Russian counterpart, describing it as “blackmail” from a U.S. president acting more like a “king of the playground.”
Photo: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images
Human cost of war
Russian forces suspected of killing 6 Ukrainian POWs in Donetsk Oblast. Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating a case of Russian troops summarily executing six Ukrainian captives in the embattled Donetsk Oblast, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Jan. 23.
Russian missile attack in Zaporizhzhia kills 1, injures at least 45, including infant. A 47-year-old man was killed in the attack, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Opinions and insights
Ukraine is failing the mobilization test
Ukrainian society’s reluctance to mobilize threatens the country’s ability to defend itself against a militarily superior enemy.
Photo: Kostya Liberov / Libkos / Getty Images
Russia’s looting of history is a theft of who we are
Russia’s looting of Ukrainian artifacts is a calculated attack to erase our identity — a systematic strategy rooted in centuries of oppression and cultural theft.
Photo: Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP via Getty Images
International response
Putin has no right to veto any country’s NATO accession, NATO Secretary General says. NATO Chief Mark Rutte said on Jan. 23 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no authority to influence NATO’s future membership decisions.
NATO chief urges US to keep arming Ukraine, pledges European funding. “If this new Trump administration is willing to keep on supplying Ukraine, the bill will be paid by the Europeans,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
UK, US sanctions force Russia’s oil tankers to reflag, Bloomberg reports. The removal of these flags disrupts Russia’s oil export logistics, forcing tankers to re-register in less reputable jurisdictions and change ownership to avoid detection.
Trump says Russia’s war in Ukraine ‘will end immediately’ if OPEC lowers oil prices. President Donald Trump also said Ukraine was “ready for a deal,” but added “you’ll have to ask Russia” about a peace agreement within a year.
Kremlin sees ‘no new elements’ in Trump’s statement on sanctions against Russia. “Trump, in the first iteration of his presidency, was the American president who most often resorted to sanctions methods,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Curated Theft | An investigation into the largest museum heist in Europe since World War II
In other news
Ukraine’s National Bank raises key policy rate to 14.5% due to inflation. Ukraine’s National Bank (NBU) announced on Jan. 23 that it will raise the key policy rate from 13.5% to 14.5% per annum starting from Jan. 24, 2025.
Ukrainian documentary ‘Porcelain War’ nominated for Oscar. This marks the second consecutive year a Ukrainian documentary has been nominated for an Academy Award.
Kyiv Independent identifies high-ranking Russian officer, officials involved in looting of museums in southern Ukraine. Fleeing a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russian forces collectively stole more than 33,000 historical artifacts and works of art. This museum theft is the largest in Europe since World War II.
Russian cargo ship Sparta II docks in Syria after weeks drifting at sea, tracking data shows. The Sparta II, a Russian cargo ship under U.S. sanctions, had been drifting near Tartus since Jan. 5 after leaving Baltiysk in Kaliningrad Oblast on Dec. 11.
Putin increasingly concerned about state of Russia’s economy, Reuters reports. Russia’s domestic economic operations have recently suffered due to labor shortages and high interest rates introduced to curb inflation.
US podcaster Fridman plans to visit Russia, interview Putin after criticizing Zelensky. Lex Fridman did not specify when he would visit Russia or whether he had already agreed to an interview with the Russian authorities.
Kyiv announces release of 3 Ukrainian sailors from Houthi captivity. The news comes as the Yemeni rebel group release of the crew of the carrier captured in November 2023 as part of attacks on vessels sailing through the Red Sea corridor.
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