Saturday, January 18
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A local resident stands at the entrance to the basement of the damaged residential building where he lives in the town of Lyman, near the frontline in Donetsk Oblast, on Jan. 17, 2025. (Photo by Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)
Putin, Pezeshkian sign strategic Russia-Iran partnership agreement in Moscow. Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed drones used in attacks against Ukrainian cities, as well as short-range ballistic missiles.
Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 radar equipment in Belgorod Oblast, military claims. “The termination of the functioning of the 92H6 radar station of the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system was recorded, which indicates a successful target hit,” the statement read.
Ukraine produced over 30,000 bomber drones in 2024, minister says. The bomber drones were created during Russia’s full-scale invasion and operate mainly at night. They can also remotely disperse mines or transport ammunition, food, and medicine to Ukrainian positions.
Fire erupts at oil depot in Russia’s Kaluga Oblast following drone attack. A fire erupted at an oil depot in the city of Lyudinovo in Russia’s Kaluga Oblast following a Ukrainian drone attack on the facility on Jan. 17, regional Governor Vladislav Shapsha said.
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Italy’s upcoming military aid package to Ukraine includes ‘modern weaponry,’ Umerov says. “(The military aid package) is already on its way to Ukraine. This is modern weaponry that will help our soldiers to deliver powerful strikes against the enemy,” Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
Russia’s seaborne oil exports decline 9.1% in 2024 amid Ukrainian drone attacks, Reuters reports. Ukraine has targeted Russia’s fossil fuel infrastructure as part of its strategy to undermine a key funding source for Russia’s war effort.
Biden administration secretly funded Ukraine’s drone industry, NYT reports. U.S. intelligence officers reportedly assisted in advancing Ukraine’s drone capabilities, helping to design a new generation of drones intended to revolutionize modern warfare.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Russia, Iran sign strategic partnership deal; Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 radar equipment
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a strategic partnership agreement in Moscow on Jan. 17, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
Photo: Contributor/Getty Images
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‘It’s not enough’ — Ukrainians react to Biden’s farewell speech
In his farewell speech from the White House on Jan.15, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden took the opportunity to highlight his achievements in office in an attempt to help cement his legacy.
Photo: Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images
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Human cost of war
Ukrainian special forces target Russian soldiers behind POW executions — several reportedly killed, captured. The captured Russians were identified as marines from the 40th Arctic Brigade.
Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 4, injures 14, including children. Russia launched a missile attack on Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, on Jan. 17, killling four people and leaving 14 others injured, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Four Russian officers reportedly killed in Kursk Oblast by Ukraine’s Dec. 30 strike. Alexander Khinshtein, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, previously did not mention any losses among the military.
Opinions and insights
Europe needs plans A, B, and C for Trump and Russia
As Trump stumbles on Ukraine, Europe must prepare with plans A, B, and C for its security.
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
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The flaws in Ukraine’s new brigades and foreign training programs
Ukraine’s newly formed brigades face devastating losses as poor leadership, inadequate training, and mismatched foreign support hinder their effectiveness on the battlefield.
Photo: Valentyna Polishchuk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
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International response
German FM slams her government over hesitancy on Ukraine aid. Germany is not currently seen as a “driving force for peace policy in Europe,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Politico in comments published on Jan. 17, criticizing her own government for hesitancy in supporting Ukraine.
Allied support for Ukraine won’t suddenly change with Trump’s inauguration, top NATO officer assures. NATO has taken over some responsibilities in coordinating aid for Ukraine from the U.S. with Washington’s consent, ensuring a stable support mechanism going forward, NATO Military Committee Chief Admiral Rob Bauer said on Jan. 16.
Trump has opportunity to ‘negotiate a good deal’ in Ukraine, Blinken says. “And President (Donald) Trump talks about having good, strong deals. I think there’s an opportunity to get one,” outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
US assured Putin no nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Biden says. The United States assured Russian President Vladimir Putin it would not deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden said in a Jan. 17 interview with MSNBC.
Slovak opposition leader arrives in Kyiv to ‘reopen door Fico slammed.’ “Our goal is clear — to reopen the door that Robert Fico slammed with his aggressive outbursts,” pro-Western opposition leader Michal Simecka said on social media.
Hungary’s Orban urges EU to lift Russia sanctions, media reports. Viktor Orban also described the European Union as being in a “drunken stage” but predicted a “sobering up” in Brussels.
Ukraine ready to help Slovakia achieve energy stability, Zelensky says. “We are ready to help the Slovak people in ensuring their energy stability and security,” Volodymyr Zelensky said.
French patrol aircraft was ‘target of Russian intimidation’ over Baltic Sea, French defense minister says. A French maritime patrol aircraft was the target of intimidation tactics over the Baltic Sea overnight on Jan. 17, after the aircraft was locked onto by the radar of a Russian ground-to-air defense system, France’s Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on social media.
How will Russia’s war end?
In other news
Navalny’s lawyers sentenced to 3.5-5.5 years in prison. Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin were sentenced after a closed-door trial on “extremism” charges over their involvement with Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
There’s no evidence that Australian fighter was executed by Russia, prosecutors told media. “There has been no transfer of the body (of Oscar Jenkins),” Ukraine’s Ground Forces Command told a Ukrainian investigative journalism outlet Slidstvo.Info.
Basic military training to start in Ukrainian higher education institutions in September 2025. The course will consist of 90 academic hours of theory study and 210 academic hours of practical training.
US imposes sanctions against Russian oil tankers under construction for 1st time. The latest sanctions, imposed last week, targeted over 180 oil-carrying vessels of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a group of aging tankers routinely used for sanction evasion.
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