Saturday, January 25
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A view of destruction aftermath of Russian drone attack, which resulted in the deaths of three people and caused significant damage in Kyiv Oblast on Jan. 24. In the town of Brovary, debris damaged 11 apartments in a high-rise building. In Fastiv district, debris struck a 10-story residential building, igniting a fire that damaged the 6th and 7th floors. Emergency services evacuated 150 residents, rescuing two people, while a 36-year-old man’s body was found among the wreckage. (Kyiv Regional Military Administration / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Putin ready to talk to Trump, Kremlin ‘awaits signals’ from US. “(Vladimir) Putin is ready, we are waiting for signals, everyone is ready,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Jan. 24.
Withdraw Bucharest pledge — Russia says ban on Ukraine’s NATO accession ’key’ condition for resolving war. Moscow sees a ban on Ukraine’s entry to NATO as a key condition in resolving the Russia-Ukraine war, the pro-Kremlin news agency Interfax reported on Jan. 24, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
Ukraine rejects Russia’s demand to abandon NATO membership promise. The response comes after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko criticized NATO’s 2008 Bucharest Summit declaration, calling it “catastrophic for European security.”
Putin claims Russia ready for Ukraine peace talks, questions legitimacy under Zelensky’s decree. Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Jan. 24 that Russia is ready for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on ending the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky says Putin wants to ‘manipulate’ Trump amid talk of peace negotiations. President Volodymyr Zelensky’s warning came after Putin expressed willingness to engage in talks with Donald Trump on Jan. 24 and praised the U.S. leader.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
‘Uncontrolled escalation’ — Russia opposes NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine. “The intervention of NATO troops in Ukraine is categorically unacceptable for Russia, it will turn into uncontrolled escalation,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed.
Ukraine reforming recruitment system to attract 18-25-year-olds, senior official says. The move comes amid pressure from U.S. lawmakers to lower the draft age, though President Volodymyr Zelensky has opposed lowering it to 18, arguing it would harm Ukraine’s future prospects.
Russian army failing to outflank Pokrovsk, Ukraine’s military says. Russian forces are trying to bypass the city from the north and south, but so far without success, a military spokesperson said.
Russia lost over 20,000 units of military equipment since Feb 24, 2022. The majority of these losses—15,051 units—were destroyed, while 852 were reported as damaged. Russian troops abandoned 1,113 units, and over 3,000 were captured by Ukrainian forces, according to an analysis by the Oryx project.
’More than 50 explosions’ — Massive drone strike targets Russian refinery, plants. The news comes as Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepting 121 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: ’More than 50 explosions’ — Massive drone strike targets Russian refinery, plants
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SOS) struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery and the Ryazan Thermal Power Plant in an overnight drone strike on Jan. 24, an SBU source told the Kyiv Independent.
Photo: SBU source
‘An opportunity, not a burden:’ Ukraine House Davos’s message for world leaders, investors
Ukraine House this year featured the slogan “Your Country First, Win With Us,” highlighting Ukraine’s benefits to global peace and economic recovery and focusing on the benefits Kyiv could offer other countries.
Photo: Hollie Adams / Bloomberg
Ukraine’s weapons procurement clean-up at risk as defense minister moves to undermine reform
Ukraine’s lengthy efforts to clean up its weapons procurement are in danger of being unwound as the Defense Ministry strangleholds the Defense Procurement Agency, say anti-corruption activists and lawmakers.
Photo: Danylo Pavlov / The Kyiv Independent
What leverage does Trump have over Putin in peace negotiations? Quite a lot, experts say
U.S. President Donald Trump dialed up the heat on Russia with a threat of sanctions, tariffs, and negotiating “the hard way” if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to come to the table for a peace deal with Ukraine.
Photo: Contributor / Getty Images
Investigation: How Russia profits from arms exports to Saudi Arabia despite sanctions — leaked emails
The leak reveals that Saudi Arabia agreed to pay Russia over 2 billion euros under a contract signed in 2021 involving companies that were repeatedly sanctioned, both before and after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Photo: Sergei Savostyanov / Pool / AFP via Getty Images
Human cost of war
Media investigation identifies over 90,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. Since the media outlets’ last update in mid-January, the names of 1,964 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.
Ukraine repatriates 757 bodies of fallen soldiers. The vast majority of the bodies were recovered from the front in Donetsk Oblast.
International response
Incoming Trump peace envoy suggests oil crackdown to push Russia to negotiate. The proposal comes as Trump threatens to impose sanctions and tariffs on Russian exports if no deal to end the war is reached soon.
‘Victory means restoring territorial integrity’ — Merz reaffirms support for Ukraine ahead of elections. “Victory means restoring territorial integrity with a democratically legitimate government exercising full sovereignty,” Friedrich Merz said.
Trump accuses Russia of stealing plans for US hypersonic missile. President Donald Trump previously raised the accusation in 2023, saying Russia had stolen plans for what he described as “super-duper missiles.”
Rubio halts most foreign aid, including Ukraine assistance, Politico reports. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Jan. 24 new guidance that halts spending on most foreign aid grants for 90 days. This directive, which took State Department officials by surprise, appears to include funding for military assistance to Ukraine, according to Politico.
US arms exports reach record $318 billion in 2024 driven by Ukraine-related demand. The State Department described arms sales and transfers as “important U.S. foreign policy tools with potential long-term implications for regional and global security.”
Curated Theft | An investigation into the largest museum heist in Europe since World War II
In other news
‘Enough of Fico’ — Slovaks flood the streets in nationwide anti-government protests. Protests erupted in more than 20 Slovak cities on Jan. 24 under the slogan “Slovakia is Europe,” targeting the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico, Slovak media Aktuality reported.
Ukraine to boost energy resilience with focus on distributed generation, PM says. In 2024, 233 generating units with a total capacity of over 830 MW were connected, including gas turbines, pistons, and cogeneration units.
This newsletter is open for sponsorship. Boost your brand’s visibility by reaching thousands of engaged subscribers. Contact partnerships@kyivindependent.com for more details.
Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Hodunova, Francis Farrell, Tymur Zadorozhnyy, Sonya Bandouil, and Olena Goncharova.
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react!