Thursday, January 16
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A view of the outside through broken window in a residential building in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, after a Russian missile strike on Jan. 15, 2025. (Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukraine’s military now totals 880,000 soldiers, facing 600,000 Russian troops, Zelensky says. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 15 that Ukraine’s military now comprises 880,000 soldiers, tasked with defending the entire country against 600,000 Russian troops concentrated in specific areas.
Ukraine brings back 25 people from Russian captivity, including Azovstal defenders. President Volodymyr Zelensky said some of those brought back have serious injuries and illnesses.
Putin to demand Ukraine never join NATO during talks with Trump, Bloomberg reports. Russia will allegedly demand that Ukraine cut its ties with NATO and become “a neutral state with a limited military” during talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 15, citing its sources.
Trump’s defense nominee grilled over war in Ukraine. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary was grilled over the war in Ukraine during a confirmation hearing on Jan. 14, after he failed to mention Russia’s full-scale invasion during his opening remarks.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
Ukraine captures 23 Russian soldiers in Donetsk Oblast. Ukraine’s Azov Brigade captured 23 Russian soldiers during combat operations in the Toretsk area of Donetsk Oblast, the National Guard of Ukraine reported on Jan. 15.
Oil depot on fire in Russia’s Voronezh region. An oil depot in Russia’s Voronezh region caught fire following multiple drone strikes, regional governor Alexander Gusev said on Jan. 15.
Ukrainians divided over what peace with Russia should look like, new poll reveals. The poll, conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), presented respondents with four options relating to NATO/EU membership, security guarantees, and ceding/regaining occupied territories. Not one gained a majority for or against from respondents.
Ukraine, Russia have to make concessions to end war, Rubio says. “It is important for everyone to be realistic: There will have to be concessions — made by the Russian Federation, but also by the Ukrainians,” said Marco Rubio, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state.
Read our exclusives
**Ukraine war latest: Ukraine’s military now totals 880,000 soldiers, facing 600,000 Russian troops, Kyiv claims
**
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 15 that Ukraine’s military now comprises 880,000 soldiers, tasked with defending the entire country against 600,000 Russian troops concentrated in specific areas.
Photo: Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images
| Learn more |
Will Europe put ‘boots on the ground’ for peace in Ukraine? We asked top Nordic, Baltic officials
While it is clear that larger players like France, Poland, or the U.K. would need to be involved, it is hard to imagine a new level of European action without the backing of the incoming U.S. administration.
Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images
| Learn more |
Why Ukraine’s long-delayed missile production ambitions have yet to get off the ground
The Ukrainian government in recent months has been aggressively touting fresh developments in its missile-making.
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the country had built 100 of its own missiles in 2024 as of November. He called for 3,000 “cruise missiles or missile-drones” to be manufactured in 2025.
Photo: Courtesy of www.mil.in.ua
| Learn more |
Human cost of war
Russian attacks against Ukraine wound at least 16, kill 1 over past day. Russian missiles hit critical infrastructure in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblasts, with no reports of casualties.
Ukrainian soldiers on capturing North Korean POW
International response
US sanctions Russian entity operating occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Russian forces have occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear station in Europe, since March 2022, and have been using the site in ways that increase the risk of a nuclear disaster.
Lithuania would consider troop deployment to Ukraine upon Kyiv’s request, FM Budrys says. “We’d talk with our allies and partners about what it looks like, and we’d talk with Ukraine about what it looks like,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said.
Biden team seeks European support to leverage frozen Russian assets in talks with Moscow, CNN reports. The strategy reportedly aims to pressure Moscow by signaling the funds could only be reclaimed through negotiations with Ukraine.
Australian PM vows to act over possible execution of Melbourne man fighting for Ukraine. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged the “strongest action possible” during a Jan. 15 press conference if reports of an Australian national captured while fighting for Ukraine being executed by Russian forces are confirmed, CNN reported.
Polish PM accuses Russia of planning ‘air terror,’ condemns sabotage efforts. “These acts of sabotage are versions of the war that Russia has declared to the whole world, not just Ukraine,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
NATO defense budget could surpass Russia’s tenfold if Europe matches Poland’s spending, Tusk says. “No one but Europe will solve its defense problems,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Jan. 15.
US targets China-Russia sanctions evasion scheme with new measures. “Today’s actions frustrate the Kremlin’s ability to circumvent our sanctions and get access to the goods they need to build weapons for their war of choice in Ukraine,” said Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
In other news
‘Absolutely unacceptable’ — Appointment of Ukrainian judge who visited occupied Crimea, Russia triggers criticism. The decision highlights the continued presence of officials with ties to Russia in the Ukrainian government.
Transnistria to receive Russian gas as humanitarian aid, head of breakaway region says. Russia’s state-controlled energy giant Gazprom halted gas supplies to Moldova on Jan. 1, citing alleged unpaid debts by Moldovagaz.
Zelensky to visit Poland after ‘breakthrough’ agreement on Volyn tragedy exhumations. The Volyn massacre involved widespread violence that claimed tens of thousands of Polish and Ukrainian lives.
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 Chris York, Boldizsár Győri, Tymur Zadorozhnyy, Toma Istomina, Kateryna Hodunova, Olena Goncharova, Dmytro Basmat, and Volodymyr Ivanyshyn.
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!