Wednesday, January 8

Russia’s war against Ukraine

An evacuation van drives through the mostly destroyed front-line city of Kupiansk, Ukraine on Jan. 6, 2025. (Wolfgang Schwan / Anadolu via Getty Images)

In historic record, Ukrainian F-16 pilot downs 6 cruise missiles in single mission, Air Force claims. For the first time in the history of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a Ukrainian-operated jet shot down six Russian cruise missiles during a single mission in December, the Air Force claimed on Jan. 7.

Ukraine hits Russia’s infantry brigade command post in Kursk Oblast, military claims. “Such fire damage is an integral part of combat operations of Ukraine’s Defense Forces units, which are engaged in combat operations on the territory of the Russian Federation,” the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said.

Ukraine says it holds Kurakhove’s western outskirts despite Russia’s claim of capture. “The situation in Kurakhove is really quite difficult right now, because a significant part of the city has been destroyed,” Khortytsia group of forces spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said on national television Jan. 7, only a day after Russia announced full control over the town.

Ukraine’s military refutes claims of Russia taking Kharkiv Oblast village. A military spokesperson on Jan. 7 denied reports of Russia taking the village of Lozova in Kharkiv Oblast, saying there are even no “serious clashes” in the area.

Ukrainians’ trust in Zelensky drops to 52% during 2024, poll shows. Some 52% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelensky, a drop by seven percentage points from October 2024, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on Jan. 7.

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Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast fend off almost 100 Russian assaults in a day, military says. This represents nearly half of the skirmishes over the past day, as the military reported 218 clashes across the front.

Putin sends trusted general to fend off Ukraine’s offensive in Kursk. Russia sent one of its top generals, General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, to organize Russia’s defense in Kursk Oblast against a renewed Ukrainian attack, The Telegraph reported on Jan. 5.

Ukrainian naval drone-launched FPV drones hit Russian air defenses in world first. As a result of the attack on Jan. 6, two Russian anti-missile Pantsir-S1 systems and one OSA anti-aircraft vehicle were reportedly damaged or destroyed in the occupied part of Ukraine’s southern Kherson Oblast.

Ukraine secures return of 3 children from Russian-occupied territories, ombudsman says. One of the children, a 17-year-old boy, faced persecution by Russian occupation authorities for his pro-Ukrainian stance and assistance to the Ukrainian army, according to Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.

Russian Patriarch Kirill bashes West during Orthodox Christmas celebrations. Moscow Patriarch Kirill accused the West of “hating” Russia because it represents “an alternative path of civilizational development.” He made the comments during the celebration of the Christmas Mass on Jan. 7.

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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits Russia’s infantry brigade command post in Kursk Oblast, military claims

Ukrainian soldiers struck on Jan. 7 the command post of Russia’s 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade near the village of Belaya in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s General Staff claimed.

Photo: Oleg Palchyk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images


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Russian troops overrun Kurakhove, approach Pokrovsk east, south, and southwest

Russian troops continue to push on the Lyman, Siversk, Kramatorsk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove axes. Pokrovsk and Kurakhove remain the focal points of the Russian eastern offensive.

Photo: Gaelle Girbes/Getty Images


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Russia ‘delusional’ about its ability to sustain Ukraine war, says Latvian foreign minister

With fresh memory of Russian occupation under the Soviet Union, the Baltic States have traditionally spoken with the most clarity on Russia’s war against Ukraine among NATO countries.

Photo: Kyrylo Chubotin / Ukrinform / Future Publishing via Getty Images


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Human cost of war

‘Believed he was making a difference’ — Scottish combat medic killed in Ukraine, family says. Jordan Maclachlan, a 26-year-old volunteer and combat medic from Scotland, was killed on the front line in Ukraine on Jan. 3, BBC reported.

International response

Biden administration prepares final massive Ukraine aid package ahead of Trump inauguration, AP reports. Defense officials speaking to the Associated Press said the upcoming aid package, scheduled to be announced on Jan. 9, will draw from existing stockpiles with the intent of delivering most of the pledged weapons to Ukraine before Trump takes office.

Europe might soon feel ‘intense pressure’ to strike a deal with Moscow, Polish FM warns. “But what kind of deal would a sensible Europe accept? Certainly not an ordinary deal that would allow Moscow to regain its strength,” Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said.

UK, Baltics, Nordics step up undersea monitoring amid cable sabotage, Russian shadow fleet concerns. The U.K-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) has set up a tracking system to alert allies if a ship poses a threat to undersea cable infrastructure and track Russia’s shadow fleet of tankers, London said on Jan. 7.

Trump blames Biden for provoking Russia’s war by supporting Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. “I could understand their [Russia’s] feelings about that,” U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said during a Jan. 7 press conference.

Hungary’s FM criticizes Ukraine for gas transit halt, claims 20% rise in gas prices. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto accused Ukraine of exacerbating Europe’s economic challenges by halting Russian gas transit, leading to a 20% rise in natural gas prices on the European market.

US sanctions Orban ally Antal Rogan for corruption, abuse of power. Antal Rogan is the first high-ranking Hungarian official sanctioned by the U.S. under the Magnitsky Act, which targets individuals involved in serious human rights abuses and corruption.

In other news

Ukraine denies Slovakia’s accusation of refusing gas transit talks. Ukraine initiated the meeting to address Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s threats to halt electricity exports to Ukraine and cut support for Ukrainian refugees, Ukraine’s envoy to the EU said.

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Ukraine Daily summary - Wednesday, January 8 2025