Stay on top of Russia-Ukraine war 01-20-2025 developments on the ground with KyivPost fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated war maps.
Unnamed officials said inexperienced crews on aging vessels are to blame for undersea cable damages in Europe, though others said it is difficult to prove or disprove Moscow’s involvement.
A string of undersea cables being damaged in Europe is a result of accidents, not Russian sabotage, US and European intelligence officials said on condition of anonymity.
Three incidents over the past 18 months that saw vessels damaging undersea cables and gas pipelines in Europe – some by dragging anchors on seabeds – have led to suspicions that the Kremlin was to blame for the damages, especially against the backdrop of Russia’s alleged hybrid war against Europe using arson and explosions, according to Western agencies.
The SBU and National Police said they prevented the murder of Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Health, arresting the perpetrators during a black market weapon transaction.
Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police prevented the murder of the First Deputy Minister of Health, the SBU press service stated on Monday, Jan. 20.
“Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police prevented the murder of the First Deputy Minister of Health,” the press release says.
Under the deal, the UK has committed to providing Ukraine with at least £3 billion worth of military aid every year up until 2030-31, with additional support as needed.
The UK is considering setting up military bases in Ukraine, according to a new agreement marking a 100-year partnership signed between the two countries. The details were shared in a document published by the British government on Jan. 16 following British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Kyiv.
The agreement says both sides will explore options for building and maintaining defense infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, supply depots, and equipment reserves. These facilities could be used to reinforce Ukraine’s defenses if faced with a future serious threat.
One of the North Koreans captured by Kyiv shared more details on his journey to Russia, his military service, and what he knows about the world behind Pyongyang’s information blackout.
One of the North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) shared some very revealing details about his background in an interview published by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday morning.
The interview, which showed the young soldier lying under a blanket recovering from a wound received in action, sheds light on the logistics of North Korean integration into the Russian military, the journey of the North Korean soldier to the war zone, and his knowledge of the world behind Pyongyang’s Iron Curtain.
SBU arrested generals for failing to defend Kharkiv during Russia’s May 2024 offensive, leading to part of the region being captured.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) have arrested generals who are alleged to have failed to properly defend the Kharkiv region, which led to a breakthrough by Russian forces during the May 2024 offensive, the SBU press service reported on Jan. 20.
The statement said: “The SBU and DBR, with the assistance of the Minister of Defense and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, documented the crimes of three Ukrainian Armed Forces officials who failed to ensure the proper defense of Kharkiv region during the enemy’s offensive in May 2024.”
Transnistrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky said that his breakaway government is waiting to hear back from Moldovagaz
The leader of breakaway Transnistria said Monday his government was ready to buy gas from Moldova, more than two weeks after a halt in Russian supplies plunged his region into crisis.
The tiny self-proclaimed separatist enclave in Moldova that borders Ukraine has been unable to provide heating and hot water to residents since Jan. 1, when Moscow cut off gas to Moldova over a financial dispute.
A Wall Street Journal report on Sunday explained how the special forces officer talked down the wounded DPRK soldier who was intent on killing himself with a grenade.
A team from Ukraine’s 8th Special Operations Forces (SSO) Regiment encountered a young wounded North Korean soldier in a forested area in Russia’s Kursk region earlier this month.
The team had been lying in wait for the enemy for several days having previously observed their movements in the area. On Jan. 9, the Ukrainians made their way through a minefield and set up an ambush, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal.
US support for Ukraine faces resistance as political fatigue, Republican opposition, and Russian disinformation threaten the US-Ukraine alliance – as well as Biden’s legacy.
As US President Joe Biden leaves the White House after five decades in public service, he has, raced to frame his handling of the war in Ukraine as a success story rather than a costly, unfinished conflict. The president’s team pushed a final message to Americans and international allies since losing the election last year: Ukraine is still holding the line, US support was worth it, and abandoning Kyiv now would be a mistake.
But Biden’s pro-Ukraine messaging didn’t land as smoothly as it once did. Public support has weakened, Republicans in Congress are increasingly resistant to further aid, and Trump’s administration has already hinted at cutting future assistance.
Following a Saturday report by TASS that a Danish F-16 trainer was killed in a missile attack on Kryvyi Rih, the defense minister categorized it as yet another example of Kremlin-linked disinformation
Russia’s state-run news agency TASS ran a story on Saturday in which it claimed that a Danish pilot who was involved in the training of Ukrainian F-16 crews was one of the three individuals killed when an Iskander-M ballistic missile struck an educational establishment in Kryvyi Rih on Friday.
The Russian news agency cited an unnamed military informant, without clarifying their nationality, which immediately rang alarm bells in the Western media as to the veracity of the claim.
Ukraine is working on its version of the US Patriot missile and Russia can expect battle “surprises” in the future, the Ukrainian army’s highest-ranking officer said.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) has real and serious manpower and organization problems but it is an increasingly lethal organization that is hitting the Russian army with critical losses, and is on track to improve combat efficiency in the future, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrsky, the Ukrainian military’s senior officer, told media on Sunday.
Speaking to the major television broadcaster TSN, Syrsky admitted some AFU formations need better commanders, that manpower shortages across the forces are real, and that controversial transfers of technicians from rear area units to frontline duties are ongoing and will continue.
In 2023, the EU sanctioned the plant for its role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, citing its production and repair of Tu-160 missile carriers and Tu-22M3 bombers.
Ukrainian drones reportedly attacked Kazan, Tatarstan, early in the morning on Monday, Jan. 20, with explosions reported across several city districts. According to the ASTRA Telegram channel, Ukrainian forces were targeting the Kazan Aviation Plant named after S.P. Gorbunov.
This facility is known for producing and maintaining the Tu-160 strategic bomber, used by Russia’s air force in the war.
Sweden sent 550 troops on Saturday to join a multinational brigade led by Canada in Latvia in what Stockholm calls its most significant commitment to NATO.
Sweden sent 550 troops from one of its mechanized infantry battalions to Riga, Latvia, on Saturday to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade on NATO’s eastern flank.
Latvia borders Russia to the east and Russian ally Belarus to the south.
On inauguration eve, three women hostages held 15 months by Hamas were freed via a Qatar, US, and Egypt-led ceasefire deal. Trump, whose envoy joined talks, credited his role in the agreement.
For many Israelis yearning for a future free from war and for the release of hostages still held in Gaza, US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday is a source of hope.
On the eve of his inauguration, three women hostages were released after 15 months in captivity by Hamas militants, after mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt clinched a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Russian troops in Balaklava Bay are fortifying marine barriers against drones and sabotage, reactivating a submarine base – but Ukrainian partisans “know how to organize surprises for the occupiers.”
Russian forces have repurposed an underground submarine base in Balaklava, occupied Crimea, for military purposes, the Atesh guerrilla movement reported via Telegram on Monday, Jan. 20.
The once-museum facility, known as Object 825GTS, is an underground complex in Balaklava that was designed to house submarines, offering repair and maintenance capabilities.
Stefan Korshak, Kyiv Post’s military correspondent, shares his perspective on the developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Sometimes there is one development that just dominates the news, but sometimes what jumps out is an obscure stat that explains a great deal and points the way to the future.
The Ukrainian national power company DTEK – these are the guys responsible for some energy production and pretty much all electricity distribution across the country – came out with a press release a couple of days ago that went far to clearing up all the speculation and noise and angst about Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid. Parts of the info I have been able to reference has checked out and I have no reason to disbelieve it. For the first time, we have hard information on how effective Russia has been at blowing up Ukrainian power stations.
A historic day but what does it portend?
So, it’s D-Day – Donald Trump Day – again in America, his second inauguration as president of the United States.
This time, he’s even meaner, if not leaner, and more vengeful, than last time, in January 2017.
Following successful trials on the Ukrainian battlefield, the tech company is opening an office in Kyiv to provide complete operational support for its V-BAT MQ-35A VTOL UAV to Ukraine’s armed forces.
As Kyiv Post reported on Jan. 13 Shield AI, a US Silicon Valley based high-tech company had deployed its latest product, the V-BAT MQ-35A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), to Ukraine for real-life testing under combat conditions by its armed forces.
The V-BAT’s ducted fan engine allows it to launch from an area as small as 4 meters by 4 meters (13 feet by 13 feet) or the deck of a ship. It weighs 56.5 kilograms (124 pounds) which includes an 11-kilogram (24.2-pounds) payload and a flight endurance of around 10 hours. Its sophisticated suite of sensors allows real-time monitoring and target acquisition combined with a laser designator to identify targets for attack by ground or air forces.
A member of the international “demining” community shares his take on what how best to tackle the grim legacy of landmines and unexploded munitions that will remain when the war in Ukraine is done.
The war in Ukraine has resulted in widespread contamination from landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) scattered across many urban and rural areas. These currently pose a severe threat to civilians, particularly children, who are often the most vulnerable that will persist for years, probably decades, after the war is over.
As the international community ponders how best to support and address the crisis, the need for effective demining and battlefield clearance strategies along with comprehensive Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) programs will become increasingly critical.
People familiar with the matter say it will be a preliminary conversation to organize a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in the coming months.
US President-elect Donald Trump has indicated he intends to hold a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after being sworn in as president, CNN reported, citing sources. The call is expected to occur within a few days of Trump’s Monday inauguration.
People familiar with the matter say the main purpose of the conversation is to start planning a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in the coming months with the goal of trying to end the war in Ukraine.
Like other players from Ukraine, Svitolina did not shake hands with her Russian opponent because of the war, and wrote “The spirit of Ukraine” on a TV camera lens at the end of a 6-4, 6-1 victory.
Elina Svitolina said she hopes to bring “a little light” to the Ukrainian people after sweeping past a Russian into the Australian Open quarter-finals on Monday.
The 28th seed beat Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to set up a clash with American Madison Keys.
How I see the setting and what’s likely
On Jan. 20 the 47th President of the United States will be sworn in, having pledged he would bring peace between Ukraine and Russia within “24 hours” – quite a claim, even for someone with a CV as impressive as Donald Trump.
Yet even if the world gives the new President longer than a day to achieve such a monumental goal, is such a deal possible after almost three years of all-out war?
Donald Trump gets sworn in for his second term today and inherits Russia’s war against Ukraine. He needs to have a plan to end it. What should the new administration do?
It is Inauguration Day in Washington today and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine is approaching its third anniversary this coming Feb. 24.
Contrary to campaign rhetoric, this war is not going to come to an end within 24 hours of Donald Trump’s swearing in as the 47th president of the United States. Putin made that abundantly clear on Saturday when a Russian ballistic missile destroyed Kyiv’s oldest McDonald’s.
Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.
Key Takeaways from the ISW:
Ukraine’s capture of two North Korean soldiers in Kursk reveals Pyongyang’s deepening role in Russia’s war. Confiscated items suggest strict orders and concealed identities.
Ukrainian forces have captured two North Korean soldiers fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine’s Kursk region, marking the first confirmed instance of Pyongyang’s direct involvement in the war.
The soldiers, aged 20 and 26, were wounded during combat and are currently receiving medical treatment in Kyiv. During interrogations, one soldier revealed he was initially sent to Russia under the guise of military training.
Zelensky imposed new sanctions on pro-Russian propagandists in Ukraine, targeting figures linked to Russian influence. The decree also revokes state honors from Kremlin-linked individuals.
President Zelensky signed a decree imposing new sanctions on pro-Russian politicians and propagandists in Ukraine, he announced on Sunday. The ruling, which enacts a decision made by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), marks another step in Kyiv’s efforts to root out Russian influence within the country.
“We are blocking propagandists working for Russia, individuals who have sided with the enemy, and those aiding Russia in continuing the war,” Zelensky said in a video address. He added that further sanctions would be coming soon.
Some Orthodox Christians continue to mark Epiphany in Russian-affiliated religious centers, even as Kyiv moves toward banning the Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
Military medic Natalya carried a jug of water blessed by priests at the Sviatogirsk monastery in eastern Ukraine as she celebrated Orthodox Epiphany in a Russian-affiliated church, despite the war.
Ukrainians have largely moved away from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) – which sits under the Moscow Patriarchate – since the full-scale invasion, with a majority now following a Kyiv-led Church that adheres to a different calendar.