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Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 01-23-2025

Stay on top of Russia-Ukraine war 01-23-2025 developments on the ground with KyivPost fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated war maps.

Key updates
Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 01-23-2025

Spy Chief: North Korea to Send Missiles, Artillery to Russia

Spy Chief: North Korea to Send Missiles, Artillery to Russia

Pyongyang plans to send Russia 150 KN-23 missiles, artillery systems, and possibly infantry reinforcements in 2025, adding new challenges for Ukraine on the battlefield, Budanov said.

In 2025, North Korea plans to deliver at least 150 KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles, as well as artillery shells and systems, to Moscow, according to Ukraine’s military intelligence chief (known as HUR), Kyrylo Budanov.

The artillery is being used to support both North Korean and Russian operations, while the missiles are strictly for Russian objectives, Budanov said in an interview with The War Zone, saying that North Koreans will also train Russians on all of these systems.

Davos Power Hour: Zelensky’s High-Stakes Talks for Ukraine

Davos Power Hour: Zelensky’s High-Stakes Talks for Ukraine

From meetings to establish deepening defense ties to drumming up support for Ukraine’s Peace Formula Zelensky had a full diary of important meetings at the 2025 World Economic Forum.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, from Jan. 20 to Jan. 25, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had a packed schedule of high-stakes meetings, pressing the flesh to deepen defense ties and drum up support for Ukraine’s Peace Formula with multiple world leaders.

Here’s the rundown of the meetings he held during the first two days of his attendance.

Ukraine Orders Children to Evacuate From Northeastern Towns

Ukraine Orders Children to Evacuate From Northeastern Towns

Kharkiv region governor Oleg Synegubov said 267 children and their families were to be evacuated from 16 settlements

Ukraine on Thursday announced evacuations of children from several towns in the northeastern Kharkiv region threatened by Russian forces, as Moscow said it saw nothing new in US President Donald Trump’s call for it to end its invasion. 

The evacuation announcement came as the Kremlin said that while it was ready for “mutually respectful dialogue” with Trump, his declarations on the conflict marked no break with the previous US administration.

Kim’s Human Blitzkrieg – Ukrainian Troops Reveal North Korean Tactics in Kursk

Kim’s Human Blitzkrieg – Ukrainian Troops Reveal North Korean Tactics in Kursk

Pyongyang troops often storm Ukrainian positions with little to no armored support – and they do so without pauses, according to Ukrainian troops.

“Highly motivated, well-trained” and “brave” – Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky described the North Korean troops as such in Monday’s interview with Ukrainian media TSN.

These qualities were demonstrated by their relentless assaults on Ukrainian positions with little to no armored support, often moving without pause across mined terrains and into direct fire, as a New York Times (NYT) report established, citing comments from Ukrainian troops and Pentagon officials. 

Ukraine Central Bank Increases Key Rate by 1% as Inflation Reaches Double-Digits

Ukraine Central Bank Increases Key Rate by 1% as Inflation Reaches Double-Digits

The bank still thinks the inflation hike is temporary, but fears rising business costs may impact on prices.

Ukraine’s central bank, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), increased the key interest rate from 13,5% to 14,5%, raising concerns after inflation spiked above the forecast. 

NBU announced the decision at a monetary briefing on Thursday. 

Russian Strikes Kill 3, Wound Dozens in Ukraine Overnight

Russian Strikes Kill 3, Wound Dozens in Ukraine Overnight

Rescuers posted images of a destroyed building and a damaged firetruck they said were hit in the apparent double-tap attack.

Russian aerial attacks on frontline towns in eastern and central Ukraine on Thursday killed at least three people and wounded dozens, officials said.

The authorities said a 53-year-old woman was killed by a Russian bombardment in the frontline town of Kostyantynivka and a 54-year-old by a Russian drone strike on a village in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Trump Comments Calling for Kremlin Concessions Ignites Firestorm of Russian Objections

Trump Comments Calling for Kremlin Concessions Ignites Firestorm of Russian Objections

Russian information platforms said the US leader doesn’t understand Russian will to fight or firepower. Many also were furious about World War II, which they said Trump got all wrong.

US President Donald Trump’s recent comments asserting the Kremlin needed to come to the negotiating table and make concessions, or face crushing new American tariffs and sanctions, ignited objections across the Russian media space on Thursday, and even some nasty language about perfidious Americans. 

The US leader in a Wednesday post on his media platform Truth Social declared his “love” for the Russian people and respect for Soviet sacrifices during World War II, but warned that if Russia’s war against Ukraine isn’t ended soon he will deploy American tariffs, taxes and sanctions to strong-arm the Kremlin into an agreement. 

Belarus’ Farcical Election, Part 1 – the Dictator’s Charade

Belarus’ Farcical Election, Part 1 – the Dictator’s Charade

Pavel Latushko, a prominent Belarusian opposition figure speaks to Kyiv Post about Lukashenko’s regime, living in exile, the fight for freedom, and international justice.

On Sunday, Jan. 26, the first round of the presidential elections will take place in Belarus, essentially the announcement of a result predetermined by dictator Alexander Lukashenko. This is first part of the interview, with Pavel Latushko, head of the National Anti-Crisis Management, deputy to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in the United Transitional Cabinet, and former Minister of Culture, who was sentenced in absentia to 18 years in prison by the Belarusian regime in March 2023.

Michał Kujawski: The first round of “elections” in Belarus is about to take place. Can we already say who will win?

German Patriot Units in Poland to Secure Ukraine Logistics Hub

German Patriot Units in Poland to Secure Ukraine Logistics Hub

Germany is taking over the defense task from the United States, who the ministers thanked for its “tireless commitment” on the ground.

Germany said Thursday it had deployed two Patriot air-defense units to Poland to protect a key logistical hub supplying aid and equipment to Ukraine. 

They are designed to secure Rzeszow airport in southern Poland, which handles more than 90% of military and humanitarian aid destined for Ukraine.

Brace for 2028: EU Urged to Prepare for Potential Russian Aggression

Brace for 2028: EU Urged to Prepare for Potential Russian Aggression

Russia’s war in Ukraine has jolted the Western military alliance to ramp up defense spending, but EU countries still do not match Moscow’s arms production.

Russia may target a European Union country as early as 2028, according to European diplomatic chief Kaja Kallas, who has called for urgent investment in defense.

Speaking at the annual European Defense Agency (EDA) conference, Kallas cited national intelligence reports suggesting the Kremlin plans to “test” the EU’s defense capabilities within the next 3-5 years.

Rutte Tells Rubio Trump’s Demand for Increased European Defense Spending ‘Fair’

Rutte Tells Rubio Trump’s Demand for Increased European Defense Spending ‘Fair’

Mark Rutte had a phone conversation with Marco Rubio on Wednesday and told him that he looked forward to welcoming him to NATO and working together on Ukraine, Russia, and China.”

NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who is attending the Davos World Economic Forum, had a phone call with new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. Rubio took office after Donald Trump became the 47th US president on Jan. 20.

After the usual pleasantries to welcome Washington’s new representative into post, they are said to have discussed both the war in Ukraine and the need to increase European defense spending. Rutte said this should be accompanied by expanded transatlantic defense production in an effort to collectively strengthen the north Atlantic alliance.

World Briefing: January 23, 2025

World Briefing: January 23, 2025

The world in focus, as seen by Canadian leading global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw in a quick review of the biggest news in international media today.

The UK warned Russia yesterday that it would not shy away from “robust action” after a Russian spy ship was spotted in British waters for the second time since November. Defense Secretary John Healey told Parliament that the spy vessel, Yantar, had been tracked in the English Channel by a warship after loitering over critical undersea infrastructure. A Royal Navy submarine surfaced near the Yantar to warn that its every move had been monitored, he added. “Let me be clear: this is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure,” Healey told MPs. “My message to President Putin is clear: we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain. We will continue to call out malign activity that Putin directs, cracking down on the Russian shadow fleet.” - FT

Up to 10,000 troops could be sent to the US-Mexico border as part of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, an internal memo suggests. The US president has already ordered 1,500 troops to the border to install barriers - a military source says they won’t be involved in “law enforcement”

Russian Spy Ship Spotted Off British Coast – UK Defence Secretary

Russian Spy Ship Spotted Off British Coast – UK Defence Secretary

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the spy ship, known as Yantar, was chased off British waters in November before returning this week.

A Russian spy ship called Yantar was spotted off the British coast on Monday after a Royal Navy submarine chased off the same vessel in November, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

The Yantar belongs to the Russian Navy and was equipped with “devices designed for deep-sea surveillance, as well as equipment for connecting to top-secret communication cables,” according to a Russian article in 2017.

Ukraine Conducts Nationwide Raids Over Illegal Weapons Trade

Ukraine Conducts Nationwide Raids Over Illegal Weapons Trade

The statement said the ringleaders could face up to seven years in prison, adding that more details of the probe would be released later.

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies were conducting some 1,000 raids nationwide on Thursday to stop the illegal sale of weapons and ammunition, police said.

The proliferation of arms in the war-battered country since the Russian invasion in early 2022 has raised concerns about weapons smuggling both inside Ukraine and among its Western-backed allies.

Air Defense Hit or Miss? Smolensk Video Shows ‘Cure’ Can Be Worse Option

Air Defense Hit or Miss? Smolensk Video Shows ‘Cure’ Can Be Worse Option

Milbloggers were split on whether Tuesday’s images showed a Ukrainian attack drone being shot down above the city’s rooftops or had hit a building – the effect of either was likely to be bad.

As Kyiv Post reported, around 10 long-range kamikaze drones, part of a 50-plus mass Ukrainian drone attack on Russia overnight on Jan. 21, targeted the Smolensk Aviation Plant. As usual after such incidents, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses had shot down 22 over Bryansk region, 12 over Rostov, 6 near Voronezh, 4 in Saratov and 10 over the Smolensk region.

The Smolensk regional governor Vasily Anokhin claimed that all the drones had been shot down with falling drone debris causing only minor damage to residential buildings, fires on the ground and on roofs.

DTEK and Danish Vestas Team Up to Expand Massive Wind Power Plant

DTEK and Danish Vestas Team Up to Expand Massive Wind Power Plant

With a projected €450 million expansion, the Tylihulska wind farm in the Mykolaiv Region is poised to become the largest wind power plant in Eastern Europe.

DTEK Renewables is expanding the Tylihulska Wind Power Plant in the Mykolaiv region into a €450 million project ($468 million) alongside the Danish wind turbine producer Vestas. 

The company, working as a part of DTEK group under Ukraine’s richest man Rinat Akhmentov’s System Capital Management Holding (SCM), reached a financing agreement with lenders to purchase 64 wind turbines from Vestas, the DTEK press release said

Zelensky’s Address at Davos

Zelensky’s Address at Davos

Europe Needs to Compete for the Top Spot in Priorities, Alliances, and Technological Development – Speech by the President at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jan. 21, 2025.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I want to talk about the future of Europe with you – which basically means the future of most people here.

How AI Is Changing and Jeopardizing Narratives about Ukraine

How AI Is Changing and Jeopardizing Narratives about Ukraine

Ukraine has been exposed to the realities and risks of AI and it’s time to consider the implications. Without a concerted effort, Ukraine risks losing the battle for people’s hearts and minds.

“They were killed by Russia.” The collage, set against a black background, featured photos of six children – purportedly Ukrainian – and went viral across X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.

It struck a deep chord, hitting the nation’s most profound and devastating loss: the loss of its children, innocent victims of war.

Lukashenko: Belarus’s Unpredictable Autocrat and Putin Sidekick

Lukashenko: Belarus’s Unpredictable Autocrat and Putin Sidekick

He is running for an unprecedented seventh term in office this month, after violently crushing mass protests against vote rigging that erupted after a 2020 ballot.

Unpredictable, authoritarian and staunchly pro-Russian, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko casts himself as a plain-spoken strongman and “president of the ordinary people”.

Described in the West as “Europe’s last dictator”, the 70-year-old has led the eastern European country for almost all of its post-Soviet history, jailing hundreds of opponents throughout his more than 30-year rule.

Russian Strike Kills One, Injures 16 in Southern Ukraine

Russian Strike Kills One, Injures 16 in Southern Ukraine

The attack was the latest in an intensifying series of strikes on southern Ukraine as both Moscow and Kyiv vie for advantage in the early days of Donald Trump’s administration.

A Russian missile strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday killed one person and wounded 16, the regional governor said.

“Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia claimed one life. A 47-year-old man died,” regional governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.

Russian Soldier Kills His Own Commander in Occupied Zaporizhzhia, Partisans Say

Russian Soldier Kills His Own Commander in Occupied Zaporizhzhia, Partisans Say

Amid a spate of insubordination, Russian soldiers in the Zaporizhzhia region report constant torture, intimidation, and theft of salary cards by their commanders, according to the Atesh movement.

A Russian soldier reportedly shot and killed his commander in Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia region, according to a Telegram report from the partisan movement Atesh.

An Atesh agent embedded in the Russian Armed Forces reported the incident, which involved the 64th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade.

VIDEO: Wounded Russian Soldiers Beaten with Baton and Taser, Forced to Return to Front Line

VIDEO: Wounded Russian Soldiers Beaten with Baton and Taser, Forced to Return to Front Line

According to Z-channel reports, the soldiers targeted in the video were members of an assault unit recovering from injuries.

A serviceman in Russia’s Tuva has reportedly been detained after a video showed him assaulting wounded soldiers with a baton and a taser. The incident was at military unit No. 55115 in Kyzyl, home to the 55th Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, and has been confirmed by the Central Military District’s press service, RBC reported.

The footage, which was published on the pro-war “’Committee-Council of Soldiers’ Mothers of Russia’ Telegram channel on Jan.19, shows the attacker wearing a uniform with a “military police” patch.

ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 22, 2025

ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 22, 2025

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

  • The Kremlin has launched an information operation that seeks to create the false impression that the Russian economy is performing well despite numerous continued indicators of macroeconomic distress.
  • Russia continues long-term efforts to build out its manpower reserve with All-Russian Cossack Society organizations and create a willing and well-trained prioritized pool designed to buffer the Kremlin from potential blowback in the event of a possible future partial call up of Russian reservists.
  • North Korea will reportedly deploy new military personnel to Russia by mid-March 2025, likely to maintain the current pace and intensity of attritional, infantry-led assaults in Kursk Oblast.
  • These fresh North Korean forces are unlikely to decisively improve Russian operations and will likely face the same high casualty rates and complications operating with Russian forces as the current North Korean contingent, provided the Russian command continues to use North Korean forces the same way as it has thus far.
  • Russian milbloggers complained and expressed concern over recent claims that the Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS)-led interim government in Syria suspended Russian investment and financial involvement in the port of Tartus as Russia’s long-term military presence in Syria remains unclear.
  • A Russian state media outlet reported that Russia may resume direct gas deliveries to Transnistria despite recent discussions about sourcing non-Russian gas to the region.
  • Ukrainian forces recently recaptured lost positions near Toretsk.
  • Russian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.
  • Russia and Uzbekistan are deepening military cooperation.

‘Putin Is Destroying Russia by Not Making a Deal’ – Trump Threatens Tougher Measures if Moscow Won’t Accept His Terms

‘Putin Is Destroying Russia by Not Making a Deal’ – Trump Threatens Tougher Measures if Moscow Won’t Accept His Terms

“I’m going to do Russia, whose economy is failing, a very big favor,” the new US president posts to social media as he paves the way for negotiations with the Kremlin to put an end to war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday placed the ball in Moscow’s court as he prepares negotiations aimed at ending the almost three-year war in Ukraine.

On his own social media platform, Truth Social, the newly inaugurated president threatened even tougher sanctions on Russia’s embattled economy unless Moscow agreed to Washington’s as-yet unspecified proposals.

‘That’s Just Wrong’ – Zelensky Discusses Russian Energy Reliance and International Cooperation in Davos

‘That’s Just Wrong’ – Zelensky Discusses Russian Energy Reliance and International Cooperation in Davos

At the World Economic Forum, the president calls for energy independence from Moscow and discusses Trump’s proposed oil boost, encourages cooperation from non-European countries to help end the war.

On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed global financial leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, calling for an end to European reliance on Russian energy, remarking on US President Donald Trump’s plan to increase American oil exports, and encouraging more cooperation from around the world to weaken Russia’s war footing as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches the three-year mark.

With the notable exceptions of Slovakia, Hungary, and the breakaway Moldovan territory of Transnistria, European countries have signaled recently that they are willing and able to find other energy sources after the flow of Russian natural gas transiting through Ukraine came to a halt at the beginning of this year.

Russian Citizens Launch Campaign to Find Loved Ones Behind Front Lines

Russian Citizens Launch Campaign to Find Loved Ones Behind Front Lines

Tired of the Kremlin’s indifference and obfuscation, ordinary Russians launch initiative to rescue missing persons and other war-weary relatives in Kursk region.

Residents of Russia’s Kursk region have made coordinated social media posts appealing for help to find relatives trapped by a Ukrainian border offensive launched last August, Russian media reported Wednesday.

Kyiv seized dozens of small towns and villages in the incursion, more than two years into Russia’s full-scale military assault on Ukraine.