Ukraine Daily summary - Monday, January 27 2025
Monday, January 27
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A vehicle of the Ukrainian White Angels police evacuation team rolls down a street in Pokrovsk on Jan. 25 as Russian troops advance close to the city. (Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine strikes drone storage facility in Russia's Oryol Oblast and destroys 200 Shaheds, General Staff reports. Ukrainian Air Force units and Defense Forces struck drone storage facilities in Russia's western Oryol Oblast on Jan. 26, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Facebook on Jan. 26.
Russia launched over 1,250 bombs, 750 drones at Ukraine during Trump's first week in office. Russia fired 1,250 aerial bombs, over 750 attack drones, and 20 missiles at Ukraine in the past week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan 26.
Zelensky appoints Ground Forces Commander as head of Khortytsia Group. President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, as the head of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group on Jan. 26.
Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.
Ukrainian troops avoid encirclement in Velyka Novosilka, military says. Ukrainian troops successfully withdrew from some areas to avoid being encircled but fighting is ongoing around the village, which lies around 15 kilometers east of the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Russia bombs itself with 'smart bomb,' Astra reports. The bomb, a UMPB-250, was found in a village in Belgorod Oblast, but there were no casualties or damage.
Explosions reported in Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk amid drone attack, apartment building damaged in Dnipro. Several explosions were heard overnight on Jan. 27 in the western Ukrainian cities of Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi as Russia launched a drone attack on Ukraine.
Curated Theft | An investigation into the largest museum heist in Europe since World War II
International response
Fiber-optic cable between Latvia and Sweden significantly damaged in Baltic Sea, investigation underway. An underwater fiber optic cable belonging to the Latvian State Radio and Television Broadcasting Center (LVRTC) was significantly damaged on Jan. 26, reportedly due to external impact, according to LVRTC representative Vineta Sprugaine.
Washington orders USAID to suspend projects and funding in Ukraine, Suspilne reports. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the largest official aid agencies in the world, has been told to stop projects in Ukraine following a 90-day foreign aid freeze imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian media Suspilne reported, citing sources in the agency.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strikes drone storage facility in Russia's Oryol Oblast, General Staff reports
Ukrainian Air Force units and Defense Forces struck drone storage facilities in Russia's western Oryol Oblast on Jan. 26, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Facebook on Jan. 26.
Photo: Andrew Roth/ The Washington Post via Getty Images
Potential encirclement in Velyka Novosilka prompts questions about last-ditch withdrawal strategy
Located east of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the vital road-junction village was once home to 5,000 people. It’s now facing a similar fate to other Donbas strongholds, where Ukraine's delayed withdrawals resulted in avoidable casualties.
Photo: Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images
Transfer of Air Force personnel to infantry continues despite scandal
The Ukrainian military command's plan to throw high-skilled Air Force personnel into the infantry was said to be halted when the practice gained nationwide attention, followed by a condemnation from the president.
Photo: Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP / Getty Images
How the Invictus Games help wounded veterans adapt to life after war
Nearly 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured and are unable to return to the front line. After coming back from the battlefield or captivity, they are often left to deal with their physical and mental trauma alone.
Photo: Invictus Games: Team Ukraine
Belarus elections
Lukashenko poised to secure 7th term in Belarus 'sham' election. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has reportedly secured 86.82% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by the country’s Central Election Commission.
Belarus releases American citizen amid controversial election. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified the U.S. citizen as Anastassia Nuhfer, who was detained in early December 2024.
Hungary blocks EU statement condemning Belarus election as undemocratic, RFE/RL reports. Without unanimous support from all 27 EU countries, EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas issued her own statement, declaring that the January 26 election in Belarus was "neither free nor fair."
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 Oleksiy Sorokin, Dominic Culverwell, Sonya Bandouil, and Olena Goncharova.
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program_**. Start supporting independent journalism today.**_
