Friday, January 12

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Flags bearing the names of fallen soldiers, including those of foreign soldiers who died defending Ukraine, are displayed at a makeshift memorial on Independence Square in Kyiv on Jan. 11, 2024.  (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Zelensky arrives in Latvia as last stop on Baltic tour. President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Latvian capital Riga in the afternoon of Jan. 11, the final stop on his tour of the Baltic nations.

Prosecutor General: Kyiv has preliminary evidence Russia uses North Korean missiles in Ukraine. “Regarding North Korea… we received the first evidence that the Russian military uses missiles manufactured in this country,” Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said on air on Suspilne.

Commander: Situation on eastern front difficult as Russia conducts offensives in 3 sectors. The situation on the eastern front remains difficult as Russian forces continue offensive operations in the Kupiansk, Lyman, and Bakhmut directions, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 11.

Defense Minister says new version of mobilization bill ready, condemns ‘politicization’ of issue. The Defense Ministry has prepared a new version of the draft law on mobilization and is ready to submit it to the government for approval, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Facebook on Jan. 11.

Defense Ministry approves second design of body armor for female soldiers. A second type of bulletproof vest specifically designed for women has been approved after undergoing testing, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 11.

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Police identify men suspected of running torture chamber in occupied Kharkiv Oblast. Two men suspected of having helped Russian forces torture over 500 people in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast have been identified, the National Police reported on Jan. 11.

Pentagon watchdog: US did not track all weapons sent to Ukraine. The report also said that the U.S. Defense Department had improved its monitoring capacities in Ukraine and reduced its “overall delinquency rate.”

Ukraine designates Subway as ‘international sponsor of war.’ American fast food chain Subway has been added to Ukraine’s list of “international sponsors of war” for its continued presence in the Russian market, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced on Jan. 10.

Official: Over 25 Ukrainian journalists remain in Russian captivity. “These are not combatants, these are journalists who were doing their job, and according to the civilized rules of warfare, should not have been captured in principle, but the fact is the fact. We understand how uncivilized Russia has trampled on any human rights,” said Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, the newly appointed head of the Ukrainian parliament’s Committee on Freedom of Speech.

Kuleba to meet Hungarian counterpart, discuss potential Zelensky-Orban meeting. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will meet Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Jan. 29 in Uzhhorod to prepare for the potential high-level meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, ATV reported on Jan. 11.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Latvia announces new aid for Kyiv

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics announced on Jan. 11 a new military aid package for Ukraine, including howitzers, drones, munitions. He said this during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky/X

Ukrainians pay tribute to fallen soldier and poet Maksym Kryvtsov (PHOTOS)

Despite the freezing temperature hundreds of Ukrainians gathered in central Kyiv on Jan. 11 to pay tribute to fallen Ukrainian serviceman and poet Maksym Kryvtsov, who was killed in combat at the age of 33.

Photo: Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images

Human cost of war

General Staff: Russia has lost 368,460 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. Russia has also reportedly lost 6,060 tanks, 11,254 armored fighting vehicles, 11,612 vehicles and fuel tanks, 8,710 artillery systems, 957 multiple launch rocket systems, 642 air defense systems, 329 airplanes, 324 helicopters, 6,836 drones, and 23 boats.

Russian shelling of Kherson injures woman. The attack reportedly took place at around 1:40 p.m. local time. The victim suffered injuries while in her house, which was damaged in the strike, the Kherson Oblast Prosecutor’s Office said.

Opinions and insights

Dominic Culverwell: Ukrainian businesses need foreign investment ASAP

“With future funding from allies now uncertain and the state budget deficit estimated at Hr 1.47 trillion ($44 billion) this year, Ukraine’s private sector must step in to keep the country afloat through tax contributions and employment while the government’s fiscal efforts focus primarily on the war,” Kyiv Independent Business Reporter Dominic Culverwell writes.

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance/Getty Images

Timothy Ash: Orban is plain wrong on Ukraine

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sought to blackball Ukraine’s bid to formally start EU accession talks last month, arguing that Ukraine was simply not ready. Ultimately, the other 26 EU member states decided to ignore Orban’s protestations and formally agreed to the start of accession talks with Ukraine. This was absolutely the right thing to do,” writes Timothy Ash, associate fellow at Chatham House.

Photo: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg/Getty Images

International response

Latvia announces new aid for Kyiv, including artillery, munitions, helicopters. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics announced on Jan. 11 a new military aid package for Ukraine, including howitzers, drones, munitions, and more. He said this during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Estonia pledges $1.3 billion in long-term support for Kyiv as Zelensky tours Baltics. Estonian President Alar Karis pledged to allocate 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for Kyiv until the year 2027, a major commitment from a country of 1.3 million people, after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Estonia as part of his Baltic trip.

FT: EU prepares concessions to Hungary over Ukraine funds. The Commission is open to giving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban an opportunity to stop the funding agreement in 2025 in exchange for his approval now, three officials close to the matter told FT.

Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria sign deal on Black Sea mine clearance. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, his Romanian counterpart Angel Tilvar and Bulgaria’s Deputy Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov agreed on establishing the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group in the Black Sea (MCM Black Sea).

World Bank’s IFC mobilizes almost $1 billion to aid Ukraine’s recovery. The funding is part of a $2-billion package earmarked for Ukraine and announced by the IFC in December 2023.

Finland extends closure of border with Russia for another month. Finland will extend the closure of all eight checkpoints along its border with Russia until at least Feb. 11, the Finnish news outlet YLE reported on Jan. 11, citing Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen.

US sanctions director of Russian military transport company. The U.S. has sanctioned Vladimir Mikheychik, who heads the Russian state-owned airline 224th Flight Unit, the Treasury Department announced on Jan. 11. The company belongs to the Russian Defense Ministry, and its services are frequently used by the Russian Presidential Administration.

In other news

Odesa Oblast’s military enlistment official suspected of illegal enrichment. An employee of a military enlistment office in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast, was charged with power abuse after allegedly taking bribes to help potential recruits avoid the draft, the State Bureau of Investigation wrote on Jan. 11.

Court seizes property of businessmen implicated in Defense Ministry corruption scandal. The Court seized the property of businessman Ihor Hrynkevych, who is under investigation for a corruption scheme involving Defense Ministry, RBC Ukraine reported on Jan. 11, citing its source in law enforcement.

Corruption prevention agency accuses PM Shmyhal of illegally exposing whistleblower, PM denies. Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention accused on Jan. 11 Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal of exposing the identity of a whistleblower who had reported wrongdoing of the head of the Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries. Shmyhal’s spokesperson denied the allegation.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Katya Denisova, Dinara Khalilova, Francis Farrell, Kateryna Hodunova, Lili Bivings, Martin Fornusek, Elsa Court, Teah Pelechaty, Abbey Fenbert, and Olena Goncharova.

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