Saturday, January 20

Russia’s war against Ukraine

People sell vegetables and other goods next to a bomb shelter at a market in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, on Jan. 19 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)

NATO official warns of ‘all-out war’ with Russia within next 20 years. “We have to realize it’s not a given that we are in peace. And that’s why we [Nato forces] are preparing for a conflict with Russia,“ said Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee.

Zelensky invites Trump to Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky has extended an invitation to Donald Trump to visit Kyiv, with a specific condition attached: the former U.S. president must demonstrate his ability to bring an end to the war with Russia within 24 hours, as he once promised.

PM Shmyhal: Ukraine fulfills 3 of 4 EU’s additional recommendations. Ukraine has fulfilled three of the four additional recommendations presented by the European Commission in November 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Jan. 19.

Government allocates record $466 million to fortifications. Before the winter, authorities received some criticism for slow progress on fortifying defensive lines. A working group was established in November to coordinate fortification efforts.

General Staff: Ukraine downs 4 out of 7 Russian drones overnight. Russian forces launched seven Shahed-136/131 attack drones against Ukraine overnight on Jan. 19, four of which were shot down by Ukraine’s air defense, according to a morning update from the General Staff.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

IAEA chief: Previously removed mines at Zaporizhzhia power plant ‘back in place.’ The monitoring mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has discovered mines along the perimeter of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, in a buffer zone between the facility’s internal and external fences, Rafael Grossi, the agency’s director general, said in a statement on Jan. 19.

Authorities launch criminal investigation of threatening visit to journalist Nikolov. The Prosecutor General’s Office said that the case is investigated as obstructing journalistic work. The penalty for the crime ranges from a fine to four years in prison.

UK Defense Ministry: Russian Air Force more cautious after destroyed A-50 plane. This indicates that the A-50 aircraft, reportedly destroyed on Jan. 14, was downed by Ukrainian forces rather than suffering an incident, the ministry noted.

Read our exclusives

Investigation: Impostor posing as ex-president Poroshenko targets foreign fighters in Ukraine

The Kyiv Independent obtained and analyzed exclusive video that shows an apparent Russian state-aligned group targeting Ukraine’s International Legion in a disinformation campaign.

Illustration: Karolina Gulshani

Ukraine war latest: Government allocates record $466 million to military fortifications

Ukrainian government has allocated around Hr 17.5 billion ($466 million) for the construction of fortifications, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Jan. 19, calling it a “record amount.”

Photo: Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attack against Kherson kills 1 civilian, injures 1. A Russian attack against residential parts of Kherson on Jan. 19 killed a 50-year-old woman and injured a 16-year-old boy, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported.

Does Russia really want to negotiate peace? 

International response

Polish farmers to hold large protest against imports from Ukraine. Polish farmers opposed to imports of agricultural products from Ukraine plan to hold a major protest on Jan. 24 by blocking roads across the country, Rolnik Info reported on Jan. 19.

Politico: Democrats mull ‘protecting’ Republican House Speaker to secure Ukraine aid. Hoping to secure assistance with Kyiv after the Pentagon said that the current funds ran out, several Democratic lawmakers reportedly contemplate throwing their votes behind Johnson if more hardline members of his party attempt to oust him, as they did to his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy.

Estonia expels Russian head of church. The Estonian government did not extend the residence permit of Metropolitan Yevgeniy of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, forcing him to leave by Feb. 6, the ERR public broadcaster reported on Jan. 18.

Italy sentences ex-navy officer to 20 years over spying for Russia. Frigate captain Walter Biot was found guilty of espionage and bribery after being caught handing over secret data to a Russian embassy official in March 2021.

Baltic countries to build defenses on Russian, Belarusian borders. The agreement signed by the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania provides for defensive installations on their borders to deter and, if necessary, protect against military threats.

CNN: US aid slump unlikely to have major short-term impact, intelligence says. U.S. intelligence does not believe that a decrease in U.S. aid for Ukraine will have a major impact on the battlefield in the short term but will become a problem later once Russia regroups, CNN reported on Jan. 19, citing anonymous sources.

In other news

Ukraine is third largest agricultural supplier to EU. Ukraine remains among the top three suppliers of agricultural products to the EU, even though the exports dropped to an almost pre-invasion level in autumn 2023, the European Commission’s report said.

Court arrests investment banker Mazepa in connection to illegal land acquisition. He was taken into custody until Feb. 27 with an alternative of almost Hr 350 million ($9.1 million) bail, even though the prosecution insisted on bail in the amount of Hr 700 million ($18.2 million).

Court sanctions detention of final suspect in businessman Hrynkevych’s case. Although prosecutors did not name the fifth suspect by name, the State Bureau of Investigation indicated on Jan. 18 that the son of Ihor Hrynkevych, Roman, is the only suspect who has not yet been found and is declared wanted.

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Teah Pelechaty, Nate Ostiller, Vladyslav Kudryk, Katya Denisova, Martin Fornusek, Brad LaFoy, and Olena Goncharova.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.