January 2025
1 January
A drone attack in Kyiv killed two people and injured at least six others, and also damaged the main building of the National Bank of Ukraine. [1]
Ukrainian commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed that Russia has lost some 38,000 soldiers in Kursk, while 700 others were captured and over 1,000 pieces of equipment destroyed. [2]
2 January
One person was killed in a Russian airstrike on Stepnohirsk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. [3]
Geo-located footage confirmed Russia's control over the village of Vozdvyzhenka in Donetsk Oblast. [4]
A Ukrainian strike against Ivanovskoye in Kursk Oblast reportedly killed seven Russian servicemen. [5]
Ukrainian authorities announced an investigation following reports that hundreds of soldiers had defected from the 155th Mechanized Brigade during training in France. [6]
3 January
One person was killed in a Russian drone strike in Kyiv Oblast. [7] One person was killed in a missile attack on Chernihiv. [8]
Russian captain Konstantin Nagayko was critically wounded in an explosion in Ivanovo Oblast, Russia according to the HUR. He was a battery commander in the 112th Missile Brigade, 1st Tank Army of the Western Military District of Russia, the unit accused of killing 59 civilians in the 2023 Hroza missile attack in Kharkiv Oblast. [9]
A Ukrainian military observer said that Russian forces captured the village of Shevchenko , west of Stari Terny, and the Kurakhove Power Station. [10] Geo-located footage showed that Russian forces captured the town of Vovkove, south of Pokrovsk. [5]
4 January
A drone attack caused a two-hour suspension of operations at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg. [11] The drones attacked the seaport at Ust-Luga, damaging a window. Four drones were downed over Leningrad Oblast with "electronic warfare and firearms" according to the local governor. [12]
Alexander Martemyanov, a Russian freelance reporter, was killed by a Ukrainian drone while returning from reporting in Horlivka, Donetsk Oblast. Four other media workers were also injured according to RIA Novosti. [13] [14]
The Russian defense ministry claimed to have shot down eight US-made ATACMS missiles and 72 UAVs launched by Ukraine in Russian territory, with some drones being shot down in Leningrad and Kursk Oblasts. [15]
Russian forces claimed to have captured the town of Vodiane Druhe, east of Pokrovsk. [5]
The 155th Mechanized brigade was effectively disbanded, with remaining elements assigned to other brigades. [16]
5 January
Ukrainian forces launched a renewed offensive "in several directions" in Kursk Oblast. Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces repulsed attacks in two of these directions. The Russian Defense ministry said that at 09:00 Moscow Time, Ukrainian forces started attacking from their bases in Sudzha towards the villages of Berdin and Bolshoye Soldatskoye consisting of two tanks, one counter-obstacle vehicle, and 12 armoured fighting vehicles. [17] [18] Later Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces captured the towns of Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Martynovka, and Mikhaylovka. [19]
Geo-located footage showed that Russian forces likely captured the towns of Svyrydonivka and Tymofiivka near Pokrovsk and the town of Petropavlivka near Stari Terny. [19]
The HUR issued a report claiming that the Ukrainian Kraken Unit killed the chief of staff of the Storm Ossetia Battalion, Sergei Melnikov, and his driver using drones along the Vasylivka-Tokmak highway in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. [20] [21] [22]
Zelenskyy claimed 3,800 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded out of the original 12,000 sent to fight Ukrainian forces. [23]
6 January
One person was killed in a Russian drone strike on a bus in Kherson. [24]
Russian forces claimed to have taken Kurakhove. [25] [26] Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces took the village of Russkoye Porechnoye in Kursk Oblast. [27]
Ukraine claimed to have destroyed or damaged two Russian Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile systems and one OSA anti-aircraft vehicle using sea-launched aerial drones in occupied Kherson Oblast. [28]
The SBU said it had discovered a Russian plot to bomb a military installation in Kyiv Oblast by hiring a 16-year-old boy to deliver explosives, leading to the arrest of four suspects. [29]
7 January
Ukrainian forces conducted a "precision strike" on the headquarters of the Russian 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade in Belaya, Kursk Oblast. [30]
In Kursk Oblast, Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces recaptured the hamlets of Staraya Sorochina , Kositsa and Berdin, and the villages of Russkoye Porechnoye, Makhnovka and Novosotnitskii . [31]
8 January
Thirteen people were killed in a Russian airstrike on an industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia. [32]
Ukrainian forces attacked the Kristal oil depot in Engels, Saratov Oblast, [33] supplying fuel to the Engels-2 air base and Russian strategic bombers based there. [34] Approximately 800,000 tons of jet fuel was reportedly destroyed by the fire. [35]
Ukrainian special forces destroyed various Russian equipment in Donetsk Oblast with drones, including a Pole-21 Electronic Warfare System, which is used to disrupt GPS signals. [36] Ukrainian forces also claimed to have bombed a command post of the Russian 8th Combined Arms Army in Khartsyzk. [37]
Two paratroopers from the Ukrainian 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade reportedly captured 14 Russian soldiers after throwing grenades at their dugout. [38]
9 January
Ukrainian officials confirmed that Russian forces had established a bridgehead across the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast near Dvorichna. [39]
In Kursk Oblast, geo-located footage showed that Russian forces captured the hamlets of Alexandriya, Kursk Oblast and Leonidovo, Kursk Oblast . Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces captured the village of Pogrebki . [40]
At the Ramstein meeting, Norway pledged a military aid package of 2 billion euros for Ukraine over 2025. Canada pledged $330 million in military aid. While the US announced an aid package of $500 million. The UK announced it, and other allies, would send 30,000 fpv drones to Ukraine. Germany would deliver 6 IRIS-T launchers as well. [41] [42] [43]
Zelenskyy claimed North Korea lost 4,000 soldiers killed and wounded. [44]
10 January
Russian-installed authorities in Donetsk Oblast claimed that three people were killed in Ukrainian airstrikes in Donetsk city and Svitlodarsk. [45] The Ukrainian military claimed it had carried out a strike on a command post of the Russian 3rd Army Corps in Svitlodarsk. [46]
A Ukrainian drone and Neptune missile attack hit a Russian ammunition depot in the village of Chaltyr, Rostov Oblast, according to the HUR. Other drone attacks were reported in Leningrad Oblast, [47] with one strike causing a fire at an industrial area in Gatchina that burned 1,900 square meters. [48]
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said that the Polish-trained Ukrainian Legion had received 1,300 applications from Ukrainians living abroad wanting to join, including women. [49]
Russian forces claimed to have captured the villages of Baranivka, Donetsk Oblast , east of Pokrovsk and Yasenove, southwest of Pokrovsk. [50]
11 January
Russian officials claimed that three people were injured after a drone crashed into an apartment in Kotovsk, Tambov Oblast. [51]
Zelenskyy claimed that the first two North Korean soldiers had been captured in Kursk Oblast. [52]
Ukrainian drones attacked the Russian port of Novorossiysk, causing a massive fire. [53]
An oil-processing plant in Tatarstan, Russia was struck by Ukrainian drones, prompting evacuations. [54]
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi ordered the transfer of additional Ukrainian Air Force personnel to ground infantry units, reportedly numbering 5,000 soldiers. [55]
A Ukrainian military observer claimed that Russian forces took the village of Hryhorivka, north of Chasiv Yar. [50] Russian forces captured the village of Neskuchne, south of Velyka Novosilka. [50] [56]
12 January
Russian forces claimed to have taken the villages of Yantarne, ten kilometers southwest of Kurakhove, Kalynove, Kharkiv Oblast along the Oskil River, [57] and Zelene, Donetsk Oblast , south of Pokrovsk. [58]
Russian-installed authorities in Kherson Oblast claimed that one person was killed and three others were injured in Ukrainian drone strikes. [59]
A Russian source claimed that Russian forces crossed the international border into Sumy Oblast and advanced south of the village of Prokhody . [58]
13 January
Geo-located footage showed that Russian forces had captured the village of Pishchane, south of Pokrovsk, and severed two highways leading east (to Kostiantynivka) and west (to Mezhova) out of Pokrovsk. [60]
Russia accused Ukraine of using drones to inflict minor damage on infrastructure of the TurkStream gas pipeline near Gaikodzor, Krasnodar Krai. [61]
Ukraine received its first RCH 155 from Germany. [62]
South Korean intelligence claimed that 300 North Koreans had been killed and 2,700 wounded in Kursk Oblast. [63]
Lithuania announced 4,500 drones would be sent to Ukraine. [64]
Reuters, citing unnamed industry sources, reported that the Pokrovs'ke coal mine had halted production due to the approaching front line. The mine was Ukraine's sole coking coal-producing facility, from which 3.5 million tons of coke were produced in 2023. [65]
An unidentified North Korean surface to air missile system similar to the Russian Tor missile system was destroyed by a Russian drone in what appeared to be a friendly fire incident. [66]
14 January
Drones attacked the town of Aleksin in Tula Oblast. Ten explosions were heard. Other attacks occurred in Bryansk Oblast, Belgorod Oblast and Crimea. [67]
Ukrainian drones attacked the Kristal oil depot in Engels after a fire that burnt for five days was extinguished. However the regional governor said only that an "industrial facility" had been hit. [68]
Drones struck the Kazanorgsintez industrial facility in Kazan, Tatarstan, causing a fire. [69]
The Russian defense ministry claimed that Russian forces had captured Terny in Donetsk Oblast. [70]
Ukrainian drones struck a distillery in the village of Novaya Lyada, Tambov Oblast. Local officials claimed a drone hit a tree and exploded. [71]
15 January
Russia launched another missile attack on energy infrastructure across Ukraine, causing power grid shutdowns. [72] Two critical infrastructure facilities in Lviv Oblast were struck. [73]
Lukoil’s oil refinery in Volgograd caught fire. Local officials blamed the fire on “technical issues”. However locals reported an explosion before the fire and speculated "something fell onto the plant". [74]
Zelenskyy announced a prisoner exchange with Russia that resulted in the release of 25 Ukrainians for the same number of Russian POWs. [75] [76]
The Liskinskaya oil depot in Liski, Voronezh Oblast caught fire after a drone attack, according to Alexander Gusev, the local governor. [77]
A Russian air defense captain was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for the shooting-down of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter that was mistaken for a Ukrainian drone over Crimea in October 2023 that killed three people. [78]
16 January
Russian media said that drones targeted a gunpowder factory in Kuz'mino-Gat village, Tambov Oblast. Air defence was activated and locals reported “aircraft-type UAVs”. [79] The Ukrainian military claimed it launched a drone strike on the Liskinskaya oil depot in Voronezh Oblast [80] and destroyed radar equipment belonging to an S-400 air defense system in Belgorod Oblast. [81]
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine received a 155-mm DITA self-propelled artillery howitzer from the Czech Republic. [82]
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Kyiv and announced £4.5 billion (€5.34 billion) in aid, including 150 artillery barrels made in the UK and 15 additional Gravehawk air defence systems, which are ASRAAMs fitted to a SupaCat chassis. [83]
The United States declassified that it had provided substantial support for Ukraine's drone industry, beginning in late 2022 including $1.5 billion in support for drone production sent in September 2024. [84]
17 January
Four people were killed in a Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih. [85]
Russian forces captured the village of Vremivka, west of Velyka Novosilka, and were confirmed to have captured Yasenove, southwest by south (SWbS) of Pokrovsk. [86]
Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Lyudinovo, Kaluga Oblast, with falling debris causing a fire. [87]
According to the HUR, partisans burned down two communications towers in Krasnodar. [88]
18 January
A Russian missile strike on Kyiv damaged residential buildings, the Lukianivska metro station and the oldest McDonald’s outlet in Ukraine, killing three people. [89] [90]
Ukrainian forces confirmed their withdrawal from the Chasivoyarsk Refractory Plant in Chasiv Yar, adding that they launched an airstrike against Russian forces inside the facility. [91]
Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Uzlovaya, Tula Oblast, according to the HUR and the local governor. [92]
Geolocated footage showed that Russian forces had entered Velyka Novosilka from the east. [93]
The SBU arrested two people in Kyiv and Kharkiv on suspicion of leading a spy network for Russia. One of the suspects was an engineer of the Kyiv Metro. [94]
19 January
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing sanctions on 18 pro-Russian Ukrainian individuals, including politicians Yuriy Boyko, Nestor Shufrych, and Yevhen Murayev. [95]
The Ukrainian military launched an investigation into its 156th Mechanized Brigade following "a number of significant shortcomings" that were raised over its leadership and performance during inspections. [96]
Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi claimed that Russian forces had suffered 434,000 casualties, including 150,000 killed, in 2024, which he said was "more than the previous two years of the war combined". [97]
20 January
The Liskinskaya oil depot was struck by Ukrainian drones again. [98]
The Russian-installed governor of Kherson Oblast claimed that two people were killed in a Ukrainian cluster munitions attack on a school near Bekhtery . [99]
A drone attack was reported in Kazan, causing a fire in the Aviastroitelny district and the closure of Kazan International Airport and Begishevo Airport in Nizhnekamsk. [100]
Two Ukrainian generals and a colonel were detained by the State Bureau of Investigation for alleged negligence that led to Russia seizing territory in northern Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024. [101] The SBI also detained the commander of the 155th Mechanized Brigade for failing to report desertions from the unit and other violations. [102]
Geo-located footage showed that Russian forces captured the village of Kotlyne near Pokrovsk. [103]
21 January
Ukrainian drones struck the Smolensk Aviation Plant. Seven explosions were reported and air defence was activated according to locals. The Ukrainian military also claimed an attack on a command post of the Russian 29th Combined Arms Army in Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast. [104] [105]
Former television host Max Nazarov was arrested by Ukrainian authorities on suspicion of spreading pro-Russian propaganda on his YouTube channel. [106]
Geo-located footage showed that Russian forces captured the village of Nikolayevo-Darino in Kursk Oblast. Russian forces claimed to have captured the village of Zelenyi Hai in eastern Kharkiv Oblast. [107]
The SBU arrested the Ukrainian army's chief psychiatrist, identified by local media as Oleh Druz, on corruption charges linked to his involvement in a panel that determined “whether individuals were fit for military service.” Authorities found $152,000 (£124,000) and €34,000 in cash in his house as well as other assets valued at $1 million (£813,000). [108]
22 January
Russian forces captured the village of Novovasylivka in Donetsk Oblast. [109] Russian forces also claimed to have taken the village of Zapadne, four kilometers west of the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast. [110]
Russian authorities ordered the evacuation of residents from the border village of Terezovka in Belgorod Oblast amid Ukrainian attacks. [111]
The SBU arrested a lawyer from Dnipro on suspicion of aiding a Russian missile strike on the city in December 2023 that killed six people. [112]
23 January
One person was killed in a Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia. [113]
Authorities ordered the evacuation of children and their families from 16 settlements in the Kupiansk area amid Russian attacks that left one person dead. [114]
In Russia, a fire broke out at the Ryazan oil refinery during a drone strike, with ten drones reportedly shot down over the facility. [115]
North Korean forces began deploying MLRS disguised as civilian trucks in Kursk Oblast. [116]
The Russian defense ministry claimed that Russian forces captured the village of Solone, Donetsk Oblast , southwest of Pokrovsk. [117]
24 January
Three people were killed in Russian drone strikes on Kyiv Oblast. [118]
Ukraine launched 121 drones over thirteen regions in Russia, which the latter claimed to have destroyed, including six in Moscow Oblast and one over Moscow city. Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports were closed. A power station in Kursk and a power plant was destroyed in Ryazan, [119] while the Kremniy El microchip plant microchip factory in Bryansk Oblast was damaged. [120]
Ukrainian authorities ordered the mandatory evacuation of children from more than 20 settlements in the areas of Komar and Kryvorizhzhia in Donetsk Oblast due to Russian attacks. [121]
The remains of 757 Ukrainian soldiers killed in action were repatriated to Ukraine in exchange for the remains of 49 Russian soldiers. [122]
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a stop on all US foreign aid awards for 90 days, with the exception of Israel and Egypt. According to Politico it "appears to include funding for military assistance to Ukraine". [123]
Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov announced the non-renewal of the tenure of Maryna Bezrukova as head of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA), despite the DPA's board voting to extend her tenure, amid a dispute over the ministry's procurement of weapons. However, Bezrukova refused to leave her position, while Umerov also removed two members of the DPA board for supporting Bezrukova. [124]
25 January
The Russian-installed head of Kherson Oblast claimed that three people were killed in a Ukrainian cluster munitions attack on Oleshky. [125]
The SBU arrested a military cadet in Lviv Oblast on suspicion of spying for Russia. [126]
Russian forces claimed to have captured the village of Novoandriivka, south of Pokrovsk. [127]
26 January
Russian forces claimed to have taken Velyka Novosilka [128] and Nadiivka, south of Pokrovsk. [129]
The Ryazan oil refinery was struck again by drones, causing a fire. [130] Thirty-two Ukrainian drones struck 5 regions in Russia according to Russian officials. Russian air defences claimed to have downed all 32 over Belgorod, Kursk, Oryol and Tver oblasts. [131] The Ukrainian Air Force claimed more than 200 Shahed drones were destroyed in a drone attack on a warehouse in Oryol Oblast. [132]
Zelenskyy announced Brigadier-General Andriy Hnatov would be replaced by Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the commander of the Khortytsia operational-strategic group operating in the Eastern front. Drapatyi will remain as Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. [133] [134]
27 January
The EU renewed sanctions against Russia. [135] [136]
The Ryazan Oil Refinery ceased operations due to Ukrainian drone strikes, according to Reuters. [137]
North Korean soldiers withdrew from frontline positions in Kursk Oblast due to heavy losses, according to Ukrainian soldiers. [138]
Ukrainian forces claimed to have destroyed an S-400 missile system during a “precision strike” at an undisclosed date and location unknown. [139]
28 January
Two people were killed in a Russian missile attack on Mykolaiv. [140]
Debris from a Russian drone damaged 36 cars of a vintage car museum in Kyiv Oblast as well as residential buildings. [141]
Russia claimed to have taken Dvorichna in Kharkiv Oblast, located across the Oskil River. [142] The Ukrainian General Staff posted a map confirming Russia's control over Novoandriivka, Uspenivka and Slovianka on the Pokrovsk front. [143]
Two Ukrainians working with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) were detained by the SBU for spying on Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets. [144]
Dmytro Klymenkov was dismissed as Ukrainian deputy defense minister amid a dispute over the ministry's procurement of weapons. [145]
29 January
The Lukoil Kstovo Refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast was heavily damaged after a fire broke out during a wave of drone attacks that also targeted Smolensk, Tver, and Bryansk Oblasts. [146] No casualties were reported by Gleb Nikitin, governor of Nizhny Novgorod, however drone debris started a fire in an enterprise at the Kstovo industrial zone. [147] Russian officials also claimed that the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant was also targeted. [148] The governor of Belgorod Oblast claimed that two people were killed while two others were injured after a drone struck a house. Flights were also suspended at Kazan and Pulkovo airports. [149] The Russian defense ministry reported that two drones were shot down in Murmansk Oblast. [150]
The Moscow Times , citing multiple sources from Russia, Ukraine and other European countries, reported that Russian forces had taken Chasiv Yar. [151] Ukrainian military officials denied the claim. [152]
Ukrainian media reported that the HUR carried out a cyberattack on the Russian gas firm Gazprom and its subsidiary Gazprom Neft. [153]
Israel transferred some 90 Patriot missiles to the United States, which were then to be transferred along with supporting equipment to Ukraine. [154]
Bloomberg reported that Russian oil shipments through the port of Ust-Luga were suspended due to an overnight strike by Ukrainian drones. The SBU claimed the Andreapol oil pumping station was struck. The is part of the Baltic Pipeline System-II run by Transneft, a Russian state owned company. A fire and oil spill were reported. [155] Fixed-wing UAVs that dropped FAB-250 bombs were used in the attack, indicating the usage of reusable drones instead of a “kamikaze-type”. [156]
30 January
Nine people were killed in a Russian missile attack on Sumy. [157]
A Russian drone strike on an evacuation vehicle in Pokrovsk injured three people including a British volunteer. [158]
31 January
Seven people were injured and historic buildings (including the Bristol Hotel and the Philharmonic Theater) were damaged in a Russian missile attack on Odesa. [159]
The Ukrainian military claimed to have destroyed a Russian command post in Rylsk, Kursk Oblast in an airstrike. [160]
According to Russian locals an oil refinery in Volgograd was targeted by Ukrainian drones, causing a fire and an explosion. [161]
Sweden announced a military aid package worth 13.5 billion Swedish kronor ($1.23 billion) for Ukraine, the largest aid package thus far from Sweden. [162]
