On day 1061, Russia launched over 60 drones over Ukraine, and the air defense destroyed most of them in nine regions.
The Russian missile attack on Kyiv at the beginning of January 18 damaged the building of the oldest McDonald’s in Ukraine, opened in 1997. Employees managed to take refuge in time in a shelter, thanks to safety protocols.
A 43-year-old woman and two men aged 25 and 43 were killed, and three people were injured in an attack on a neighborhood in Kyiv.
Furthermore, Ukrainian forces launched an air attack on a factory in Ceasiv Iar, in the Donetsk region, confirming that this unit has come under Russian army control. According to the source mentioned, Ukrainian forces control about 30% of the Ceasiv Iar area.
On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that Russian forces have taken control of two new settlements in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, continuing their constant advance. The Ukrainian army has not confirmed the loss of the two localities, but reported intense fighting near the key city of Pokrovsk.
Meanwhile, the Russians are redistributing their troops from the Kurahove sector and deploying additional forces to strengthen their offensive against Pokrovsk, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
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Basic military training for students enrolled in higher education institutions in Ukraine will begin in September. Students who fail the military training exam or refuse to take the oath will not be able to continue their higher education, said the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense.
Moscow has criticized the new 100-year partnership agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom and rejects any cooperation between the two nations in the Sea of Azov, which it considers "an inland sea."
Frontline Situation
- Downed Drones - Russia launched 61 drones over Ukraine during the night, and the air defense destroyed 43 targets in nine regions. 15 drones disappeared from radar, and one remained in Ukrainian airspace, as announced by the Air Forces.
- Man Injured by Mine - A man was critically injured in the morning after stepping on a mine at a bus station in Kherson, as announced by the military administration of the southern Ukrainian city cited by Ukrainska Pravda. The 59-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition after the explosion severed one of his legs.
- Russians Hit Oldest McDonald's - Saturday's rocket attack by the Russians on Kyiv damaged the building of the oldest McDonald's in Ukraine, opened in 1997 in the Shevchenkivskyi district, reports The Kyiv Independent. Employees managed to take refuge in time in an anti-aircraft shelter, thanks to safety protocols. The restaurant is now closed, but McDonald's Ukraine has started repairing the damages. A 43-year-old woman and two men aged 25 and 43 were killed, and three people were injured in Saturday's attack on the neighborhood in Kyiv.
- Ukrainians Lose Ground in Ceasiv Iar - Ukrainian forces launched an air attack on a factory in Ceasiv Iar, in the Donetsk region, confirming that this unit has come under Russian army control, said a representative of a unit fighting in this sector, quoted by Ukrainska Pravda. The factory's terrain provided an optimal defense point for Ukrainian forces. The loss of the factory forced soldiers to withdraw to residential areas devastated by attacks. According to the source mentioned, Ukrainian forces control about 30% of the Ceasiv Iar area.
- Russians Capture Two Villages - The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that Russian forces have taken control of two new settlements in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, continuing their constant advance, Reuters reports. According to the ministry's statement, Russian forces now control Petropavlivka, a village located between the cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, areas that have been focal points in recent battles. Additionally, the capture of the village of Vremivka, further south in the Donetsk region, was reported. The Russian Ministry stated that it used high-precision weapons to strike Ukrainian military facilities in response to a Ukrainian attack on the Belgorod region in southern Russia, carried out with ATACMS missiles supplied by the United States.
- Ukrainians Deny - Ukrainian army statements do not mention the loss of the two settlements, but refer to intense fighting near the key city of Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian blog DeepState, which monitors positions controlled by both sides based on open-source materials, has placed both Petropavlivka and Vremivka under Russian control. However, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian forces group Hortiția, Viktor Trehubov, has once again denied any Russian advance in Pokrovsk. "There is no development in Pokrovsk, the situation is stable. The enemy is not present there," he said on national television.
- Intense Fighting in Pokrovsk - The Ukrainian army's General Staff reported in an evening statement that Russian forces launched 84 attacks to breach Ukrainian defenses in the Pokrovsk sector. There were 14 intense battles in the area. The report lists several villages in the sector that were attacked by Russian forces, including three that the Russian army claimed to have captured in the last week and one taken last month.
- Russian Troop Movements - The Russians are redistributing their troops, especially those in the Kurakhove sector, and deploying additional forces to strengthen their offensive against Pokrovsk, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). The Russian military command's decision to create an attack group composed of these units indicates that Russian troops may modify tactical tasks on the Pokrovsk front, creating conditions for using more favorable routes to advance closer to the immediate flanks of Pokrovsk, estimate American analysts. However, they add, the pace of such an advance will likely remain slow, as Russian forces have not yet demonstrated the ability to perform the rapid mechanized maneuver necessary to break through Ukrainian defense lines and quickly encircle Pokrovsk, the report mentions.
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Events in Russia
- Moscow Condemns 100-Year Partnership - Russia has criticized the new 100-year partnership agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom and rejects any cooperation between the two nations in the Sea of Azov, reports The Kyiv Independent. The spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, stated on Saturday that such claims regarding the Azov region are a "serious interference" in Russia's affairs, asserting that they will face strong resistance. Russia considers the Sea of Azov part of its territory, citing its proximity to its borders, as well as to areas in southern Ukraine under Russian occupation and Crimea. Zakharova said that the agreement is meaningless from Russia's perspective, calling it a "PR campaign" by Kyiv. She added that Moscow considers the Sea of Azov "an inland sea."
- Petroleum Sales Decline - Russia's maritime exports of petroleum products dropped by nearly 10% in 2024, as drone attacks in Ukraine damaged key refineries, and rising financing costs and the government's ban on gasoline exports added pressure, amid Western sanctions, industry sources told Reuters. Russia's total exports of petroleum products, including diesel, gasoline, and aviation kerosene, reached 113.7 million tons in 2024, a 9.1% decrease from 2023, said two market sources to Reuters, citing export data. Overall oil processing in Russia dropped to around 267 million tons (5.4 million barrels per day) in 2024, the lowest level since 2012.
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Other Relevant Information
- Mandatory military training for students - Students who fail the military training exam or refuse the oath will not be able to continue their higher education, said the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense, Serhii Melnyk, quoted by Kyiv Independent. Melnyk's statement comes after the Ministry of Defense announced on Friday that basic military training for students enrolled in higher education institutions will begin in September. "I would like to emphasize that (basic military training) is mandatory for everyone. And if students do not pass the exam for any reason or pass it unsatisfactorily or if they refuse to take the military oath, they will no longer be able to study in higher education institutions in the future," Melnyk specified. Volodymyr Zelensky approved an updated version of the law on military service in Ukraine, which provides for systematic basic military training for students. The course will consist of 90 academic hours of theoretical study and 210 academic hours of practical training. The theoretical part is mandatory for both men and women, aged between 18 and 25. The practical course is mandatory only for men. After completing the training course, students will take the military oath, receive a certificate, and obtain a military specialization.