New head of the Army Academy and sanctions against Shufrych and Boyko: key highlights from January 19.

Roman Kachur to Lead the Land Forces Academy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the future head of the National Academy of Land Forces named after Petro Sahaidachny will be Colonel Roman Kachur, the former commander of the 55th Separate Artillery Brigade.

Military personnel could select the new academy leader through the "Army+" app. Among the five candidates, Roman Kachur received the most votes.

It is worth noting that the previous head of the military university, Lieutenant General Pavlo Tkachuk, was dismissed amid a series of scandals at the academy.

Zelensky Imposes Sanctions on Shufrych and Murayev

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that enforces the National Security and Defense Council's decision on sanctions against propagandists and individuals who sided with Russia during the war.

The sanctions specifically target members of parliament from the banned Opposition Platform — For Life, Yuri Boyko and Nestor Shufrych; former deputy Yevhen Murayev; editor-in-chief of the sanctioned publication "Strana," Svitlana Kryukova, and others.

Additionally, Boyko has been stripped of the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Syrskyi Comments on the Transfer of Air Force Personnel to Infantry

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, explained the need to transfer some military personnel to infantry roles. He assured that this does not apply to highly qualified Air Force personnel.

On the other hand, the commander noted that there is a "need at the front" to "raise an adequate number of personnel in our mechanized brigades."

The General Staff is Reviewing the Formation Process of the 156th Brigade

By the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, a comprehensive group from the General Staff has begun work within the troops. Currently, it is conducting an inspection of the 156th Brigade.

The group is led by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Colonel Oleg Apostol. The General Staff states that the purpose of this group's work is to check the progress of the brigade's formation and provide assistance in organizing and preparing for combat operations.

NOC Responds to Kovtun's Decision

President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine Vadym Guttsait expressed disappointment over gymnast Ilya Kovtun's decision, who won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, along with his coach Irina Horbachova, to obtain sports citizenship from Croatia.

Guttsait assured that Ukraine is ready to improve conditions at the Olympic base in Koncha-Zaspa and is open to athletes training abroad. Therefore, in his opinion, it only requires a "desire to be Ukrainian."

Explosion at "Army FM" Radio Station

On the evening of January 19, an unidentified explosive device detonated at the "Army FM" radio station in Kyiv. As a result, a radio host was injured. The explosion affected a woman born in 1999, who was hospitalized.

Israel Announces Ceasefire

Israel has agreed to a ceasefire with the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Initially, the ceasefire was scheduled to begin today at 8:30 AM, but it was postponed due to Hamas's delay in providing the list of three hostages intended for release.

The Israeli army continued to strike the Gaza Strip until Hamas delivered the list.

TikTok Resumes Operations in the USA

The social platform TikTok was inactive in the USA for 12 hours on January 19. On January 17, the US Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok in the United States.

However, newly elected US President Donald Trump stated that he would postpone the TikTok ban but emphasized that he wants the social platform to be at least partially owned by American investors.

Subsequently, after this announcement, TikTok resumed its operations.

Pistorius: Despite the War, Ukraine is More Advanced than Some European Countries

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius believes that Ukraine is more advanced in certain areas than some other European countries.

He noted that almost all government benefits can be submitted digitally through an app. Additionally, Ukraine is "very innovative" in the defense sector, particularly in the development and production of drones, according to Pistorius.

Other Important News of the Day

• A high school teacher in the Rivne region assaulted a student. The mother has no complaints, but the police responded.
• A tourist died while skiing at the Dragobrat ski resort.
• The military ombudsman received almost 4,000 inquiries in the first 20 days of work since taking office.
• For the third consecutive year, Kyiv has not recorded a climatic winter, the Ministry of Environmental Protection reported.