The defense forces delivered the most extensive strike on the military facilities of the occupiers, reaching distances between 200 and 1100 km deep within the Russian Federation. Targets were hit in the Bryansk, Saratov, Tula regions, and Tatarstan. Explosions were reported at chemical plants, oil refineries, and the Engels airbase warehouses.
“This operation exemplified coordination among intelligence, missile troops, rocket artillery, and drone systems. Drones successfully diverted the attention of Russian air defense, clearing the way for missiles that precisely struck key targets. Long-range UAVs followed the missile strikes by destroying substations and other critical infrastructure,” military sources reported.
Military personnel announced the transfer of specialists from the Air Force to units of other branches and types of the Armed Forces, including infantry. The command assured that the specialists in high demand would remain in their positions.
President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed to “clarify everything to the public” and not to reduce the number of specialists needed for aviation, air defense, and mobile fire groups.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv for talks with the Ukrainian government. His visit was not announced for security reasons.
He mentioned that all necessary preparations for a package of additional assistance to Ukraine worth 3 billion euros have already been made, but negotiations within the German government are still ongoing.
Currently, more than 100 brigades are on the battlefield, and each needs reinforcement with equipment before increasing the number of personnel. Many brigades “constantly have something under repair,” leading to ongoing shortages.
Newly elected US President Donald Trump stated that he intends to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin “very soon” after taking office on January 20.
Meanwhile, the candidate for the US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, expressed that he wants the war to end in a way that benefits Ukrainians. “We know who the aggressor is. We know who the good guys are,” he emphasized.
In Slovakia, the opposition will attempt to declare a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Robert Fico's government. Specifically, politicians are dissatisfied with his visit to Moscow and the shift in Slovakia's foreign policy orientation.
The leader of the strongest opposition movement “Progressive Slovakia,” Michal Šimečka, assessed that the entire opposition has managed to unite to recall Fico.
Ending the war in Ukraine can be achieved through negotiations, and for this, Kyiv and the next administration in Washington have leverage, according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They noted that reducing assistance and forcing a ceasefire would amount to capitulation.
They also mentioned that Putin is “increasingly” facing a “painful dilemma”: to continue suffering heavy losses, order mobilization, or negotiate with Ukraine to end the war.