These are the important thing developments from day 1,423 of Russia’s struggle on Ukraine.
Revealed On 17 Jan 2026
Right here is the place issues stand on Saturday, January 17 :
Preventing
- Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian metropolis of Nikopol within the Dnipropetrovsk area, killing two girls and injuring six individuals, the top of the regional administration, Oleksandr Hanzha, wrote on Fb.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence mentioned that Russian forces seized 5 settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia area prior to now week, together with Zakotnoye and Zhovtnevoye prior to now 24 hours, Russia’s TASS state information company stories.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry acknowledged its forces attacked Ukrainian vitality infrastructure and army services seven occasions over the previous week, together with one operation described as a serious strike towards its neighbour.
- A Ukrainian drone strike killed a person in Russian-occupied Kherson, Moscow’s appointed official within the area, Volodymyr Saldo, mentioned, in accordance with TASS.
- Ukrainian assaults left 68,000 households with out electrical energy in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia area, TASS additionally reported, citing native Russian-appointed official, Yevhen Balitsky.
- Russia and Ukraine on Friday agreed to a localised ceasefire to permit repairs on the final remaining backup energy line on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant, the Worldwide Atomic Power Company mentioned.
- Work on the facility line, which was broken and disconnected on account of army exercise on January 2, ought to begin “within the coming days”, the United Nations nuclear watchdog mentioned in a press release.
- Russian Safety Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev mentioned that 422,704 individuals had signed contracts with the Russian Armed Forces final yr, state information companies reported. The variety of sign-ups is decrease than in 2024, when about 450,000 individuals signed contracts to hitch the Russian military.
Ukraine vitality disaster
- Youngsters throughout Ukraine danger hypothermia in freezing temperatures as emergency shares of energy turbines run low following Russian assaults on vitality infrastructure, worldwide help companies mentioned on Friday.
- Virtually the complete Ukrainian metropolis of Mariupol, which is presently occupied by Russian forces, was left with out electrical energy following an explosion, Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Middle for the Examine of Occupation, mentioned on the Telegram messaging app.
- Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned that 67 condominium buildings stay with out warmth in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, greater than every week after a Russian assault left 6,000 residences with out heating, as temperatures proceed to fall to -17 levels Celsius (1.4 Fahrenheit) in a single day.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko mentioned that “extreme climate circumstances and frost” are persevering with to complicate efforts to revive warmth and electrical energy following Russian assaults, in an replace shared on Fb.
- Svyrydenko mentioned that 17 electrical substations at the moment are being powered by turbines, as restore work continues and that 1,300 tents have been deployed within the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the place many households nonetheless stay with out heating.
- Curfew restrictions have been relaxed in locations the place the vitality emergency is ongoing, so that individuals can entry shelters with heating the place wanted, the prime minister mentioned.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, responding to Svyrydenko’s updates, mentioned that tens of 1000’s of persons are working to revive electrical energy and warmth throughout the nation.
- Zelenskyy additionally mentioned that he spoke with British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy and thanked him for the UK’s choice to supply an “vitality help bundle” for Ukraine.
- The UK introduced on Friday that it might present 20 million British kilos ($26.7m) “of latest help … for important vitality infrastructure repairs in Ukraine as Russia’s barbaric assaults on harmless civilians intensify”.
Peace talks
- A Ukrainian delegation is en path to the USA for talks with Washington on safety ensures and a post-war restoration bundle, Zelenskyy mentioned on Friday, expressing hope the paperwork might be signed on the sidelines of the World Financial Discussion board in Davos subsequent week.
- Through the talks, Kyiv’s group additionally hopes to get readability from the US on the Russian stance in the direction of US-backed diplomatic efforts to finish the almost four-year struggle, Zelenskyy informed a information convention in Kyiv alongside visiting Czech President Petr Pavel.
- The European Fee is contemplating methods to permit Ukraine’s fast accession to the European Union as a part of a peace cope with Russia, however with out giving Kyiv full membership rights, which might solely be “earned” after transition intervals, EU officers informed the Reuters information company.
Army help
- President Zelenskyy mentioned on Friday that allied provides of air defence programs and missiles had been inadequate and warned Russia was getting ready new large strikes. He mentioned it was essential that allied international locations heed Ukraine’s requests for added provides.
- The Czech Republic is about to supply Ukraine with fight planes shortly that may shoot down incoming drones, President Pavel informed Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday. Pavel didn’t give specifics, however two years in the past mentioned Czech-made subsonic L-159 fighter jets might be transferred to Ukraine.
Regional safety
- 5 males have been charged in Poland with collaborating in a Russian-run sabotage plot to ship explosive parcels to the UK, the US, Canada and different locations, and can face life sentences if convicted, prosecutors mentioned on Friday.
- The 4 Ukrainian residents and one Russian had been charged “with performing … on behalf of the intelligence providers of the Russian Federation”, the Polish Nationwide Prosecutor’s Workplace mentioned in a press release.
- Lithuanian prosecutors charged six international nationals accused of planning an arson assault in 2024 on an organization producing army tools for Ukraine, in a plot believed to have been ordered by Russia’s army intelligence company, the GRU.
- These charged embrace nationals of Spain, Colombia, Cuba, Russia and Belarus, in addition to a twin Spanish-Colombian citizen. The corporate manufactures cell radio-frequency evaluation stations for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Politics and diplomacy
- The Kremlin mentioned Friday it thought-about calls by some European states to renew dialogue with Russia as “constructive”, after French and Italian leaders referred to as for re-engagement with Moscow on Ukraine.
- Dialogue between the EU and Russia has been nearly frozen since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive on Ukraine in 2022, with the bloc imposing big sanctions and journey restrictions on Russia.
- A courtroom in Kyiv launched former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on bail on Friday pending a trial to find out whether or not she paid members of Ukraine’s parliament to sway their voting. The 65-year-old stalwart of Ukrainian politics, who has denied the fees and mentioned the case is politically motivated, served as prime minister twice after 2005.
