Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,426

On Tuesday, January 20, 2018, this is how things are going.

Fighting

• According to reports of explosions in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, ballistic missile launches by Russia had been reported early on Tuesday morning.
• According to the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, who posted a message on the Telegram messaging app, Russia also shot Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, with missiles on Monday, seriously affecting a crucial infrastructure facility. The type of facility that was struck was not disclosed by Terekhov.
• In his weekly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described a new method of air defense that the country’s armed forces are using, involving small groups of interceptor drones.
• A Russian soldier is reportedly being executed by Ukraine’s SBU secret service in 2024, according to the Kyiv Independent media outlet.

military assistance

Peace talks

• Oleksandr Syrskii, the head of Ukraine’s top military, claimed that Moscow is not exhibiting any signs of interest in discussions involving a peace deal with Kyiv. Instead, he continued, citing a daily goal of 1,000 drones, which it is increasing.
• Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s security chief and top negotiator, said that Kyiv has engaged in “substantive” discussions on security and economic issues with Jared Kushner, son of US president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, as well as other diplomats. Further discussions are anticipated to take place at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week.
• Zelenskyy stated that his team of negotiators had held several rounds of negotiations in the US and that he hopes to sign documents with the US regarding post-war security guarantees for Ukraine this week.
• According to two sources with knowledge of the visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, will travel to Davos this week to meet with US delegation members on the World Economic Forum’s agenda.

Politics

• A rifle was discovered on his yacht after it docked in the port city of Sochi last June, and an American man was arrested in Russia for five years for illegally transporting weapons, a court announced. Charles Wayne Zimmerman, the man, was identified by the publication, who said he “admitted his guilt in full.” The sentence for the man was not specified, but it stated that an appeal had been turned down.

Energy

• In response to Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine’s energy sector, Polish pipeline operator Gaz-System announced in a statement that it will increase its capacity for gas transmission between February and April.