Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events – day 1,065

Here is the situation on Friday, January 24:

Fighting

• At least three people were killed and dozens were hurt in Russian aerial assaults in eastern and central Ukraine. A 53-year-old man was killed in the Kostiantynivka neighborhood, and a 54-year-old man was killed in the region’s northeastern Kharkiv.
• The mayor of Russia’s Ryazan region, Sergei Sobyanin, said air defence units intercepted three Ukrainian drones headed for Russia’s capital Moscow. Specialist emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene with no reports of damage or casualties.
• Around 267 children and their families were threatened by advancing Russian forces in 16 settlements along the front line in the east of Ukraine.
• Six unarmed soldiers that were taken by its forces were accused of being killed by Russia. Dmytro Lubinets, the human rights ombudsman for Ukraine, claimed video showed that “the occupiers recorded their own crime” and that Kyiv is informing international organizations about the war crime.
• Kyiv’s air force said it shot down 57 of 92 drones that Russia launched in attacks overnight. Additionally, the air force claimed that 27 of the drones were “electronically lost” and unaffected.
• Moscow’s Ministry of Defence said Russian forces destroyed 49 Ukrainian drones over a three-hour period in the evening. Additionally, it stated that 37 drones had been seized in the Kursk area.
• More than 51 people were hurt in the Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday night, according to Ukraine. A 47-year-old man was killed in the attack, as were thousands of others who were without power and heat.

• To stop the sale of weapons and ammunition without authorization, Ukraine’s police reported conducting around 1, 000 raids nationwide and making two dozen arrests. The law enforcement agency stated that their main objective is to “shut down sales and storage channels,” adding that they also wanted to seize trophy weapons, ammunition, and explosives from illicit trafficking.
• According to Russian media, the Moscow-based Defense Ministry claimed that their forces had taken control of the eastern Ukrainian village Solone. The village is about 12km (7.4 miles) from Pokrovsk, a key supply hub for Kyiv’s forces.

Politics &amp, Diplomacy

• Vladimir Putin and President Trump of Russia have a meeting in the US, according to Donald Trump, who also stated to reporters that Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine is prepared to reach a ceasefire agreement.
• Alexander De Croo, the prime minister of Belgium, stated to a panel in Davos that the Russian economy could continue to support its conflict with Kyiv for at least another year following a study by the European Union. De Croo added that it was crucial that fertilizers, energy, and gas be included in the 16th package of sanctions against Moscow.
• At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned NATO to make it clear that Russia has no right to veto a vote on who joins the alliance and that Ukraine would one day join the organization if there was lasting peace.

• US presidential envoy, Richard Grenell, hit back at Rutte’s remarks and said NATO allies must pay their “fair share” on defence before expanding the alliance. If the NATO secretary-general talks about enlisting Ukraine, he said, “you’re going to run into a big buzzsaw in America.”
• Rutte reiterated the need to increase support for Ukraine at the forum, noting that the “front line is moving in the wrong direction.” Rutte also stated that it was crucial that Russia do not win the war with Ukraine.
• Rutte also warned that a Russian victory over Kyiv would significantly weaken NATO’s position as the world’s largest military alliance, resulting in trillions of dollars’ worth of credibility restoration.
• Rutte also called on the US to continue supplying Kyiv with weapons, otherwise, “the bill will be paid by Europeans”. His comments came in response to Trump’s assertion that the EU should support Ukraine more.

• Kremlin Spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, responded to Trump’s earlier threats of additional sanctions if Putin fails to negotiate a ceasefire deal with Ukraine soon, saying there was nothing new about Trump’s remarks.
• Peskov also responded to a report from Reuters that claimed Putin had become more concerned about economic distortions in Moscow during the war. Despite some troubling factors, Poskov claimed that the nation’s economy is stable and continues to grow at a relatively high rate.

Regional security

• To safeguard a crucial logistical hub that provides military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Germany sent two Patriot air defense units to Poland. “This is to protect Poland and its airspace”, Germany said.
• Kyiv’s government announced they are in “the very early stages” of talks with partners on possible foreign military contingents. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is reportedly saying that it is too soon to discuss specific numbers.
• One day after London accused a “Russian spy ship” of passing through UK waters and warned of retaliation, Russia denied the allegations.