Thursday, January 2

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Kyiv on the morning of Jan. 1, 2025. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service)

Ukraine stops Russian gas transit via its territory. Ukraine has repeatedly warned that it would not extend the gas transit agreement when it expires at the end of 2024 because it did not want to finance Russia’s war.

’One of Moscow’s biggest defeats’ — Zelensky on stopping Russian gas transit via Ukraine. “Turning energy into a weapon and cynical energy blackmail of partners is what deprived Russia of its most attractive and geographically accessible market,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 1.

Russia has lost over 38,000 troops in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says. The Russian army has lost over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 1.

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Ukraine’s Navy says it destroyed over 37,000 Russian drones in 2024. Russia’s UAV losses included 35,670 destroyed FPV drones and 1,140 strike drones, the Navy said. Ukrainian units also eliminated 192 operational and tactical drones and another 164 Shahed-136/131 drones.

Ukraine becomes party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. “This means that it (Ukraine) is now a full-fledged state party to this international treaty and has all the rights and obligations assigned to state parties,” ICC spokesperson Fadi el-Abdallah told Ukrinform.

Putin orders Russian government, top bank to cooperate with China on AI tech. Putin told the government and state-owned Sberbank to “ensure further cooperation with the People’s Republic of China in technological research and development in the field of artificial intelligence.”

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Ukraine war latest: Russia attacks Kyiv on first day of 2025, killing 2, injuring 6

The National Bank of Ukraine said that one of its buildings in Kyiv’s Pechersk District had been damaged by falling debris. The central bank’s main building is located near the President’s Office on Bankova Street.

Photo: Ukraine’s Interior Ministry

Human cost of war

Russian drone attack kills 2, injures 6, damages central bank building in Kyiv. The Prosecutor General’s Office said on Telegram that the injured included two pregnant women.

Prominent scientists among victims of New Year’s Day drone attack in Kyiv. Married couple Ihor Zyma and Olesia Sokur both worked as scientists with the Institute for Biology and Medicine at the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. They were killed in a Russian drone strike on Jan. 1.

General Staff: Russia has lost 790,800 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. This number includes 1,250 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

International response

Moldova to import electricity from Romania, Ukraine as Russia halts gas supply. Russian Gazprom’s decision to halt gas supplies to Moldova resulted in a heating outage in the Russian-controlled region of Transnistria, prompting Chisinau to seek alternative sources of electricity

In other news

Poland assumes presidency of EU Council, calls security ‘top priority.’ “We will do everything to ensure that Europe’s security is a reality, not just an aspiration. I hope Poland will lead efforts that result in peace,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

Hungary loses out on about $1 billion in EU aid. The aid package was conditional on Hungary implementing reforms to bring the country into compliance with EU standards by the end of 2024. Budapest failed to meet the requirements, a European Commission spokesperson said.

Zelensky offers condolences after deadly New Orleans truck attack. “Our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and we wish a swift recovery to all those injured,” Zelensky said. “Ukraine stands with the American people and denounces violence.”

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleg Sukhov, Boldizsár Győri, Toma Istomina, Kateryna Hodunova, and Abbey Fenbert.

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