Here is the current state of affairs on Saturday, January 25:
Conflict
- The Defence Ministry of Russia declared that its troops had successfully entered the strategically important eastern Ukrainian town of Velyka Novosilka after a prolonged battle.
- Moscow reported intercepting 121 Ukrainian drones, including 37 in Russia’s Bryansk, 20 in Ryazan, and 17 in the Kursk and Saratov regions of the country.
- Ukraine’s military stated that Russian forces are encountering difficulties in outmaneuvering its troops in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, as Russia strives to sever supply lines to Ukrainian defenders in the town. This area has been a vital logistics center for Ukrainian forces in the region.
- An analysis by the Oryx Project revealed that Russia has lost 20,000 units of military equipment since February 2022, with 15,051 units directly destroyed in the conflict with Ukraine and 852 units damaged.
- The BBC and independent outlet Mediazona identified the names of 90,019 Russian soldiers who perished in Ukraine, adding 1,964 names to the list since the last update in mid-January.
- Ukraine is finalizing recruitment reforms that will require individuals aged between 18 and 25, currently exempt from mobilization, to join the military to strengthen the country’s fighting force.
- Ukrainian military officials argue that these reforms are necessary as the country is currently operating on recruitment systems inherited from the Soviet Union.
Political & Diplomatic Relations
- Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
- Putin stated that he has always maintained a “pragmatic and trusting” relationship with Trump and endorsed the view that he was the true winner of the 2020 US election.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Russian president of attempting to manipulate Trump to achieve an end to the war on Moscow’s terms.
Military Assistance
- The US suspended all foreign aid for 90 days in a comprehensive executive order that also halted development and military assistance to Ukraine, including billions of dollars in weapons.
- Sales of US military equipment to foreign governments increased by 29 percent in 2024 to a record $318.7bn, as countries sought to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and prepare for other conflicts.
Regional Developments
- Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in a central square in the Slovak capital to protest Prime Minister Robert Fico’s shifting policies towards Russia. Rallies were also held in 20 other cities and nearly reached the scale of protests in 2018 that led to Fico’s resignation.
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, granted clemency to 15 prisoners two days before an election that is expected to extend his more than 30-year reign.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened to block the renewal of EU sanctions against Russia.
Regional Security
- Denmark has agreed to discuss Arctic security with the US, despite a contentious call between Donald Trump and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in early January, during which the US President expressed interest in Greenland.
Economic Updates
- Trump reiterated his call for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reduce oil prices to weaken Russia’s financial resources and facilitate an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
- The leader of Moldova’s separatist Transdniestria region, facing gas and heating shortages, indicated that the country’s remaining gas reserves would be depleted within days after Gazprom of Russia ceased shipments.
