As of 9th January following is the situation:
Fighting:
1. Amidst the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict, four casualties and at least 45 injuries were reported, underscoring the intensification of Russia’s drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. Notably, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, Kryvyi Rih, witnessed a fatality due to missile strikes on a shopping center and residential structures, with an additional two casualties in a separate missile attack on Khmelnytsky in the western region. Furthermore, one person lost their life in northeastern Kharkiv following a series of missile strikes.2. Governor Oleksandr Prokudin of the Kherson region disclosed that Russian forces executed 131 artillery attacks on the southern region, resulting in two fatalities and five injuries.
3. Ukraine’s military responded to the onslaught, reporting that Russia had deployed a significant number of ballistic missiles. Of the 51 launched, 18 were successfully intercepted, showcasing the efficacy of Ukrainian air defenses. Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat highlighted the destruction of all eight drones and the occasional misalignment of Russian missiles with their intended targets.
4. The Russian Defence Ministry, in its daily briefing, acknowledged the utilization of sea and air-launched long-range missiles, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, targeting what they referred to as “facilities of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex.”
5. Belgorod regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov revealed that 300 individuals were evacuated from Russia’s Belgorod due to Ukrainian attacks. The Russian Defence Ministry reported the destruction of 10 Ukrainian rockets over the region, along with two drones over the border region of Bryansk.
6. Ukrainian military authorities disclosed that Russian forces encountered setbacks in various areas along the front line, notably in Lyman (Kharkiv region), Donetsk, and Zaporizhia, where their attempts to advance proved unsuccessful.
7. In an unusual incident, Leonid Pasechnik, the Moscow-appointed head of Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk region, reported an accidental release of a bomb, an FAB-250 with a high-explosive warhead, by a Russian warplane over the occupied Ukrainian town of Rubizhne. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Politics and diplomacy
1. Ukrainian legislator Yehor Chernev, the deputy chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defence, and Intelligence, has affirmed that the contentious draft legislation pertaining to military mobilization will not entail the conscription of women or the implementation of a lottery system. Emphasizing a commitment to constitutional principles, Chernev declared the exclusion of any unconstitutional provisions in the proposed legislation during an interview with Ukraine’s public broadcaster.
2. In his annual address to diplomats, Pope Francis addressed the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, asserting that the indiscriminate targeting of civilians constitutes a war crime, as it violates international humanitarian law. The Pope’s statement underscores the imperative to adhere to established legal frameworks in armed conflicts, emphasizing the protection of civilian populations from unwarranted harm.
Weapons
1. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called upon European Union member states to enhance their military support for Ukraine, emphasizing that the majority of countries have not sufficiently supplied the necessary weaponry for Ukraine to effectively counter the Russian invasion.
2. White House officials from the United States engaged in discussions with approximately twelve executives representing technology and defense industries. This initiative aims to bolster Ukraine’s access to state-of-the-art equipment from the United States. Companies such as Palantir Technologies and Skydio participated in these deliberations, which specifically centered around topics like drones and demining efforts.
