• Ukrainian drones attack an oil depot in St. Petersburg.
• Zelensky hears from Macron, the French president, in Kiev in February.
• NATO, maxi exercise with 90,000 soldiers to discourage Moscow.
12:20 a.m. – The IAEA: “Mines laid again around the Zaporizhzhia power plant”
The Russian-owned Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine is once again surrounded by mines. This was reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “Mines along the edge of the ZNPP (Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant) … have been repositioned on site,” the UN agency said in a statement. The devices, previously identified by the agency's experts in the area, were removed in November but have now returned, a fact that is “incompatible with IAEA safety standards,” the statement added. The mines are reportedly located in “a restricted area inaccessible to plant operating personnel,” in a buffer zone between the plant’s internal and external fences. The IAEA added that its experts were not granted access to several reactor rooms and some other areas of the plant. “Such access is necessary to monitor nuclear safety and security,” the statement said. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has repeatedly warned of “ongoing nuclear safety risks at the site.” The power plant was repeatedly rocked by bombings and drone strikes in its surrounding area during the conflict and remained repeatedly isolated from the power grid, raising fears of a possible major nuclear accident.
10:49 p.m. – Zelensky: “Russia is crazy, other wars are possible on the horizon”
“The current madness of Russian leaders brings with it a time of uncertainty and danger for every nation in the world. The world increasingly senses and recognizes that more wars may be on the horizon. But we have the strength to stop it.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his daily speech. “We have the strength to defend normal life.” The world has this strength. And this force must act now to stop Russia. I am grateful to everyone who helps. I am grateful to everyone who defends Ukraine, who works for Ukraine and remembers that the greatest challenge is to give our country every opportunity to drive out the occupiers. “We will definitely do it,” he concluded.
8:31 p.m. – Tajani: “Ukraine must be defended to avoid further threats from Russia”
“I hope it doesn't happen, I hope it's just political threats of electoral propaganda for the presidential election, but the best way to avoid this risk is to defend Ukraine.” If we prevent the invasion of Ukraine, let's prevent Putin from pursuing other goals. That is why we are helping Ukraine in every way.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said this on Tg1 in response to a question about the risk of Russia opening another front in the north towards the Baltics, which has now strengthened its defense capabilities.
7:54 p.m. – The three Baltic states announce a common defense zone
(by Lorenzo Cremonesi) If you do it yourself, you do it for three: The new doctrine of the common defense of the three Baltic states against the Russian threat is based on the principle of taking risks without transferring them to others and of direct action. “Today we decided to sign the agreement to create a Baltic defense zone on the borders with Russia and Belarus,” Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced together with his Estonian colleague yesterday after two days of talks in Riga. You have Pevkur, and to that of Lithuania, Arvydas Anusauskas. An agreement that, however, relies on the solid help of the NATO contingents present throughout the region, but above all wants to signal to the world the determination to defend itself against the imperial goals of the Putin regime in any case.
7.50 p.m. – Kiev provides 427 million euros for the construction of fortifications
The Ukrainian government has allocated a total of over 427 million euros for the construction of technical and engineering structures and fortifications to strengthen the country's defense capabilities amid the Russian invasion. “We are continually strengthening our security. “Today we allocated a record amount for the construction of defense lines,” announced Prime Minister Denis Schmigal.
7.35 p.m. – Estonia: “The EU will supply Ukraine with the promised bullets”
“The European Union must keep its promise and provide Ukraine with a million bullets.” I am convinced that we will succeed if we use our reserves and provide money for new contracts.” This was said by the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas , at the end of the meeting held today in Tallinn with the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton. Kallas emphasized that Ukraine urgently needs military assistance and that European assistance is a necessary prerequisite for Ukraine to end the war with Russia victoriously. The Estonian Prime Minister also stated that she supports the creation of a 20 billion aid fund for Ukraine within the framework of the European Peace Facility.
Kallas also highlighted the need for greater European investment in the defense sector. “I hope that the future defense industry strategy will increase Europe's production capacity and ensure a rapid increase in production in times of crisis,” she said. “The investments of all EU member states in the defense industry must be sufficient to ensure European security and help Ukraine win the war.”
6.45 p.m. – Macron: “Our duty is to make Russia’s victory impossible”
“Our duty is to make Russian victory impossible,” said French President Emmanuel Macron during the traditional ceremony of congratulating the armed forces for the New Year. “A Russian victory,” Macron added, “will mean the end of European security.” We will continue to help the Ukrainians in a pragmatic and comprehensive way,” noting that Paris will continue to take care of “training,” in particular by providing equipment “in all essential sectors: artillery, surface-to-air defense and long-range weapons.” Distance attacks”.
5:32 p.m. – GPS failure in Poland and Scandinavia, suspected Russian electronic warfare
On Thursday evening, January 18, a widespread loss of GPS signals was recorded in Poland and Scandinavia, from Warsaw to Kaliningrad (a Russian enclave in the Baltics) – along the Suwalki Corridor. This was announced by the Polish website Radio Zet. Military intelligence fears that it was an electronic warfare exercise by Moscow and the services are investigating the case. According to a transmission map created by gpsjam.org, cities whose GPS systems failed include Łódź, Tricity and Olsztyn. There would have been the highest signal interference directly over Kaliningrad. Today the German Defense Minister stated that Putin could attack a NATO country in the next 5 to 8 years (see block at 3:34 p.m.) and one sector that could be under attack could be the communications sector.
4:01 p.m. – Baltics: “We will build defense systems on the borders with Russia”
The three Baltic states have agreed to equip their borders with Russia and Belarus with “defense facilities” to counter possible military threats related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Estonian Defense Ministry said. The defense ministers of the Baltic states have signed an agreement according to which “Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will build anti-mobility defense structures in the coming years to deter and, if necessary, counter military threats,” according to press reports released.
3:34 p.m. – Berlin: “Putin could attack a NATO country in 5-8 years”
“We have recently been hearing threats from the Kremlin against our friends in the Baltics almost every day” and “we must therefore expect that Vladimir Putin could one day even attack a NATO country.” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said this in an interview with the Tagesspiegel, which the dpa reported on. “Our experts assume a period of five to eight years” until “that could be possible,” explains Pistorius, according to which a Russian attack is not likely today. The Federal Minister also reiterates the need to make the Bundeswehr “war-ready” and explains that he wants to raise awareness and “wake up” German society in this regard.
2:25 p.m. – Von der Leyen: “Intensive work with Budapest to approve the funds”
“We are working intensively with the Hungarian government to find a 27 billion solution to allocate the 50 billion for Ukraine over the next four years. It is our priority. But of course we prepare alternative solutions if this is not possible, but in general the EU is based on dialogue and on finding solutions together and with all Member States.” This was stated by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at a Press conference in Stockholm with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson; and from Finland, Petteri Orpo.
“The treaties are very clear on situations of internal tension” and refer to EU decisions. “We are working intensively with the Hungarian government to find a 27-party solution to provide the 50 billion for Ukraine over the next four years.” That is our main priority. But of course we are preparing alternative solutions if this is not possible,” added von der Leyen.
1:42 p.m. – Ft, possible major offensive by Moscow in Ukraine in 2024
Russia could plan a major offensive on the front in Ukraine in the summer of 2024. This is what the Financial Times claims in an article cited by Rnc-Ukraine. The article, which refers to Ukrainian security forces, says that the goal of the offensive could be the complete occupation of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In addition, according to the authorities, another attempt to occupy Kharkiv or Kiev is not ruled out.
1.30pm – GB, Moscow deploys another A-50 radar detection aircraft
Russia has deployed another A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft to replace the one shot down by Ukrainian forces on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov this week, Britain's Defense Ministry wrote in its intelligence update. However, this time the A-50 will operate further from Ukraine's borders: “on Russian territory, near the Krasnodar region, further east of Ukraine,” says the report published on X.
Moscow's decision, the London experts comment, “most likely indicates a reduced willingness to take risks and an attempt to preserve the remaining A-50s at the expense of their overall effectiveness against Ukraine.” Although Moscow has not made an official statement on the loss of the A-50 “This decision “likely represents Russia's tacit recognition of a successful Ukrainian operation against a high-value aircraft,” the report concludes.
1:08 p.m. – “28 years in prison requested for Daria Trepova, accused of killing blogger Tatarsky”
Prosecutors are seeking a 28-year prison sentence for Daria Trepova, the young Russian woman accused of killing pro-Kremlin blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a St. Petersburg cafe last April by presenting him with a statuette filled with explosives Presentation of a book. The explosion occurred while Trepova herself sat quietly a few meters away from Tatarsky (née Maxim Fomin), who was addressing the audience. According to the prosecution, the 27-year-old woman handed over the statuette on the orders of her trainers in Ukraine, but the defense claims she did not know there was an explosive inside and was convinced it was hidden instead System for spying on conversations. About thirty people were also injured in the attack.
According to Russian authorities, Kiev's secret services organized Tatarsky's assassination, a version also confirmed in a Washington Post investigation. The Ukrainian services did not comment on these revelations.
1:05 p.m. – Russian Governor: 4 oil depots in Bryansk are burning
Four oil tanks are on fire in the Bryansk region of Russia following an attack by a Ukrainian drone. This was announced by Governor Alexander Bogomaz, adding that 140 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the flames. The attack occurred in the town of Klintsy. Bogomaz said that a Ukrainian drone intercepted by defense electronic warfare equipment dropped the equipment it was carrying at the depot before it was destroyed. The governor added that two more Ukrainian drones were intercepted this morning over the Bryansk region, in Pogarsky and Unechsky districts, without causing any damage or casualties.
1:01 p.m. – Kiev claims second attack on Russian oil reserves
12.42 p.m. – This is how the US combat vehicle destroys the latest generation Russian tank
In Ukraine, an American Bradley fighting vehicle destroys a T-90M, a state-of-the-art Russian tank. The stunning video released by Kiev's 47th Mechanized Brigade shows the US-supplied vehicle hitting and destroying a high-tech Russian tank during fighting in the Donetsk region. The soldiers on board survived.
12.35 p.m. – Kiev: “Many Western components in Russian weapons”
“The West must be serious about suppressing Russia's ability to produce weapons.” According to some data, up to 95% of foreign-made critical components found in Russian weapons destroyed in Ukraine came from Western countries. These are not state measures, but private companies, and exports to Russia are not necessarily military goods, but also “dual-use” or civilian products and even household appliances. Whatever they are, in the end they fly to Ukraine to commit war crimes, kill people and destroy critical infrastructure.” This is what Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba writes on X. “Ukraine would need less help and lose fewer lives “If all opaque plans and loopholes to circumvent sanctions were thoroughly detected and completely closed,” Kuleba continued, adding that “the West has the best financial intelligence services, experts and specialized bodies that have the ability to do such.” Pursue and interrupt patterns.
11:00 a.m. – Kiev claims second attack on Russian oil depot
Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attack on an oil depot in the Russian border region of Bryansk this morning. A Ukrainian military intelligence source told AFP that a drone was fired at the depot, at a time when Kiev has been increasing its attacks on Russian territory for several weeks. Yesterday Ukraine attacked another oil deposit in the north of Russia in the St. Petersburg region.
8:11 a.m. – Moscow: “A Kiev drone against an oil depot in Bryansk”
A Ukrainian Armed Forces drone was intercepted by Russian defense systems in the Bryansk region and, after being destroyed, dropped ammunition on an oil depot, causing a fire. This was announced by the governor of the region, Alexander Bogomaz, via Telegram, adding that the attack was aimed at hitting targets in the territory of Klintsy. The regional head said that the release of ammunition over the area of the Klintsov oil depot occurred during the destruction of an air target using electronic warfare systems. According to Bogomaz, there were no injuries.
6:22 a.m. – Moscow: Ukrainian drone shot down in Bryansk region
Russian air defense systems destroyed a Ukrainian aerial drone in the Bryansk region this morning. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense. “On January 19, at approximately 6:40 a.m. Moscow time (4:40 a.m. in Italy), an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using an aerial drone against targets in Russia was foiled. The Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle was destroyed by air defense systems operating in the Bryansk region.”
02:59 a.m. – Russian sources confirmed attack on oil depot in St. Petersburg
Russian sources have confirmed an attack by a Ukrainian drone on an oil depot in the St. Petersburg region, more than 1,000 km from the border with Ukraine. The Kiev secret service claimed responsibility for the attack yesterday.
2:58 a.m. – The Maxi NATO exercise begins: 90 soldiers simulate a Russian attack
(by Giuseppe Sarcina) Not only the numbers, but also the proclamations, the announcements are Cold War. NATO is preparing a major military exercise the likes of which has not been seen since the Iron Curtain. It's called “Steadfast Defender 2024”, i.e. a resolute, inflexible defender. It will start next week and last until May. Around 90,000 soldiers will be involved and the most modern means such as combat aircraft, air surveillance systems, drones, heavy artillery, ships and submarines will be used. It is a kind of dress rehearsal: the Atlantic Alliance's rapid response in the event of a Russian attack on one of the 31 member countries (soon to be 32 with Sweden's accession).