• A market in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk, under the control of Russian forces, was bombed: at least 18 victims, pro-Russians blame Kiev. For Moscow it is a “terrorist attack”.
• Ukrainian Prime Minister Zelensky invited Trump to Kiev: “Prove he can stop the war.”
• North Korea says Putin will visit Pyongyang “as soon as possible.”
• The head of Ukrainian military intelligence claims there is “no evidence that Prigozhin is dead.”
12:47 a.m. – The death toll from the Donetsk bombing rises to 27
The death toll from the bomb attack on a market in Donetsk in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine has risen to 27. This was reported by local officials and the Russian Foreign Ministry. Authorities in the city of Donetsk blamed the Ukrainian army for the attacks and said the shells fell in a busy shopping area in the Tekstilshchik district. According to Denis Pushilin, head of the Moscow-installed separatist Donetsk People's Republic, 25 people were injured in the attack. In a Telegram post, Pushilin said 155mm and 152mm artillery shells were fired at Donetsk from two regions west of the city, close to the front line. There was no immediate comment from Kiev and The Washington Post could not immediately verify the claims. Images after the attack showed bodies on the ground. Parts of an adjacent building were severely damaged and the surrounding area was blackened by the explosion. Agents from the Russian Investigative Committee were also shown inspecting the crime scene and transporting the victims away. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry called the incident a “brutal terrorist attack” and said it was carried out with “Western-supplied weapons.” On Sunday, Pushilin said the DPR would observe a day of mourning for the victims.
11:09 p.m. – Zelensky: Ukraine is preparing for new relations with the EU
The government has already set Ukraine's priorities for the coming weeks and is preparing for important negotiations with the European Union. President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his evening address to the nation, Ukrinform reports. “One of the main points is the European Union, relations with our closest neighbors. We are preparing for greater interaction and new communication and new important negotiations,” he said. Zelensky noted that work priorities for the coming weeks have already been determined, in particular, there are clear tasks related to strengthening Ukraine's positions at the front, political interaction with partners and strengthening the country's financial stability. Zelensky said that discussions were underway with key international partners about new defense support packages for Ukraine to repel the aggressor.
7:21 p.m. – Zelensky: Elections are prohibited by law in times of war
“I did not postpone the elections. I simply can't keep them because the law prohibits me from doing so. The situation is that in our country elections are prohibited in wartime.” This was said by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Channel 4, broadcast by Ukrainska Pravda.
7:11 p.m. – Russian forces attack Krasnohorivka, 1 dead and injured
A 62-year-old man was killed and another 70-year-old was injured in a Russian shelling in Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region. This was reported by Ukrainska Pravda, which quoted Vadym Filashkin, head of the state administration of Donetsk Oblast, in the Telegram. Filashkin reported early Sunday that one man was killed and another person was injured in the shelling of the town of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast.
5:28 p.m. – Doctors: 18 of those injured in the Donetsk bombing are in hospital
Doctors have hospitalized 18 victims of the Ukrainian bombing of a market in Donetsk, including two children: this was announced by the Russian Ministry of Health, clarifying that one child and most adults are hospitalized in severe conditions. “Doctors have hospitalized 18 wounded civilians from Donetsk, including two children who were injured after Ukrainian militants shelled a market in the Kirovskyi district… Two of the wounded received outpatient treatment at medical organizations,” the ministry said in a statement with a statement . Specialists from the Russian Federal Center for Disaster Medicine are preparing telemedical consultations for Donetsk doctors with specialists from federal medical organizations, the ministry added.
4:38 p.m. – Budanov: No evidence that Prigozhin is dead
“As for Prigozhin's death, all I can say is that we don't have a single piece of evidence of it yet. I don't know if he's dead or not. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian intelligence, said this in an interview with the Financial Times.
3:30 p.m. – Ukrainian tennis player Kostyuk’s complaint: “Sport promotes a murderous country”
Tennis player Marta Kostyuk, who qualified for the last quarterfinals of the Australian Open, used her victory over Maria Timofeeva (6:2, 6:1) to once again draw attention to the situation of her country, Ukraine, and the war against Russia .
The world number 28. criticized sports authorities for allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in tournaments under neutral flags. “Everyone knows their nationality, their country constantly recognizes them as its representatives and the world knows it, the international media write in their publications that they are Russians and Belarusians.” And many show the flag of their country on social networks “, regretted the athlete.
“Today is the 697th day of the war and the world of sports continues to promote a murderous country that uses its athletes for propaganda,” Kostyuk added, then called on the world to change its position: “I ask the representatives of the Media, called on officials and the sports community to stop using the tennis courts with the aim of promoting “Russian Peace”.
2:34 p.m. – Russia condemns the attack on the Donetsk market and accuses Kiev of committing a “terrorist attack”.
The Russian Foreign Ministry described today's attack on the market in the city of Donetsk (in eastern Ukraine, under Russian control), for which it blamed Ukraine, as a “terrorist attack.” Kiev had no comment on the incident and the claims could not be independently verified by The Associated Press. The latest figure speaks of 25 victims.
Pushilin said the area was hit by 155 mm and 152 mm caliber artillery and shells were fired from the directions of Kurakhove and Krasnohorivka to the west. He also confirmed that emergency responders were still working at the scene. In a statement,
1:27 p.m. – Some data suggests a “progressive increase in the intensity of the Russian offensive,” according to British intelligence.
Defense intelligence in London reports a “progressive increase in the intensity of the Russian offensive” in Ukraine. In particular, on January 18, “there was a 27% increase in Russian attacks on the front line” with “81 air strikes and 45 missile strikes.”
The assessment highlights that other Ukrainian military data comparing the period between January 14 and 18 with the previous five days indicates an increase in Russian attacks. During these five days, the number of military vehicles lost by the Russians increased by 88%, the number of tanks lost by 95%, and the death toll by 15%. A decisive factor may have been “the icy conditions of the ground, which allows the movement of armored vehicles.”
1:03 p.m. – The head of Ukrainian military intelligence claims there is “no evidence that Prigozhin is dead.”
The information about the dissolution of the Wagner group is not true and the statement about the death of the group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, cannot be verified: the head of Ukrainian Military Intelligence (Gur), Kyrylo Budanov, told the Financial Times, as reported UNIAN.
“Wagner exists,” Budanov said, dismissing reports that the group had been disbanded. The top military intelligence service in Kiev then commented on the news of the death of the Wagner Group leader in a plane crash in August 2023: “As for Prigozhin, I don’t want to jump to conclusions,” he said. The Kremlin denies any involvement in the crash and says DNA tests confirmed Prigozhin's death. However, his body was never seen in public. “I'm not saying that he's not dead or that he's dead,” Budanov clarified: “I'm saying that there is no evidence that he is dead.”
12:24 p.m. – According to Pro-Russians, the number of victims of the Ukrainian bombing of the Donetsk market has risen to 25
Further allegations from Russia against Ukrainian armed forces. The Russians reported killing at least 25 people and wounding 20 others in a bomb attack on a market in the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, but which is under the control of Russian forces.
The updated budget was provided by the mayor of the city Alexei Kulemzin, who was wanted by the Russian authorities for this city of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.
12:06 p.m. – Moscow's army repulses a Ukrainian attack in Crimea
The Russian army repelled a Ukrainian attack on Sevastopol in Crimea. According to the local governor, an air target was shot down at sea. The air raid warning had previously been activated and traffic on the Crimean Bridge was blocked.
11.20 a.m. – Tajani in Brussels for the EU Council of Foreign Ministers
The Vice-President of the Council and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will travel to Brussels this evening to take part in the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union scheduled for tomorrow, 22 January. Immediately after an informal exchange of views with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba, the Council, chaired as usual by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrell, will discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine, with a particular focus on long-term conflicts. Term security scenarios. The 27 will then discuss the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea.
10:56 a.m. – North Korea announces Putin will visit Pyongyang “as soon as possible.”
“Comrade President Putin once again warmly thanked Comrade Kim Jong Un for inviting him to visit Pyongyang in due course and expressed his willingness to visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as soon as possible.”
This is what the North Korean Foreign Ministry reported in a statement to the KCNA news agency, which reported some details of Pyongyang's diplomatic chief Choe Son Hui's visit to Moscow in recent days.
During the mission, “the Russian Federation expressed its deep gratitude to North Korea for its full support and solidarity with the position of the Russian government and people regarding the special military operation in Ukraine.” Putin's only visit to Pyongyang was more than 20 years ago.
10:00 a.m. – Prolorussi: “13 dead and 10 injured in raid in Kiev on a market in Donetsk”
Russia has accused Ukrainian forces of killing at least 13 people and wounding 10 others in a bomb attack on a market in the city of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine but under the control of Russian forces.
The preliminary budget was provided by the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, who denounced the “terrible bombing” on Telegram. “The market was attacked on Sunday when it was at its busiest. The emergency services are working on site, information about dead and injured people continues to be received and clarified,” he added.
9:09 a.m. – Moscow: “It is not surprising that Germany is defending Israel for genocide.”
“The Russian Federation is not surprised that Germany is defending Israel against the accusation of genocide, given Berlin's refusal to admit the crimes of the Third Reich in the Soviet Union,” Moscow Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Tass agency .
8:43 a.m. – The Russians have captured the village of Krokhmalne in the northeast
Russian troops captured the village of Krokhmalne in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine yesterday. The Russian army is advancing along the Kupiansk-Svatov-Kreminna line, the US study center emphasizes, and geolocation images released yesterday suggest that Moscow's soldiers have taken control of Krochmalne, 20 km northwest of Svatovo. Previously, the think tank recalls, Russian military bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from positions near this settlement.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the news on its Telegram channel and spoke of the “liberation” of Krochmalne.
7:37 a.m. – Kiev, the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is deteriorating
The situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant continues to worsen: this was said by Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko, announcing an upcoming visit to the country by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi. RBC-Ukraine reports about it.
“The process of equipment deterioration continues. “The Russians allowed experts to enter the reactors on the third attempt, but that doesn’t change the overall picture,” Galushchenko said. “Grossi will come to Ukraine in the near future. Perhaps he will first visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The attention of the whole world is now focused on this. “The Russian presence there poses a constant danger,” he added.
5:07 a.m. – North Korea declares “ready to welcome Putin”
North Korea is “ready to receive Russian President Vladimir Putin.” This is reported by the official agency KCNA, confirming the rapprochement between Pyongyang and Moscow. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said during a visit to the Russian capital that North Korea was “ready to receive the closest friend of the Korean people with the utmost sincerity,” according to KCNA.
3:51 a.m. – Trump: “I know Putin and Zelensky, I will avoid a world war”
“I know Putin, I know Zelensky. I will solve this problem before I even take office. Donald Trump said this while praising Viktor Orban as a great European leader and ensuring that he will avoid World War III.
03:20 – Moscow, three Ukrainian drones are destroyed in the Smolensk region
Russian air defense forces destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the Smolensk region. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry, as Tass reported. “At around 1:30 a.m. Moscow time on January 21st – we read in a note – the Kiev regime's attempt to use an aerial drone to carry out a terrorist attack on structures on Russian territory was thwarted. Three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by air defense forces alerted over the Smolensk region. Smolensk Region Governor Vasily Anokhin said on Telegram that there were no casualties or damage to local infrastructure.
02:53 – Zelensky announces the delivery of new military packages to Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky spoke of drawing up “new bilateral agreements” that would “revive” international law, adding that new military packages will be delivered “in the coming weeks and months.” In a post on X, the Ukrainian president announced that “next week there will be more work at the international level, including with our EU partners.” This also applies to partners’ security obligations. We are putting together new and strong bilateral agreements. Further results need to be achieved in this area in January and February. We can already see the specific dates on which such important new documents can be signed.” “I am grateful to our entire team that took part in the relevant negotiations, as well as to all the leaders and countries that are ready to take truly ambitious to take steps,” Zelensky added. “By developing a new architecture of security engagement, we are effectively revitalizing the situation.” System of International Law. And if justice and security are restored in Ukraine, it will work for the rest of the world too.”
2:39 a.m. – Zelensky invites Trump to Kiev: “He's welcome to come here, but I think he can't end the war in 24 hours.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Donald Trump to visit Kiev in an interview with British broadcaster Channel 4 News. However, Zelensky added one condition: to demonstrate his ability to end the war with Russia within 24 hours, as he had declared. “He is welcome to come here, but I think he cannot end the war in 24 hours without giving Putin our land,” Zelensky said.
2:05 a.m. – Slovakia, veto Ukraine to prevent world war
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that his country will block Ukraine's entry into NATO to prevent a world war. “We will block and veto Ukraine's NATO membership because it would be nothing more than the basis for a third world war,” the head of government told public broadcaster RTVS, opposing his country's continued use of weapons send to Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression. Fico, who will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyha on Wednesday in Uzhgorod, a Ukrainian city on the border with Slovakia, said he would present a new humanitarian aid package at the meeting.
01:20 – According to Podoliak, Zelensky's adviser, Ukraine needs missiles with a range of 250 kilometers
Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said in an interview with the German newspaper Bild that for Ukraine in its war with Moscow, “missiles with a range of 250 kilometers or more are currently one of the most important solutions; can significantly change the situation at the front. Russia fights with quantity, not quality.”
Podoljak, whom Bild describes as the Ukrainian president's “most important adviser,” recalled that “Ukraine defends itself in different directions and attacks in different directions.” The front line of today's intense fighting is 600-800 kilometers and the “entire” front line is “1,300 kilometers”.
“The problem at this stage of the war is that the number of weapons, drones, grenades, etc. “it is not evenly distributed” between the two sides and “that has to be balanced!”
Responding to a question about those in the West who claim that Ukrainian plans to retake all of the territory are “completely unrealistic,” Podoliak replied: “These people need to realize that this is a big war.” He (Russian President Vladimir Putin , editor's note) has started a big war and will not be satisfied with a small part of Ukraine, which means this war will not end.” “The question is whether Ukraine exists as a state or not “, he summarized. «Of course we have to talk to people; “We understand that two years is a long war,” “there are disappointments.” But: The state must be able to defend itself; The state must be able to defend its principles,” emphasized Zelensky’s adviser.