Key developments on Jan. 24:
- 'Greater than 50 explosions’ — Huge drone strike targets Russian refinery, vegetation
- Russian military failing to outflank Pokrovsk, Ukraine's army says
- Media investigation identifies over 90,000 Russian troopers killed in Ukraine
- 'Utter bulls***' — Ukraine rejects Russia's demand to desert NATO membership promise
- Zelensky is 'no angel' — Trump criticizes Ukraine's president for 'desirous to struggle' at conflict's onset
- Putin claims Russia prepared for Ukraine peace talks, questions legitimacy underneath Zelensky's decree
The Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Ukraine’s Particular Operations Forces (SOS) struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery and the Ryazan Thermal Energy Plant in an in a single day drone strike on Jan. 24, an SBU supply instructed the Kyiv Impartial.
The assault was later confirmed by the Common Workers of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
The information comes as Russia’s Protection Ministry reported intercepting 121 Ukrainian drones in a single day, together with 37 in Bryansk Oblast, 20 in Ryazan Oblast, and 17 within the Kursk and Saratov oblasts every.
The refinery, considered one of Russia’s largest, has the capability of 17 million metric tons of oil per yr. No less than three oil depots and a workshop had been set ablaze, in line with the supply.
The assertion confirms earlier reports in Russian Telegram channels that the Ryazan Oil Refinery caught hearth after a drone assault.
"SBU and SOS drones additionally focused an oil pumping station on the Ryazan Thermal Energy Plant," the supply mentioned, with out revealing particulars on attainable penalties. Native residents reported greater than 50 explosions, in line with the supply.
Ryazan lies roughly 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of Ukraine’s border.
Drones additionally attacked the Kremniy EL microelectronics plant in Russia's Bryansk and different services within the metropolis, the impartial Telegram information channel Astra reported, citing Russian Emergencies Ministry sources.
It isn’t instantly clear whether or not the plant, which produces parts for the Russian army, suffered important injury within the assault. The drone strike additionally broken home windows and the facade of a constructing of the Investigative Committee, and the Institute of Administration and Enterprise caught hearth, in line with Astra.
Andrii Kovalenko, the counter-disinformation chief at Ukraine’s Nationwide Safety and Protection Council, additionally reported on the assault towards the Kremniy plant.
The power has suspended operations after sustaining hits, Kovalenko claimed, saying that the plant produces microelectronics for Russian air defenses, Iskander missiles, digital warfare gear, and drones.
That is the third time the plant was hit throughout the full-scale conflict, Kovalenko mentioned. The town of Bryansk lies round 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Russia’s border with Ukraine.
The Common Workers additionally confirmed the assault towards the Kremniy plant, with out revealing particulars on attainable injury.
The Kyiv Impartial couldn’t confirm all of the claims.
Current weeks noticed Ukraine once more intensify long-range strikes towards army and industrial services in Russia’s rear in an effort to undermine Moscow’s capability to wage conflict.
The Kyiv IndependentAlisa Yurchenko
Russian military failing to outflank Pokrovsk, Ukraine's army says
The Russian military is, for now, failing to outflank Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast in an try to chop off the city's logistics routes, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, Viktor Trehubov, mentioned on Jan. 24 on nationwide tv.
The world close to Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub for Ukrainian forces, has been the main target of fierce preventing for months as Russia intensifies its offensive in Donetsk Oblast.
Russian forces try to bypass Pokrovsk from the north and south, however thus far with out success, in line with the spokesperson.
"To this point, these makes an attempt have been kind of successfully repelled. They’ve begun to assault the city extra actively with long-range, several types of missiles and FPV (first-person-view) drones," Trehubov mentioned.
"Sadly, they’re hitting the city, however their plan to encompass it’s nonetheless very removed from realization," he added.
Trehubov pressured that the Pokrovsk sector of the entrance line is the first vector of Russia's offensive.
"That is the primary level of focus of their efforts, and it has been for a very long time. There’s the biggest variety of clashes there," he mentioned.
Russian troops are persevering with to push on the Lyman, Siversk, Kramatorsk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove axes, in line with Ukraine's Common Workers. Pokrovsk and Kurakhove stay the focal factors of the Russian japanese offensive, now in its fifth month.
Ukraine beforehand blew up the No. 3 mine's shaft within the village of Pishchane close to Pokrovsk to forestall Russia from deploying its troops nearer to the front-line city, in line with The New York Occasions (NYT)
Earlier this month, Metinvest introduced it had suspended operations on the Pokrovsk coking coal mine because of worsening safety situations and energy outages.
The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova
Media investigation identifies over 90,000 Russian troopers killed in Ukraine
The BBC and the impartial outlet Mediazona have recognized the names of 90,019 Russian troopers who died throughout the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the BBC reported on Jan. 24.
For the reason that media retailers' final replace in mid-January, the names of 1,964 Russian soldiers have been added to the record of casualties.
Some 23% of all these killed had been army personnel who signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry after February 2022.
In keeping with the investigation, 17% of the recognized troopers had been skilled contractors, 17% had been convicts who left for the conflict from prisons, and 12% had been conscripts.
The media revealed that 9 generals and 500 troopers with the rank of lieutenant colonel and better had been among the many killed.
As of Jan. 24, the very best casualty charges had been among the many residents of Bashkortostan, Russia’s republic close to the Ural Mountains and the homeland of the Bashkir folks. Russia’s non-Slavic ethnic teams have been overrepresented in its casualty figures within the conflict with Ukraine.
The authorities and media on this area reported a complete of three,932 deaths throughout the full-scale conflict, the investigation learn.
Russia's actual losses are probably larger, because the media evaluation is estimated to cowl 45% to 65% of the particular loss of life toll, the BBC reported. In keeping with the journalists’ estimates, the precise losses may vary from 138,500 to 200,000 folks killed.
President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned on Dec. 8 that about 43,000 Ukrainian troopers had been killed throughout the full-scale invasion. The final time Moscow formally introduced the variety of troopers killed was in September 2022, placing the quantity at 5,937.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi mentioned on Jan. 19 that Russian forces suffered their heaviest losses final yr for the reason that begin of the full-scale conflict, with whole army losses reaching 434,000 soldiers killed and injured in 2024.
This represents round half of the 800,000 killed and injured Russian troopers for the reason that begin of the full-scale conflict, in line with Ukraine’s army.
'Utter bulls***' — Ukraine rejects Russia's demand to desert NATO membership promise
Ukraine's Overseas Ministry dismissed Russia's demand to cancel NATO's 2008 promise of eventual membership for Ukraine, calling it "utter bul***it" in a Jan. 24 assertion.
The response comes after Russian Deputy Overseas Minister Alexander Grushko criticized NATO's 2008 Bucharest Summit declaration, calling it "catastrophic for European safety."
"Aw shucks, North Korea's ally issuing ultimatums to NATO. Utter bul***it," mentioned Overseas Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi in response to Grushko's remarks. "Moscow has no say right here."
As an alternative, the ministry praised NATO's resolution on the time and reiterated Kyiv's dedication to becoming a member of the alliance.
"European safety structure is constructed on safety from Russia," Tykhyi mentioned.
Ukraine formally utilized to hitch NATO in September 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion. Whereas NATO members pledged on the 2024 Washington Summit that Ukraine's path to membership is "irreversible," they’ve but to increase a proper invitation.
Russian officers, in addition to Western intellectuals with a monitor report of anti-Ukraine narratives have repeatedly cited Ukraine's potential NATO membership as a justification for the invasion.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged opposition from a number of NATO members, together with the U.S., Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, however expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump may sway help for Kyiv's entry.
There’s little proof that the brand new administration can be extra open to Ukraine's NATO membership than former U.S. President Joe Biden.
Trump has beforehand criticized NATO and blamed Biden for allegedly supporting Ukraine's aspirations and upsetting Russia's invasion.
The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek
Zelensky is 'no angel' — Trump criticizes Ukraine’s president for 'desirous to struggle' at conflict’s onset
U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that each Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky share the blame for the Ukraine-Russia conflict in an interview phase with Fox Information launched on Jan. 23.
The U.S. president, who most just lately met Zelensky in Paris in December, criticized his Ukrainian counterpart for resisting Russia firstly of the invasion as a substitute of reducing a deal.
"Zelensky… shouldn’t have allowed this to occur both. He’s no angel," Trump said.
"I may have made that deal so simply, and Zelensky determined that 'I need to struggle,'" he commented, including that Ukraine has been preventing towards a "a lot greater entity."
On the identical time, Trump acknowledged Ukraine’s bravery in resisting Russia and mentioned that the Ukrainian president has "had sufficient" and is prepared for peace.
"We began pouring gear… they usually (Ukraine) had the bravery to make use of the gear, however in the long run, it’s a conflict that needs to be settled," Trump mentioned.
Already throughout his electoral marketing campaign, Trump implied that his predecessor, former U.S. President Joe Biden, and Zelensky share blame for Russia’s ongoing invasion and pledged to dealer a swift peace deal.
Trump has been usually crucial of the Biden administration’s help for Ukraine and boasted about good relations with Putin, sparking considerations he would possibly dealer a deal unfavorable to Kyiv. Lately, the U.S. president has adopted a extra crucial stance towards Moscow, criticizing Putin for reluctance to chop a deal and threatening with economic repercussions if he fails to take action.
"Putin shouldn’t have achieved it (launching the full-scale invasion)… and it has to cease," Trump mentioned, claiming that Russia had misplaced round 850,000 troopers whereas Ukraine misplaced 700,000.
Zelensky put Ukraine’s casualty rates at 43,000 killed and 370,000 wounded as of December, whereas Moscow doesn’t reveal its losses.
Within the interview, Trump reiterated his warnings that if Russia doesn’t agree to barter, the U.S. goes to impose "large tariffs and large taxes, and… massive sanctions," including he "doesn’t need to do it" as a result of he "loves" Russia.
The U.S. president echoed his earlier claims that the full-scale invasion would have by no means began if he had been in workplace on the time, blaming the Biden administration for supposedly upsetting Putin and permitting him to revenue from excessive energy prices.
Trump additionally lashed out towards the previous president for not pressuring European international locations to donate extra help to Ukraine, falsely claiming that Washington spent "$200 billion greater than Europe" in help of Kyiv.
The U.S. Congress has allotted over $170 billion to Ukraine for the reason that outbreak of the full-scale conflict in 2022, which included the supply of over $60 billion value of army help. The EU and its member international locations have made obtainable $145 billion in monetary, army, and humanitarian help throughout the full-scale conflict.
Ukraine just lately introduced that preparations for a meeting between Trump and Zelensky are underway, whereas the U.S. president additionally mentioned he goals to meet Putin within the coming days to debate an finish to the conflict.
Moscow welcomed Trump’s proposal for a gathering however voiced skepticism a couple of attainable peace deal, saying it has to first perceive what the U.S.’s objectives are earlier than coming into into any negotiations.
The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta
Putin claims Russia prepared for Ukraine peace talks, questions legitimacy underneath Zelensky's decree
Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed reporters on Jan. 24 that Russia is prepared for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on ending the conflict in Ukraine.
"Relating to negotiations, we’ve got all the time mentioned — and I need to emphasize this once more — that we’re prepared for talks on the Ukrainian subject (Russia's full-scale invasion)," Putin mentioned.
Putin claimed that if Trump's 2020 "victory hadn't been stolen," there won’t have been a "disaster in Ukraine." He emphasised that Russia has "by no means refused contact" with the U.S. administration and maintained a "pragmatic and trusting" relationship with Trump.
He moved rapidly to level out a decree signed by President Zelensky after Russia illegally annexed 4 Ukrainian areas, which declared negotiations with Putin "unimaginable" whereas leaving the door open to discussions with Russia underneath completely different management.
"How can negotiations be resumed if they’re formally banned?" Putin requested.
Zelensky's 2022 decree adopted Russia's annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, actions condemned as illegitimate by the worldwide neighborhood.
The transfer mirrored Ukraine's refusal to have interaction with Moscow whereas Putin stays in energy, underscoring Kyiv's place that peace negotiations should uphold Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukraine's Presidential Workplace head Andriy Yermak dismissed Putin's remarks, accusing him of looking for to sideline Europe in any talks.
"Putin desires to barter the destiny of Europe — with out Europe," Yermak mentioned. He added, "Putin has lengthy wanted to return to actuality himself, or he might be introduced again."
Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed Putin's feedback, saying that dialog with Trump may get well if the U.S. "takes under consideration Russia's pursuits."
"If the U.S. underneath Trump takes Russia's pursuits under consideration, the dialog between Moscow and Washington might be step by step restored; if not, every thing will stay as it’s," he mentioned.
Lavrov expressed dissatisfaction with Trump's crew's reported peace proposals on Dec. 29, notably the concept of freezing hostilities alongside the present line of contact and transferring the duty for countering Russia to Europe.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy