Ukraine in January 2026: the most important developments in security
Ukraine in January 2026 was defined by Russian strikes on its energy system in freezing winter weather. On 20 January missile and drone attacks left nearly half of Kyiv without heating and power, and a day later nearly 60% of the city was affected; Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 600,000 people had left the capital. Kharkiv, Odesa and Kryvyi Rih were also hit. On 24 January Russia carried out its largest air strike of the year on Kyiv and Kharkiv while US-brokered talks resumed in Abu Dhabi. On 30 January the Kremlin confirmed a pause in strikes on Kyiv until 1 February at President Donald Trump's request, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to stop striking Russian energy sites.
On 9 January Russia used its new Oreshnik missile in a major attack that reached Kyiv and an area near the NATO border. Moscow described it as a demonstration of capability and a warning to the West; Ukraine's security service displayed fragments from a strike on Lviv and called it a war crime.
Western support was debated throughout the month. On 6 January the UK and France signed a declaration to deploy troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire, and Britain set aside 200 million pounds to prepare them. Russia said any foreign troops would be legitimate targets, and the Financial Times reported that London and Paris were reluctant to act without US backing. Zelenskyy said on 23 January he had agreed with Trump on Patriot missile supplies, while Germany's defence minister said on 26 January that no new Patriot systems could yet be provided.
On the ground, Russia claimed the capture of several settlements in the Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, while Ukraine reported raising its flag over Kupyansk. Ukrainian drones hit an oil depot in Oryol, a battery plant in Lipetsk and the Afipsky refinery. On 17 January Russia and Ukraine agreed a local ceasefire around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant for repairs. A strike on a passenger train in the north-east killed at least five people on 27 and 28 January, and on 29 January Russia returned the bodies of more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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