Fierce battle in eastern Vuhledar
- Ukrainian troops are locked in a fierce battle with Russian fighters for control of the town of Vuhledar southwest of Donetsk.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the situation at the front remains acute, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region where Russia is stepping up its offensive.
Ukraine says it will summon Hungary’s ambassador over Orban’s remarks
Ukraine has said it would summon Hungary’s ambassador to complain about “completely unacceptable” remarks Prime Minister Viktor Orban made about Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, writing on Facebook, said Orban had told reporters that Ukraine was a no man’s land and compared it to Afghanistan.
Who controls what in eastern Ukraine?
Russian forces continue ground attacks around Bakhmut, on the western outskirts of Donetsk city, and in Vuhledar area.
Three killed in Russian strike on east Ukrainian city
Three people have been killed and at least two others wounded after Russian forces struck a residential neighbourhood in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, the regional governor said.
Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote on the Telegram that four apartment buildings and a hotel had been damaged and that rescuers and police officials were at the site to “carefully document yet another crime by the Russian occupiers”.
Earlier, Kyrylenko said four people had been killed and at least seven wounded from Russian strikes over the past 24 hours.
IOC promotes ‘Russian anti-human policy’: Zelenskyy adviser
A senior Ukrainian presidential aide has slammed the International Olympic Committee accusing it of siding with Russia days after it said the Olympic Council of Asia had offered Russian and Belarusian athletes a chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
IOC “proposes to the world promotion of violence, mass murders, destruction”, Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter, adding. that is why “it insists Russian athletes should participate in contests as real ‘ambassadors of death’”.
Earlier, President Zelenskyy said Ukraine would launch an international campaign to prevent Russian athletes from being allowed to compete in the 2024 Games.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded by saying any attempt to squeeze Moscow out of international sport was “doomed to fail”.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 339
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 339th day, we take a look at the main developments.
How will US and German tanks help Ukraine?
Both Germany and the US have agreed to send tanks to Ukraine. Berlin will supply its Leopard 2 and Washington, the M1 Abrams.
They are considered essential for Ukraine if it is to take back territory captured by Russia early in the war. But will such new weaponry change the course of the conflict?
US ambassador in Moscow to meet Russia deputy FM
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov will hold a meeting with Lynne Tracy, the new US ambassador to Moscow, early next week, the RIA news agency reports.
Tracy arrived in Moscow earlier this week. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously said the new US ambassador would not improve ties between the two countries because of what she called Washington’s ongoing “hybrid war” against Russia.
Russia ‘likely’ suffered 300 casualties in Makiivka attack: UK
The UK Ministry of Defence says Russia “highly likely” suffered more than 300 casualties in a strike on a military accommodation in the city of Makiivka near Donetsk city on January 1. If confirmed, the toll would represent one of the deadliest attacks on Russian forces since the start of the war.
“We assess that the majority were likely killed or missing, rather than wounded,” the ministry said in its daily bulletin published on social media.
Russia had previously said that 89 of its soldiers were killed in the attack.
