Russia-Ukraine updates: Kyiv claims deadly hit on Moscow’s troops
All the updates from January 2 as they happened.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, January 2.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, January 2.
- Kyiv has claimed responsibility for an attack in Makiivka, a Russian-held city in Donetsk, which Russia said left 63 soldiers killed, while the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence said the death toll is closer to 400.
- Russian drones have attacked infrastructure in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and surrounding areas, damaging energy facilities and causing some power outages, officials say.
- Russia has extended its bombardment into the second day of 2023, with Ukraine saying its air defence systems have destroyed 22 objects flying over Kyiv.
- The regional military command in eastern Ukraine says its air defence systems had destroyed nine Iranian-made drones over the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions by early Monday.
Russia planning to ‘exhaust’ Ukraine with Iranian drone attacks: Zelenskyy
Russia is planning a protracted campaign of attacks with Iranian drones to “exhaust” Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
“We have information that Russia is planning a protracted attack using Shahed drones,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. “It is probably banking on exhaustion. Exhausting our people, our anti-aircraft defences, our energy.”
Ukraine, he said, had to “act and do everything so that the terrorists’ fail in their aim, as all their others have failed”.
IMF: Half of EU to be in recession due to Ukraine war
The head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has said that half of the 27-nation European Union will be in recession in 2023 as the bloc is “very severely hit” by the Ukraine conflict.
“We expect one-third of the world economy to be in recession,” Georgieva said.
The upcoming year will be “tougher than the year we leave behind” for the world economy, she said.
“Why? Because the three big economies, US, EU, China, are all slowing down simultaneously,” she told CBS’s Face the Nation programme.
Ukraine: Mastermind of Banksy mural removal faces jail time
The suspected mastermind behind the removal of a Banksy mural in a Ukrainian town could face up to 12 years in prison if found guilty, Ukraine’s interior ministry has said.
The artwork, depicting a woman in a gas mask and a dressing gown holding a fire extinguisher, was taken off a wall in the town of Hostomel on December 2, according to officials.
The artwork by the renowned British artist had been valued at more than 9 million hryvnia ($243,900), the ministry statement said.
The mural was retrieved.
Banksy confirmed he had painted the mural and six others in places that were hit by heavy fighting after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February.
French engineering group halts activities in Russia due to EU sanctions
French engineering group Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) has said it is stopping its activities in Russia after analysing the latest European sanctions packages, which include a ban on engineering services with Russian firms.
The group said its contract with Russian shipbuilding company Zvezda for 15 ice-breaking liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers would be suspended as of January 8 and activities limited on the two most advanced ones.
Attack on Moscow’s troops in Makiivka is retaliation for wave of Russian assaults: Analyst
Samuel Ramani, an international relations specialist at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, said the latest attack by Kyiv on Russian troops in Makiivka was done in retaliation for assaults on Ukraine.
“Ukraine was answering to the wave of missile and drone strikes that occurred in the capital against civilian infrastructure on either side of the New Year,” Ramani told Al Jazeera.
“And Ukraine could have responded by striking Russian territory again like it did at Engels around Christmas time or responded by striking targets inside Donbas like it has done repeatedly.”
Ramani said that Makiivka “is a stronghold for Russian conscripts” and noted that “typically attacks of this nature in Popasna and other parts of the front line were targeting wider mercenaries.”
Russia said on Monday that 63 Russian soldiers had been killed in a Ukrainian New Year’s Eve attack on their quarters.
Ramani told Al Jazeera that it is unusual for Russia to admit to suffering casualties.
“When it does talk about casualties it talks about them in broad, generic terms, like heavy losses. It doesn’t go out into exact numbers. An admission to this level of casualties in either Syria or Ukraine is quite unique,” he said.
Kyiv claims responsibility for Makiivka attack
Ukraine has claimed responsibility for an attack on Russian forces in the occupied eastern town of Makiivka, which, according to the Russian defence ministry, killed 63 soldiers.
“On December 31, up to 10 units of enemy military equipment of various types were destroyed and damaged” in Makiivka in the Donetsk region, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement.
It said the number of Russian dead was still being established.
European gas prices fall to their lowest level since war began
Europe’s wholesale natural gas prices have fallen to their lowest level since Russia invaded Ukraine 10 months ago and drove gas prices to a record high.
Prices dropped to 73 euros ($78) per megawatt hour on Monday, 50 percent lower than a month ago and a fraction of the record 342 euros ($364) reached in March.
Gas exports by the Russian energy giant Gazprom to the European Union and Switzerland fell by 55 percent last year because of sanctions on Russia.
European nations feared Russia could cut off gas supplies, so they filled up their gas storage tanks and encouraged consumers to save on energy during the winter. European storage levels are at 83 percent capacity, reducing the need to buy more gas.
EU nations have also adopted a cap on natural gas prices, but analysts say it will likely have a limited impact on what businesses and households pay.
‘Rare admission’ from Russia: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, says Russia has made a “rare admission” in announcing the death toll from an attack on a vocational college that was being used to house soldiers in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
“It’s very difficult to try and sift through some of the competing narratives here, but it’s safe to say it’s a rare admission from the Russians there that such a significant attack has happened,” he said.
“They’re saying 63 Russian soldiers were killed in this attack,” he reported, adding that the Ukrainian army has said on its Telegram channel that “400 Russian corpses” have been seen at the site.
“There is a lot of heavy fighting in that area; that area is right on the front line,” Stratford said.
Zelenskyy expresses thanks to EU at start of New Year
Zelenskyy says he expressed thanks to the EU in a phone call with von der Leyen as he awaits new aid from the bloc.
“I am glad to start the year with a phone call with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen,” he wrote on Telegram. “I expressed gratitude for the unwavering support of the EU.
“We are waiting for the first tranche of macro-financial aid in January, the first batch of energy-saving lamps, school buses, generators and modular houses. We have coordinated steps on the EU-Ukraine Summit. We feel support and are moving towards victory together.”
Power restored in Bryansk after Ukrainian drone strike
A Ukrainian drone attack has damaged an electricity facility and cut power in Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, its governor says.
The morning attack was on the Klimovsky district, Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram.
About 12 hours later, the power supply had been fully restored, he said.
Al Jazeera could not verify the report.
The Bottom Line: How will the war end?
The possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine appears unlikely as the first anniversary of the war approaches. Al Jazeera’s The Bottom Line speaks to Professor Stephen Walt about the conflict and how there will be no “Hollywood” ending.
63 soldiers killed in Makiivka, Russian defence ministry says
Russia’s Ministry of Defence says 63 of its soldiers have been killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on their temporary accommodation in the town of Makiivka in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
“As a result of a strike by four missiles with a high-explosive warhead on a temporary deployment point, 63 Russian servicemen were killed,” the ministry said.
Its statement is a rare announcement of Russian losses in Ukraine.
Russian military bloggers said several hundred soldiers could have died in the attack.
EU tells Zelenskyy it stands by Ukraine ‘for as long as it takes’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised the EU’s unwavering support to Ukraine in a New Year’s call with Zelenskyy.
On Twitter, she wrote: “In the 1st call of the new year with President Zelenskyy, I conveyed my wholehearted support and best wishes for 2023 to the Ukrainian people. The EU stands by you, for as long as it takes. We support your heroic struggle. A fight for freedom and against brutal aggression.”
She added that the EU will support Ukraine this winter with generators and will soon start disbursing a more than $19bn support package.
In the 1st call of the new year with President @ZelenskyyUa, I conveyed my wholehearted support and best wishes for 2023 to the Ukrainian people.
The EU stands by you, for as long as it takes.
We support your heroic struggle.
A fight for freedom and against brutal aggression. pic.twitter.com/sKZKilUpDg— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 2, 2023
Germany warns of increased Russian spy activity
The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency warned of increasing activity by Russian secret services.
“Russia’s intelligence interest here in Germany is not only unbroken but is also increasing as the effects of the war continue,” Thomas Haldenwang, chief of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, told the German news agency dpa.
Haldenwang referred to a suspected double agent who was arrested before Christmas for allegedly supplying Russia with secret information as showing “how real the danger of Russian espionage is”.
“We are making great efforts to prevent further people who may be linked to Russian services from coming here to Germany,” he said.
He added that Germany has seen a massive increase in Russian cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and other methods aimed at influencing public opinion.
Gazprom exports dip by 45.5 percent in 2022
Russian gas exports to countries outside a group of former Soviet republics plunged by 45.5 percent in 2022, figures from gas giant Gazprom show.
Gazprom said in a statement that exports outside the Commonwealth of Independent States totalled 100.9 billion cubic metres compared with 185.1 billion in 2021.
Europe was previously Gazprom’s main export market, but supplies have been drastically reduced due to sanctions on Russia.
Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said the company had been steadily increasing supplies to China, but at a conference last week, he admitted that Gazprom had had a “very, very difficult” year.
Who controls what?
Here are four maps that we update daily, charting the latest war developments.
Death toll in the ‘hundreds’ after attack on Russian facility in Donetsk
An explosion at a facility in an occupied area of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region may have resulted in the deaths of “many hundreds” of Russian soldiers, former separatist official Igor Girkin said on Telegram.
The soldiers, who were mainly mobilised Russians, were housed in the facility, he wrote. It was nearly destroyed when ammunition stored in the same building detonated
“The number of dead and wounded goes into many hundreds,” he posted.
The Ukrainian military has not claimed the attack but said 400 Russian soldiers were killed in the blast.
Russia fires 40 drones at Ukraine overnight
Ukrainian officials say Russia deployed another overnight attack on their country as the Kremlin signalled no change in its strategy of targeting civilian infrastructure.
The barrage was the latest in a series of relentless year-end attacks, including one that killed three civilians on New Year’s Eve.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 40 drones were sent to Kyiv overnight. He said 22 drones were destroyed over the capital, three in the outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighbouring provinces.
Energy infrastructure was damaged in the attack, knocking out power, and an explosion occurred in one of the city’s districts, the mayor said. A wounded 19-year-old man was hospitalised, Klitschko added.
One dead, nine injured in Sunday’s attack: Ukrainian official
Deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, has announced that one person died and nine others were injured in Sunday’s missile attacks.
On Telegram, he wrote: “Victims among the civilian population as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation for 01.01.2023 (as of 09:00 on 02.01.2023): Donetsk region – one wounded, Zaporizhzhia region – one dead, three wounded, Kharkiv region – one wounded, Kherson region – three wounded, Kyiv – one injured. According to regional military administrations.”
Russian and Ukrainian forces fight for P66 highway: British MoD
According to the latest British Ministry of Defence (MoD) intelligence update, Ukraine and Russia are fighting to control the P66 highway in Kremina, Luhansk.
“The P66 is a key supply route for the northern section of Russia’s Donbas front from the Belgorod region of Russia,” the update said.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 02 January 2023
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/xO7eQ9ifYx
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/6KK91jqtJw
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 2, 2023
Former NATO general predicts ceasefire by mid-2023
A ceasefire in the Russian war against Ukraine can be expected during 2023 and even as early as midyear, a former German army and NATO general said.
“I expect in summer, when both sides will say, this is going nowhere,” Hans-Lothar Domrose told Germany’s Funke media group. The most likely time for such a deadlock to arise would be between February and May, he said.
“That would be the moment for ceasefire negotiations,” said Domrose.
But he stressed that this does not mean peace. “Ceasefire means the shooting stops. Negotiations are likely to take a long time, you need a mediator,” he said, naming UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres or Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Drones, cruise missile ‘successfully’ shot down: Ukrainian defence ministry
Ukraine’s defence ministry says it has “successfully” shot down 39 Shahed-136/131 drones, two Orlan-10 drones and a Kh-59 cruise missile.
“We are staying strong,” it said on Twitter.
39 Shahed-136/131 drones
2 Orlan-10 drones
Kh-59 cruise missile
These are the targets successfully shot down by the Ukrainian Air Force last night.
We are staying strong.— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) January 2, 2023
List of key events, day 313
Germany’s import ban on oil from Russian pipelines has come into force as Berlin speeds up its effort to wean itself off Moscow’s exports.
Click here to read up on the situation in Ukraine as the war enters its 313th day.
Ukraine reports more Russian drone attacks
Russia has deployed multiple drones overnight to attack parts of Ukraine and dozens were shot down, Ukrainian officials say.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 40 exploding drones “headed for Kyiv” overnight, according to air defence forces, and all of them were destroyed. He said 22 drones were destroyed over Kyiv, three in the outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighbouring provinces.
An infrastructure facility in Kyiv was damaged and an explosion occurred in one city district, the mayor said. It was not immediately clear whether that was caused by drones or other munitions.
In the outlying Kyiv region, a “critical infrastructure object” and residential buildings were hit, Governor Oleksiy Kuleba said. Seven drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Governor Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said.
Gazprom to ship 42.4 mcm of gas to Europe via Ukraine
Russia’s Gazprom says it will ship 42.4 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Monday, a similar volume to that reported in recent days.