Russia-Ukraine Daily News
LightNews LightNews
banner
rvps2001.bsky.social
Russia-Ukraine Daily News
@rvps2001.bsky.social
4.5K followers 0 following 21K posts
I run a daily newsletter about Russia, Ukraine, and the war:
https://russia-ukraine-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Telegram: https://t.me/russiaukrainedaily

Please consider supporting my work:
https://forms.gle/brRPMGDJv7rfYCQE7
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
rvps2001.bsky.social
Russia-Ukraine Daily News @rvps2001.bsky.social · Dec 19
A personal plea ☺️

1. I'm struggling to grow my newsletter despite the fact that it's one of the best in its little niche 😁 So please do subscribe or, if you already have, encourage others to do so:
russia-ukraine-newsletter.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Thank you ⬇️

1/3🧵
Russia-Ukraine Daily News
The latest news about Russia and Ukraine, hand-picked for you every weekday morning (09:30 GMT+3).
russia-ukraine-newsletter.beehiiv.com
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 Zelensky suggested to appoint Denys Shmyhal, the country's defense minister and ex-prime minister, to lead Ukraine's Energy Ministry.

The move follows a major political reshuffle, with a number of high-ranking officials being reassigned to different govt jobs.

kyivindependent.com/zelensky-pro...
Zelensky proposes Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal for vacant energy minister role
"We held consultations with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, and I count on lawmakers' support," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 3.
kyivindependent.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:04 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇷🇺 With the start of the new year, a sweeping package of legislative changes is coming into force in #Russia

Some of them tighten control over individuals and expand the powers of the security services, while others affect taxes, social benefits, and the country’s economy
theins.press/en/news/288153
Russian laws coming into effect in 2026: detention centers for security services, 30-percent income tax for “foreign agents”
With the start of the new year, a sweeping package of legislative changes is coming into force in Russia
theins.press
January 3, 2026 at 12:29 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇻🇪 Airplanes, loud noises and at least one column of smoke were being heard and seen in Venezuelan capital Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning, and the southern area of the city, near a major military base, was without electricity.

www.reuters.com/world/americ...

#venezuela #usa
Column of smoke seen, loud noises heard in Venezuelan capital
Airplanes, loud noises and at least one column of smoke were being heard and seen in Venezuelan capital Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Reuters witnesses, and the southern...
www.reuters.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:11 AM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 As negotiators gather in Kyiv, US Republicans close ranks around a hard-edged peace framework, European capitals prepare security guarantees – and Moscow escalates militarily to shape the talks.

www.kyivpost.com/post/67326

#Ukraine #Europe #USA
‘No Victory for Putin’ – US, Europe, Ukraine Brace as High-Stakes Diplomacy Meets Russian Escalation
As negotiators gather in Kyiv, US Republicans close ranks around a hard-edged peace framework, European capitals prepare security guarantees – and Moscow escalates militarily to shape the talks.
www.kyivpost.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:27 AM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed appointing Mykhailo Fedorov, the deputy prime minister and digital transformation minister, as the country's new defense minister on Jan. 2.

kyivindependent.com/breaking-zel...

#Ukraine
BREAKING: Zelensky proposes appointing Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister
Editor's note: The story is being updated. President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed appointing Mykhailo Fedorov, the deputy prime minister and digital transformation minister, as the country's new d...
kyivindependent.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by Russia-Ukraine Daily News
meduza.io
Under Orthodox Church canon law, a patriarch cannot be married and must be celibate. But according to a new Proekt investigation, Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill has had a “secret common-law wife” for more than 50 years.
meduza.io/en/feature/2...
New investigation reveals Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill’s ‘secret common-law wife’ of 50 years — Meduza
Under Orthodox Church canon law, a patriarch cannot be married and must be celibate. But according to a new Proekt investigation, Russian Orthodox Church head Patriarch Kirill has had a “secret…
meduza.io
January 2, 2026 at 7:11 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 #Ukraine ordered the evacuation of thousands of children and their parents from frontline settlements in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions on Friday, where Russian troops have been advancing, a Ukrainian official said.

www.euronews.com/2026/01/02/u...
Ukraine orders 3,000 children and parents to evacuate two regions
Meanwhile, Russia's battlefield gains in Ukraine last year were the highest since 2022, an analysis by the AFP news agency showed.
www.euronews.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:03 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
#UPDATE

🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Russian missiles struck a multi-storey apartment building in Kharkiv in northeastern #Ukraine on Friday, leaving the building in ruins and injuring at least 25 people, officials said.

www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Russian strike on Ukraine's Kharkiv injures at least 25, officials say
Russian missiles struck a multi-storey apartment building in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Friday, leaving the building in ruins and injuring at least 25 people, officials said.
www.reuters.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇨🇿 Czech arms manufacturers are facing growing obstacles from domestic banks despite the sector’s expanding role in Europe’s defense and support for #Ukraine, with smaller companies bearing the brunt of what industry figures describe as financial discrimination.

united24media.com/latest-news/...
Czech Arms Producers Supplying Ukraine Face Banking Discrimination, Loan Cancellations, and Family Account Closures
Czech arms manufacturers face increasing challenges from banks, which are impacting smaller firms despite the industry's significant role in European defense.
united24media.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he will appoint the head of the foreign intelligence service Oleh Ivashchenko as the new military intelligence chief.

Ivashchenko will replace Kyrylo Budanov who will become the new head of Zelenskiy's office.

www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Zelenskiy says he will appoint Oleh Ivashchenko as new military intelligence chief
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he will appoint the head of the foreign intelligence service Oleh Ivashchenko as the new military intelligence chief.
www.reuters.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:03 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 Seventy-four percent of Ukrainians oppose a peace plan that would include Ukraine's withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region and a cap on the army's size without reliable security guarantees, according to results from a poll released on Jan. 2.

kyivindependent.com/poll-74-of-u...
Poll: 74% of Ukrainians against peace plan involving Kyiv's withdrawal from Donbas, army cap
The poll also revealed that 69% of Ukrainians support a peace plan that would freeze the war with security guarantees, as long as Ukraine is not forced to officially recognize Russian-occupied territo...
kyivindependent.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:06 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Russian forces launched a missile strike on a residential high-rise building in Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv on January 2, causing significant damage and leaving civilians injured, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported.

united24media.com/latest-news/...

#russia #ukraine
Russia Launches Missile Strike on Residential Building in Kharkiv, Injuring at Least 16
Russian forces targeted a residential building in Kharkiv, injuring at least 16 civilians as emergency operations commenced, according to local authorities.
united24media.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:06 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he has offered the position of presidential chief of staff to military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.

www.reuters.com/world/zelens...
Zelenskiy says he offered position of chief of staff to military intelligence chief
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he has offered the position of presidential chief of staff to military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.
www.reuters.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:01 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇮🇳 India is asking refiners for weekly disclosures of Russian and US oil purchases, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding that they expect Russian crude imports to dip below 1 mln barrels per day as New Delhi seeks to clinch a trade deal with Washington

www.reuters.com/business/ene...
Exclusive: India asks refiners for weekly Russian oil import data as it seeks US trade deal, sources say
India is asking refiners for weekly disclosures of Russian and U.S. oil purchases, people familiar with the matter told Reuters, adding that they expect Russian crude imports to dip below 1 million ba...
www.reuters.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:59 AM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 🇷🇺 Strike drones attacked a major oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region, according to reports from residents and the OSINT community Supernova+ on January 2.

united24media.com/latest-news/...

#Ukraine
Russia’s Energy Backbone Under Fire as Drones Hit Key Rosneft Refinery in Samara Region
Drones reportedly struck a key oil refinery in Russia's Samara region, with local residents and OSINT community documenting extensive flames.
united24media.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:14 AM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇷🇺 🇺🇦 On the night of January 2, Russian troops launched a massive attack on Zaporizhzhia with strike drones. Dozens of buildings were damaged, and a shopping center caught fire.

newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/russia-...

#russia #ukraine
Russia massively strikes Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia: Shopping centre on fire, houses damaged
Read more
newsukraine.rbc.ua
January 2, 2026 at 8:12 AM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇨🇳🇷🇺 #China received 22 shipments of liquefied natural gas last year from two export projects in #Russia sanctioned by the United States and European Union, shiptracking data showed.

www.reuters.com/business/ene...
China receives 22 shipments of LNG from sanctioned Russian projects in 2025
China received 22 shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) last year from two export projects in Russia sanctioned by the United States and European Union, shiptracking data showed.
www.reuters.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:56 AM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Russian forces occupied 4,336 square kilometers (1,674 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in 2025, accounting for less than 1% of the country, the Ukrainian open-source mapping project DeepState reported in a year-end assessment published on Jan. 1
kyivindependent.com/russia-captu...

#Ukraine
Russia captured over 4,300 square kilometers of Ukraine in 2025, DeepState reports
Russian forces occupied 4,336 square kilometers (1,674 square miles) of Ukrainian territory in 2025, accounting for less than 1% of the country, the Ukrainian open-source mapping project DeepState rep...
kyivindependent.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:55 AM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇷🇺🇺🇸 #Russia has asked the U.S. to stop its pursuit of an oil tanker that was heading to Venezuela and is now fleeing the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Russia asks US to stop pursuit of fleeing oil tanker, NY Times reports
Russia has asked the U.S. to stop its pursuit of an oil tanker that was heading to Venezuela and is now fleeing the U.S. Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean, the New York Times reported on Thursday, cit...
www.reuters.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:54 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦🇪🇺 #Ukraine formally joined the European Union's single roaming zone on Jan. 1, allowing Ukrainian citizens to use their mobile phone service across the European bloc without incurring additional charges.

kyivindependent.com/ukraine-ente...
Ukraine enters EU's single mobile roaming zone
Ukraine formally joined the European Union's single roaming zone on Jan. 1, allowing Ukrainian citizens to use their mobile phone service across the European bloc without incurring additional charges.
kyivindependent.com
January 1, 2026 at 5:08 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇷🇺 Rosneft head Igor Sechin has once again emerged victorious from a behind-the-scenes struggle for key positions in the leadership of the FSB.

His close associate, General Ivan Tkachev, has been appointed head of the FSB’s Dept of Military Counterintelligence.

theins.press/en/inv/288218

#Russia
Inside Moscow’s latest clash of clans: A new counterintelligence chief could hand Igor Sechin influence over both the FSB and the army
Rosneft head Igor Sechin has once again emerged victorious from a behind-the-scenes struggle for key positions in the leadership of the FSB. His close associate, General Ivan Tkachev (whom The Insider...
theins.press
January 1, 2026 at 5:05 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 #Ukraine has deployed two additional Patriot air defense systems to protect its cities and critical infrastructure, the Defense Ministry announced on Jan. 1.

kyivindependent.com/ukraine-depl...
Ukraine deploys two additional Patriot air defense systems, Defense Ministry reports
Patriot is one of the world's most advanced air defense systems, capable of intercepting aircraft as well as cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic missiles.
kyivindependent.com
January 1, 2026 at 4:50 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) faked the death of Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, and claimed the bounty placed on his head by Russia's intelligence service, HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov revealed on Jan. 1.

kyivindependent.com/ukraines-hur...
'Welcome back to life' — Ukraine's HUR faked death of top anti-Putin Russian commander, claimed Kremlin bounty money
Denis Kapustin, commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), was reported killed in action on Dec. 27.
kyivindependent.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:27 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇷🇺 🇺🇦 A Russian drone attack damaged power infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, while Moscow accused #Ukraine of carrying out a deadly new year attack in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine.

www.reuters.com/business/aer...
Ukraine condemns Russian new year drone attack on power infrastructure
A Russian drone attack damaged power infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions overnight, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, while Moscow accused Ukraine of carrying out a deadly new ye...
www.reuters.com
January 1, 2026 at 1:06 PM
rvps2001.bsky.social
🇺🇦 🇷🇺 Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, as well as an energy storage facility in the oil-rich Volga river region of Tatarstan, Russian authorities and Ukraine's military said on Thursday.

www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Ukrainian drones strike Russian energy targets in Krasnodar, Tatarstan regions
Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, as well as an energy storage facility in the oil-rich Volga river region of Tatarstan, Russian authorities and Ukraine's ...
www.reuters.com
January 1, 2026 at 1:03 PM