Ukraine Daily

Wednesday, January 11

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Personnel conduct work at the scene following a Russian attack on the territory of the market in Shevchenkove village of Kharkiv, Ukraine on January 9, 2023. The explosion occurred on Jan. 9 at 9:10 am, killing 2 and injuring 6. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Russia claims control over central Soledar, Ukraine reports heavy fighting ongoing. The claim was made by Denis Pushilin, head of Russian proxies in Donetsk Oblast, live on Russia’s Channel One, as reported by state media agency TASS.

ISW: Russian forces have not captured all of Donetsk Oblast’s Soledar despite several false Russian claims that the city has fallen. Several Russian sources claimed that Wagner Group forces advanced into the west of Soledar on Jan. 10, pointing out a rare victory after facing a series of humiliating defeats across the front line. However, Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin refuted these claims, remarking that Wagner Group forces are still fighting against concerted Ukrainian resistance, the Institute for the Study of War said in their latest update.

General Staff reports striking 5 Russian personnel concentrations in past 24 hours. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ukraine’s military destroyed two Russian control points, two positions of missile forces and artillery, as well as five concentrations of Russian troops over the past 24 hours.

Almost 1,500 Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant employees not allowed to enter facility. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on Jan. 11 that Russian occupation forces exert “moral and physical pressure” on the population of the occupied territories. Nearly 1,500 employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, who refused to receive Russian passports and sign an agreement with Rosatom, are denied passes and access to the facilty.

General Staff: Russia opens 3 new military hospitals in occupied Berdiansk as casualties mount. As a result of increasingly heavy Russian battlefield casualties, hospitals in occupied Berdiansk in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast “are full of wounded Russian soldiers,” the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its regular evening update on Jan. 10.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

Kuleba confident Germany will supply Ukraine with Leopard tanks after 3-hour meeting with Baerbock. “I think that the German government, somewhere deep down, understands that this decision will be made, and the tanks will be transferred to Ukraine. The only upsetting thing is that this decision has not been made yet, and we are losing precious time and lives because of this,” the foreign minister said.

Russian state-controlled media: Russia appoints Lapin as new ground forces chief. Russia has appointed Colonel-General Aleksandr Lapin as the new chief of staff of its ground forces, Reuters reported, citing Russian state-controlled media TASS.

Security Service has uncovered 600 Russian agents, spies in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Since Feb. 24, over 1,500 investigations into suspected treason and espionage have been opened, and more than 340 of such cases have been sent to court.

Police: Over 2,300 collaboration cases have been opened since Feb. 24. Mariana Reva, a spokeswoman of the National Police of Ukraine, said they have opened 2,300 criminal proceedings related to charges of collaboration. “Collaboration cases are ranging from supporting the enemy in social networks, justifying aggression, and ending with holding positions under the occupation authorities,” Reva said on air on Jan. 11.

Support the Kyiv Independent for as little as $5 a month.

Bloomberg: Russia’s crude oil trades at half global prices, below cap. Russia’s flagship crude oil, Urals, has sold at less than half of international prices and below the G7-imposed price cap amid Western sanctions, impacting its ability to wage its full-scale war against Ukraine, reported Bloomberg on Jan. 9.

New York Times: Russia reports $47 billion budget deficit for 2022. On Jan. 10, the Russian government reported its second highest budget deficit in the post-Soviet era. The New York Times reported citing Russia’s finance minister that the budget gap reached 3.3 trillion rubles in 2022, or 2.3 percent of the Russian economy.

Inflation rate in Ukraine over 2022 lower than expected at 26.6%. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, consumer price inflation in Ukraine was measured at 26.6% over 2022, an overal iless than was initially forecasted, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine reported on Jan. 10.

Read our exclusives here

Russia moves into Soledar, making rare progress amid stalled offensive.

The small salt-mining town of Soledar is on the verge of being occupied by Russian troops after months of heavy fighting.

Photo: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Learn More

The human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Russian attacks on Kharkiv Oblast kill 2 people, injure 7. Over the past day, Russian attacks on the Kupianskyi, Chuhuivskyi, and Kharkivskyi districts in Kharkiv Oblast killed two people and injured seven, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on Jan. 10.

Governor: Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast injure 6 civilians. Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast injured six civilians on Jan. 9, according to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

Governor: Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast kill 2 people, injure 2. On Jan. 9, Russian forces shelled Kherson Oblast 46 times with artillery, MLRS, mortars, and tanks, killing two people and injuring two, reported Kherson Oblast Governor Yaroslav Yanushevych.

International response

Mayor: Latvia sends 10 buses to Kyiv. Latvia has sent ten buses from Riga to Kyiv, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Jan. 10. The buses will contain some humanitarian aid for Ukraine “collected by the residents of Latvia,” Klitschko added.

Latvia to send more Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine. Latvian Defense Minister Inara Murniece said her country could announce it during the upcoming Ramstein summit on Jan. 20, Latvian Public Media reported on Jan. 10.

Canada to buy NASAMS air defense system for Ukraine. “Canada’s NASAMS donation will help Ukraine strengthen its air defense systems against destructive air attacks on military sites, critical civilian infrastructure, and population centers,” the country’s Department of National Defence said.

CNN: Ukrainians to start training on Patriot missile system in US next week. The training is expected to take “several months,” according to the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Laura Cooper.

CNN: Italy must fix ‘technical issues’ before providing Ukraine with air defense systems. According to CNN, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his country must resolve some “technical issues” before sending air defense systems to Ukraine. Tajani said that the Italian government was not “slowing down its aid to Ukraine,” without specifying the technical issues with the air defense systems, CNN reports.

German Foreign Minister pays surprise visit to Kharkiv. “This city symbolizes the absolute madness of Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine. It is important for me that we do not lose sight of Ukraine’s place in our European family, even in this winter of the war,” Annalena Baerbock said during the visit alongside Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

In other news

Media: Ukrainian billionaire Zhevago released in France on 1 million euro bail. According to the report, Zhevago has posted bail and currently stays in the Courchevel ski resort, where he was detained at the request of the State Investigation Bureau of Ukraine on Dec. 27. He can’t leave France.

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Teah Pelechaty, Dinara Khalilova, Olga Rudenko, Thaisa Semenova, Francis Farrell, Brad LaFoy, Anastasiya Gordiychuk, and Olena Goncharova.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider becoming our patron on Patreon or donating via GoFundMe. Start supporting independent journalism today.