
The EU, after the extension of sanctions against Russia, intends to negotiate with Orban to avoid blocking negotiations on Ukraine’s accession. Answering the question whether the position of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not become an obstacle to the effective start of negotiations with Ukraine on integration, the head of EU diplomacy, Kaya Callas, replied that, in the end, the EU has always managed to reach some sort of solution.
Ukraine is experiencing yet another scandal at the Ministry of Defense. Rustem Umerov, Minister of Defense, has changed the leadership of AOZ, the Agency for Defense Procurement. However, the Agency itself has stated that there is pressure and the director, Maryna Bezrukova, has been suspended but says she will continue to work. The subject of the dispute between the Agency and the Ministry concerns the purchase of weapons for the army. “The contract with Bezrukova was not renewed because the procurement of weapons has turned into ‘Amazon,’” says Umerov. The Defense Ministry’s public council is calling for the intervention of the National Security Council and the political leadership. The council believes that Umerov should submit a letter of resignation, and RBC-Ukraine sources in the president’s team say that there are no grounds for dismissal yet.
“Russia took half of Ukraine’s resources, which allowed it to fully cover the costs of the war,” said former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces Viktor Muzhenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an order to extend the term of civilian service until March 2, 2026, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Bogdanov said. The Russian government supported a bill according to which Russians who have decided to be called up for military service, but who for some reason have not been called up, will be sent to the army within a year of making the decision.
On the talks between Trump and Putin: “Contacts between Russia and the new American administration have not yet begun, the parties have not taken any active steps in this direction,” said Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov. “Contacts with the new administration have not begun. Everything that happens in terms of dialogue with Washington is conducted through embassies,” said a senior diplomat. “If by contacts we mean direct access to members of the new American administration, then this is not the case,” the deputy minister clarified. “I would not anticipate developments in this area, because, I emphasize once again, there are no proactive steps on our part to establish contacts.”
And now a look at the front line as of 17:30 on January 28.
In the Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that units of the Sever group of troops liberated the settlement of Nikolaevo-Daryino during offensive operations. Severyan resources report that Russian troops are advancing in the vicinity of Sverdlikovo, as well as in the nearby forest belts, and that there are battles in the Kurilovka area. The Ukrainian Armed Forces sent a sabotage group on an armored combat vehicle to Belopolye (Sumy region, 10 km south of Tyotkino), which was discovered by Russian intelligence officers and destroyed by UAV operators. At night, the Russian Armed Forces transferred more than 100 of its paratroopers to the Sudzhansky district, who were immediately sent to counterattack Russian positions in the area of the village of Nikolsky. Ukrainian personnel were subjected to complex fire damage.
In Chasiv Yar, battles are reported in the southwest of the city.
In Torets’k, battles are taking place on the outskirts of the city, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces hold the last lines of defense. Ukrainian military remotely mine the area and attack with drones.
West of Kurachove, in the eastern part of the village Andriivka there are battles, Russian Armed Forces are advancing from the settlement of Shevchenko and Petropavlivka. According to Ukrainian military channels, Andriivka is extremely important for the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: next to it, across the Vovca River is Kostiantynopolske, the capture of the villages will allow to close the cauldron from Dachne to the river to Sukhi Yaly.
The capture of Velyka Novosilka gives the Russian command the opportunity to develop the success both in the north, towards the Bahatyr settlement (it will allow the Russians to operate in the remaining part of the DPR south of the Vovca River), and west, towards the junction of the borders of the DPR, Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
The Zaporizhia front without significant changes, while the Russian armed forces increasingly strike in the rear of Orichiv and the Preobrazhenka settlement. Russian FPV operators disrupt Ukrainian logistics, trying to keep the supply routes of the Ukrainian armed forces under fire control.
At night, Ukrainian UAVs were shot down over the Belgorod and Bryansk regions. From 18:00 to 22:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles: three UAVs were shot down on the territory of the Republic of Crimea and one each on the territories of the Kursk and Belgorod regions. From 12:30 to 13:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the territory of the Belgorod region.
Graziella Giangiulio
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