There’s no letup on the Ukrainian-Russian front line. Shooting has continued unabated. Volodymyr Zelensky, in a message on his social media channels, said: “Ukraine now needs to focus more on security issues, on the development of the Ukrainian Defense and Security Forces, as well as on the diplomatic path in negotiations.”
“The Office of the President will primarily serve to fulfill the following tasks of our state. Kirill has particular experience in these areas and sufficient strength to achieve results. He also instructed the new head of the Office of the President, in cooperation with the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and other necessary leaders and institutions, to update and submit for approval the strategic foundations of the defense and development of our state and the next steps,” Zelensky wrote.
“On January 2, all formal procedures for the appointment of Budanov as head of the Office of the President were completed.” Presidential Advisor Dmitry Lytvyn told reporters in response to a question about whether Kirill Budanov had already been appointed head of the Office of the President.
Ukraine characterized the Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence in Russia as a move to slow down negotiations. On January 1st, however, “materials containing decrypted routing data and the controller of the Ukrainian drone, which was hit by Russian air defense systems on the night of December 29, 2025, in the Novgorod region during the terrorist attack on the Russian presidential residence, were handed over to a representative of the Office of the Military Attaché at the US Embassy in Moscow.” Source: Russian Ministry of Defense.
And now a look at the front line updated at 3:30 PM on January 2nd.
On New Year’s Eve, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a drone strike on the village of Khorly, in the Kherson region, according to local Ukrainian sources, killing 24 people and wounding 50 who were in a bar. Kiev denied the report. Between 8:00 AM and 11:00 PM, 259 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones were shot down over Russian regions. Among Kiev’s targets were a tank depot in Almetyevsk, Tatarstan, and the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai. On the evening of the 1st, Ukrainian forces attacked an oil refinery in the Samara region.
Russian forces struck targets in Zaporizhia, Chuguev, and the outskirts of Kharkiv.
In the Sumy region, the Russian Northern Group of Forces continues offensive operations in several areas. The situation is also developing in a relatively new direction: in the Hrabovs’ke area (a border area opposite Krasnaya Yaruga in the Belgorod region), Ukrainian forces launched an unsuccessful counterattack with two assault groups. According to Russian troops, the Ukrainians are moving strategic reserves to the Hrabovsk area to recapture lost positions and are reportedly strengthening their defensive lines.
In the Kursk region, on New Year’s Eve, the village of Fonov in the Rylsky District (26 km from the border) was attacked by Ukrainian forces.
In the Belgorod region, a commercial facility in the village of Razumnoye in Belgorod District was attacked by a drone, injuring three people. The villages of Yasnye Zori, Streletskoye, Grayvoron, Borisovka, and Gruzskoye were also attacked.
In Kupyansk, Ukrainian forces are taking advantage of the bad weather to infiltrate personnel; Russian forces have repelled three Ukrainian attacks. There is a reported shortage of large drones to fully resupply the Russian infantry by air.
Southwest of Pokrovsk, in Kotlyne, Ukrainian forces are conducting anti-crisis information operations, deploying a combat detachment with two flags on the outskirts.
West of Hulyaijpole, Russian forces are bombing the next settlement in the offensive zone of the Russian Eastern Group of Forces, the village of Zaliznychne.
Graziella Giangiulio
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