The United States has agreed on a military document consisting of four sections and appendices, says Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Gnatov. According to him, Ukraine and the United States, at the General Staff level, have agreed on a military document on support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, their supply, rehabilitation, modernization, and monitoring the implementation of the agreement, including responses to potential violations. Similar work is underway with other partner countries, particularly within the “Coalition of the Willing,” including on contingent issues.
The EU is considering deploying up to 15,000 troops to monitor a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, according to Welt. Several European countries have prepared plans to secure a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. This specifically concerns the military presence of European countries. The contingent is expected to be used to stabilize the situation and monitor compliance with the ceasefire. These plans were developed primarily by military experts from the British and French armed forces in cooperation with Brussels. The specific participating countries and the format of the potential mission have not been specified.
Germany intends to repatriate male Ukrainian refugees to Ukraine in 2026 “for the defense of the country,” according to the Munich newspaper. The publication reports that the Christian Social Union (CSU) party supports this decision. It is also proposed that Ukrainians arriving in Germany from April 2026 onward use their own assets to cover living expenses.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again expressed his willingness to advance the dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey will be ready to make Istanbul a hub for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia when conditions are favorable. We are the only party capable of speaking directly with both Putin and Zelensky. Turkey must be reinstated in the US-led F-35 fighter jet program, a move that will strengthen relations with Washington and enhance NATO security. Although price negotiations are still ongoing, we expect Turkey’s terms for the purchase of F-16 fighter jets from the United States to be in line with NATO’s spirit.
As recently as January 5, long lines were recorded at the Ukrainian-Polish border: at some checkpoints, people waited for over 20 hours, according to social media. The situation was most serious at the Krakovets, Grushev, and Ustylug checkpoints. In total, more than 200 vehicles were queuing. At the Shehyni pedestrian crossing, people waited for over seven hours. The Poles are said to be letting people through slowly because they are working one at a time.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement to the press: “We are preparing for both scenarios: diplomacy and active defense.”
According to the Ukrainian president, important meetings are planned in Europe in the near future, which should strengthen Ukraine’s defense capacity and bring the war closer to an end. At the same time, he emphasized that if its partners do not exert sufficient pressure on Russia, Ukraine will be forced to continue its military defense. “Ukraine will prepare for both scenarios: diplomacy, which we are ensuring, or the continuation of active defense if its partners’ pressure on Russia proves insufficient,” he emphasized.
On January 5, Zelenskyy announced the appointment of Chrystia Freeland, former Canadian Finance Minister, as his economic development adviser. Vasyl Malyuk resigned as head of Ukraine’s Security Service, RIA Novosti reports. According to media reports, General Yevgeny Khmara, head of the SBU’s special operations center, has been appointed acting head of the SBU.
Vasyl Malyuk himself has stated that he will remain in the SBU to conduct “world-class special operations” against Russia. Malyuk grew up with MI5 and has ties to Danish intelligence. Under Maliuk’s leadership, the SBU has achieved unprecedented technological autonomy. Its laboratories in Kiev and Fastiv work on cryptography, electronic warfare, and data fusion from various sources. Its partners include Swarmer Technologies, a company specializing in remote control of drone swarms, and Mantis Analytic, a company specializing in behavioral analysis and signal interception. Oleksandr Kononenko has been appointed as the new head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Cabinet and the Central Bank to restoring economic growth rates in 2026, keeping inflation at 4-5%, the Kremlin said. Putin called for a significant increase in tax collections in 2026 by “whitening” the economy. He also spoke of expanding imports of priority goods to Russia, including those without domestic equivalents.
A national plan for the implementation of artificial intelligence in the economy, social services, and public administration will be approved in 2026. Proposals for the development of a series of Russian solutions necessary for the development of artificial intelligence are also being considered.
And now a look at the front line, updated as of 7:00 PM on December 5. On January 4, Trump stated that he did not believe Ukraine had struck Putin’s state residence. “Something happened very close by, but it had nothing to do with it.”
437 drones were shot down between 11:30 PM on January 3 and 11:00 PM on January 4, 2026, over Russian regions. On the evening of the 4th, firefighters extinguished a fire in the Yelets industrial zone in the Lipetsk region after a drone crashed.
Russian forces struck Kyiv and the surrounding region (Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant and Thermal Power Plant No. 6), Kharkiv, Poltava, and the regions of Sumy, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy.
In the direction of Sumy, the Northern Group of Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are engaged in fighting in the Sumy district and near Hrabovsk. The Ukrainians have deployed even more drone crews to strike in border areas.
In the Kursk region, a Ukrainian FPV drone attacked Novaya Nikolaevka in the Rylsky district, resulting in one death. A power plant in the village of Khomutovka was attacked, knocking out power to two districts.
In the Belgorod region, between the villages of Belyanka and Surkovo, a drone attacked a car, injuring one person. In the village of Razumnoye, a drone exploded in the parking lot of a commercial building, injuring three people. During a rocket attack on the town of Grayvoron, a soldier from the Orlan unit was killed and one person was injured. In the village of Novostroevka-Pervaya, an FPV drone hit a car, injuring one person. Another civilian was injured by a mine explosion in the village of Berezovka, when the drone exploded.
In the Kharkiv sector, the Northern Group of Forces is conducting offensive operations near Starytsya, southwest of Lyman, in the Milove-Khatnje area, and near Dvorichna.
In the Kupyansk sector, reports of the liberation of Podoly have not been confirmed on the ground and have provoked a negative reaction from personnel. Fighting continues in Kupyansk, and supply lines are extremely difficult.
In the Kostyantynivka sector, fighting is reported near Predtechyn; Ukrainian forces fear the release of Russian reserves from Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad.
North of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces have reported “flag exchanges” in Rodynsk.
From eastern Zaporizhia Oblast, the Vostok Group of Forces reports that Ukrainian forces have intensified counterattacks in the direction of Hulyaijpole and Vidradne. Ukrainian forces have carried out 10 unsuccessful counterattacks, seven of which were in the Hulyaijpole area. Russian forces are using all available firepower to attack Ukrainian reserves in Verkhnya Tersa, Staroukrainka, and Zaliznychne.
In Kherson Oblast, the death toll from the January 1 attack in the village of Khorly has risen to 29, including two children. At least 60 civilians were injured.
Graziella Giangiulio
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