Ukraine-Russia conflict: Key developments on day 1,063

Wednesday 22 January 2025 - 15:38

Combat Updates:

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched four missiles and 131 drones overnight. Of these, 72 drones were intercepted and destroyed, while 59 failed to reach their targets.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced the interception and destruction of 55 Ukrainian drones across six regions. In Voronezh, six drones were downed, and debris caused a fire shortly after a similar incident in the region. No injuries were reported.

Ukraine claimed responsibility for targeting an aviation manufacturing facility in Russia’s Smolensk region, where combat aircraft are modernized, and for an attack in Voronezh that ignited a fuel depot. Ukraine's General Staff noted that these operations involved drone units and special forces.

Russian forces reportedly captured the village of Vovkove, near Pokrovsk, a critical supply hub for Ukraine’s forces. They had earlier taken Shevchenko, another nearby village. Authorities in Russia's Orenburg region urged residents to take shelter amid a potential Ukrainian drone threat.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained the army’s chief psychiatrist on charges of corruption, accusing him of concealing approximately $1 million in unjustified assets allegedly acquired during the war.

Russia’s Army Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, visited troops near Pokrovsk, awarding medals to soldiers. Moscow also reported intercepting Ukrainian drones over Crimea and the Rostov region, with no damage or casualties.

In the Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar, under intense Russian fire, 229 civilians—primarily elderly or disabled—remain, according to local military sources.

Political and Diplomatic Updates:

Former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticizing Putin for “destroying Russia” by avoiding a ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump warned of new sanctions and urged European nations to bolster their support for Kyiv.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin held discussions via video call on a possible peace deal to end the conflict, along with other global issues, including the Middle East and Taiwan.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Europe to strengthen its global leadership role, unify its defense strategy, and increase military spending to ensure peace. He rejected the idea of reducing Ukraine’s military capabilities as part of a peace agreement. Zelenskyy also called for a deployment of at least 200,000 European peacekeepers to enforce any potential settlement.

Russian President Putin held a phone call with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss bilateral projects and developments in the Middle East and Ukraine.