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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Firefighters extinguish a fire after a Russian strike on a residential building in Kryvyi Rih on Jan. 29, 2026. The attack killed one person and injured three others. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service / Telegram)

Trump claims Putin agreed not to strike Kyiv, other Ukrainian cities ‘for a week.’ “I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kyiv and the cities and towns for a week,” Trump said. “And he agreed to do that.”

Ukraine repatriates bodies of 1,000 fallen soldiers. Russia confirmed that it had handed over 1,000 bodies to Ukraine under the Istanbul agreement in exchange for 38 bodies of fallen Russian soldiers, Kremlin-controlled news agency TASS reported on Jan. 29.

‘Without power, without heat’ — EU allocates over $170 million for Ukraine amid Russian attacks on energy. The funds will support protection assistance, shelter, food, cash aid, psychosocial services, and access to water and healthcare for Ukrainians affected by the attacks.

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Ukraine’s central bank cuts interest rate in first change in 10 months. The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) voted on Jan. 29 to cut its benchmark interest rate to 15%, the first change since March last year, as inflation cools and a new aid package from Europe eased pressure on the country’s finances.

Defense Ministry working with SpaceX to solve Russian use of Starlink on drones. Ukraine says it is working with SpaceX to stop Russian drones from using Starlink, after reports that satellite-connected UAVs are extending their range to strike deeper into Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine distributes boilers from Italy to support heating for up to 90,000 homes. Ukraine has distributed industrial boiler equipment delivered by Italy among communities in 10 regions as part of a broader support program aimed at strengthening the country’s heating infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on Jan. 29.

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Russia’s war against Ukraine didn’t end with the new year, and neither did the need for reliable reporting. As a reader-funded newsroom, we rely on members to sustain our journalism. Your support helps keep the world informed about what’s really happening in Ukraine. Become a member today.

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Read our exclusives

‘They don’t consider their work heroic’ — 4 energy workers die amid Kyiv repairs following Russian attacks

As Kyiv’s repair crews scramble to keep the lights and heat on after repeated Russian strikes, the work has become punishing — and, in recent weeks, deadly.

Photo: Oleksandr Magula / AFP via Getty Images

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Ukraine war latest: ‘The enemy is likely preparing an offensive’ — Ukrainian forces report more aerial strikes in Pokrovsk sector

Russian troops have stepped up aerial bomb attacks in the Pokrovsk sector of Donetsk Oblast, which could signal preparations for an offensive, Yuliia Stepaniuk, head of communications for the 117th Separate Mechanized Brigade, told Suspilne on Jan. 29.

Photo: Marharyta Fal/Frontliner/Getty Images

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International response

Germany’s Merz says Ukraine joining EU in 2027 ‘not possible.’ The comments come after President Volodymyr Zelensky set 2027 as the target date for Ukraine’s entry into the bloc.

Estonia warns Russian veterans could flood Europe after Ukraine war, urges EU entry ban. “We have close to 1 million combatants in Russia. They’re mainly criminals; they are very dangerous people,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. “We have information that most of them will come to Europe after the war.”

EU plans to impose 20th sanctions package against Russia on Feb. 24, Kallas says. The European Union aims to impose a 20th sanctions package against Russia on Feb. 24, the day marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters on Jan. 29.

China denies helping Russia produce Oreshnik missiles. The news comes after the Telegraph reported that China has sent Russia tools used to build Oreshnik warheads.

‘Repression cannot go unanswered’ — EU sanctions Iran over protest crackdown, Russia support. European foreign ministers also agreed to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s chief diplomat.

Lukoil agrees to sell most of its foreign assets to US investment group. The Carlyle deal does not include Lukoil’s assets in Kazakhstan and is still subject to approval by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Russian energy giant said.

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The Kyiv Independent [unofficial]

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Yevheniia Yeremina, an 89-year-old pensioner, stands in her kitchen using a gas stove to warm her apartment, which has no electricity and heating, in Kyiv on Jan. 26, 2026, following Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. (Roman Pilipey / AFP via Getty Images)

Russia continues attempts at breakthrough near Pokrovsk, brings up reserves, Syrskyi says. Despite the brutal conditions, Russia has still continued to push out north of the city of Pokrovsk, making occasional incremental gains according to open-source mapping projects.

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UK shipping company helped Russia raise $3.2 billion in LNG trade revenue in 2025, campaigners say. Seapeak’s share of Yamal LNG’s trade in 2025 amounted to 37.3%, more than any other company, according to Urgewald’s analysis based on Kpler data.

No matter what comes next, Ukraine Daily is there for you every morning.

Russia’s war against Ukraine didn’t end with the new year, and neither did the need for reliable reporting. As a reader-funded newsroom, we rely on members to sustain our journalism. Your support helps keep the world informed about what’s really happening in Ukraine. Become a member today.

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Opinions and insights

Ukraine war latest: Iranian missiles fail to take off on Ukrainian front

Iran gave hundreds of its missiles to Russia as a gift. So far, they’ve been plagued by failure. Ukrainian intelligence told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 26 that of the over 350 Fath-360 missiles that Iran has given Russia, none have come down on Ukraine.

Photo: Iranian Leader Press Office / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Exclusive: Russian negotiators soften hardline stance in private, US officials say. Ukrainians urge caution

U.S. officials leading the talks are convinced that Russian negotiators have taken a more pragmatic tone behind closed doors than Moscow’s public hardline rhetoric suggests, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Photo: Alexander Kazakov / Pool / AFP via Getty Images

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Russia tightens passport rules for children in occupied Ukraine, complicating escape, activists say

A new Russian law requires Ukrainian children in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine to obtain Russian international passports to travel abroad; experts say the move complicates efforts to flee the occupation. A law that took effect Jan. 20 bars children under 14 from traveling abroad without a Russian international passport, Russian state media outlet TASS reported.

Photo: Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images

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Fact-check: Russia’s ‘most successful disinformation campaign’ targets free speech in Europe

Moscow’s propaganda machine has been hard at work depicting Europe as a “digital gulag,” hellbent on suppressing free speech online.

The latest campaign has targeted efforts by the U.K. and the EU to regulate X (formerly Twitter), even as the platform remains blocked in Russia, alongside Facebook, Instagram, and others.

Photo: Contributor / Getty Images

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Exclusive: Iran gave Russia over 350 Fath-360 missiles. Ukraine has yet to see one launched

Russia has not carried out a single confirmed launch of an Iranian-made ballistic missile against Ukraine during the full-scale war, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on Jan. 26.

Photo: Fars Media Corporation/Wikipedia

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International response

EU gives final approval to ban on Russian gas by 2027. A full ban on Russian LNG will take effect in early 2027, followed by pipeline gas imports in the autumn of that year.

Hungary, Slovakia to challenge EU Russian gas ban in court. Hungary and Slovakia plan to sue the European Union over its REPowerEU plan to phase out imports of Russian oil and gas, officials wrote on Jan. 26.

How Ukrainian soldiers cope with subzero temperatures | Ukraine This Week

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