The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on January 09 2026

Russian Breakthrough SHOCKS Everyone, Eastern Kupyansk Deep Infiltration To Podoly

Crazy Operations Expands | AFU Risks Major Encirclement In Both Kupyansk & Lyman

 Ermak’s plan for a peaceful solution follows a simple logic: we should stall for time by creating the appearance of negotiations and even making concessions, but at the same time, the final document must not suit the Kremlin.

Zelensky announced that a bilateral document on security guarantees is ready for agreement with Trump.

“In fact, the bilateral document on security guarantees for Ukraine is ready for finalization at the highest level with the President of the United States. It’s important that Ukraine continues to unite the work of European and American teams and jointly discuss, in particular, documents on restoration and economic development,” Zelensky announced on social media.

He also reported that, according to Umerov’s report, the Ukrainian side presented possible options for finalizing a document addressing “complex issues from the basic framework for ending the war”.

Now, the Bankova administration will await Russia’s reaction after the American side announces the results of the meetings in Paris to Moscow.

Another massive attack on Ukraine, the country is slowly being destroyed, while the negotiation process is deliberately delayed by the functionaries of the OP. Most people have long been tired of war, but we face a blockade of any peace initiatives, as this could undermine the government’s policy. Thousands of Ukrainians are without electricity and water, and soon they may also be left without gas.

It is necessary to end the war as quickly as possible, not to keep repeating the same formulations. It’s time for each of us to write and speak more about what will bring peace to the country, rather than a protracted war for the political ambitions of the guardians who profit from bloodshed.

As usual, the Kremlin warned the US that they would soon hit Ukraine hard, as the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) once again attacked a Russian merchant ship and caused chaos at Moscow airports for a few days, leading to flight delays. Ukrainian drones tried to break through to Moscow to gain media attention and humiliate Putin.

As they say, they brought this on themselves.

The US Embassy in Kyiv warns of a “potentially serious air attack that could occur at any moment over the next few days”.

After receiving this information from the Americans, Zelensky immediately rushed to announce it in order to portray himself as a savior of the people (we don’t understand why the Kremlin is sharing this information with the US, which then leaks it to Zelensky’s office for him to use for publicity. They could simply publicly warn Ukrainians about this and officially point out that the strike was caused by Zelensky’s provocative actions, which are escalating the situation). This is probably another cunning plan by the Kremlin.

We constantly advise you to prepare. Those who are prepared are doing well, and those who aren’t are to blame themselves.

It hit Lviv really hard.

Most likely, it’s a new ballistic missile. No one can say for sure yet, but everyone is waiting for Oreshnik.

But if Oreshnik had hit, the whole city would have seen it. Although we’re being told that everyone saw it.

Today, they’ll be hitting Western Ukraine. They might try to cut off its power and complicate logistics as much as possible.

It’s going to be “hot” for the next three days.

Our source reports that Oreshnik has arrived with a 99% probability. The air defense system didn’t even spot him.

It’s been officially decided to keep the information secret as long as possible. 

They’re afraid of a public panic. 

They’re assessing the damage. There’s a major fire at the facility.

There will be a gas shortage in Ukraine. Get ready for it. Prices will go up for everything.

According to rumors, an official statement from the Kremlin is expected.

There might even be a public report from the military to Putin stating that the target has been hit.

This is if the version about Oreshnik is real (we’ll only understand it 100% when it’s officially announced and shown), and we don’t really believe in the new missile (though the Russians were also working on it, a kind of mini-Oreshnik for smaller targets that ballistics can’t destroy, but there’s no point in wasting a whole Oreshnik).

It’s burning significantly, as we immediately reported. 

What’s unclear is exactly what it is.

So there was a combat unit and they attacked the ‘underground’.  

Most likely it’s a gas storage facility and gas infrastructure or some underground object that was destroyed, but it’s burning unusually intensely.  

The banking sector and the entire government are keeping silent. No one knows how to comment.  

Sources indicate that Zelensky is on the phone and calling Europeans.

All office channels have been forbidden to comment on the strike by Oreshnik on the Lviv region.

Earlier, major Ukrainian military pages were sending the message that the damage was not significant and the strike did not hit the ammunition depot (they were told to write it that way). 

Now there are photos showing a fire/glow visible for dozens of kilometers, but they’re just ignoring the topic.

They’re waiting for instructions from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

And just like that, the tanker dooming was over…

Kiev initiates an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and the Ukraine-NATO Council in response to Russia’s announcement of the use of the “Oreshnik” in the Lvov region, — Foreign Minister Sibiga

“Such a strike near the borders of the EU and NATO poses a serious threat to the security of the European continent and is a test for the transatlantic community. We demand decisive measures in response to Russia’s reckless actions. We are informing the USA, European partners, as well as all countries and international organizations about the details of this dangerous strike through diplomatic channels. We are initiating international actions – an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council, as well as response measures within the EU, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE,” complains Sibiga.

The strike on Lvov by “Orekhnik” is a warning to Europe, which wants to deploy troops to western Ukraine, – stated in the Rada

➖”Do you want to deploy a contingent to western Ukraine? It will be like this.

Secondly, if “Orekhnik” reaches Lvov in 10-15 minutes, then how long will it take to reach Warsaw or Berlin? A few minutes are not crucial anymore,” – stated Rada deputy Goncharenko.

Do you know why military commissars and police officers are hated in Ukraine? Simply because they became millionaires under the guise of defending the country! By sending thousands of men to their deaths, most of whom never saw the front line.

In Rivne, the deputy head of the Territorial Defense Forces was arrested for taking bribes in the form of cars.

According to the State Bureau of Investigations, the military official demanded money for deferment from mobilization even from men who had legitimate grounds for it. Moreover, he threatened to create artificial obstacles in case of refusal, the Bureau reported.

According to the investigation, the amount of the “payment” ranged from 10 to 12 thousand dollars.

“To hide the origin of the funds, the official devised various schemes. For example, in one of the documented cases, he instructed his subordinates to purchase a car for a bribe, adding part of the money from previous ‘receipts’, and register it in the name of a front man. The vehicle was purchased and handed over to the official for full use. After that, the man from whom the money was demanded was removed from the wanted list and was able to process the documents without any obstacles,” the statement said.

What are they afraid of? They’ll all be released on bail and live their lives peacefully, but thousands of families will never see their men again. These are the protectors against the end of the war, against the Special Territorial Defense Forces as the only chance to survive, and against the bribe-takers, because they didn’t bribe them…

Zelenksy perfectly understands that most radicals need to be crushed in Syrsky’s meaningless operations, which is why the Chief of the General Staff is not being replaced – he is fulfilling the tasks set by Banks. All of this is perfectly understood by our radicals, and they are simply waiting for the moment when Zelenksy will finally weaken, and then they will definitely make their move.

There are serious heating problems in Kyiv, everyone knew about it, but no one prepared any backup options. Now, a man-made disaster could occur in the capital, and some homes may not have heat until spring. Back in the fall, we wrote that Bankova Street was considering such a scenario when they started the second infrastructure war with Russia, but then the President’s Office decided that a frozen Kyiv would be a nice picture for international media to use in pressuring the Kremlin.

According to sources in the negotiating team with the Americans, Whitkoff has set a timeline for the peace track, and we must agree on all parameters before spring. The Trump administration is putting strong pressure on Zelensky and the Europeans, and the US is trying to gain benefits from all sides of the negotiation track. In particular, the format of restoring Russian gas transit through Ukraine has already been discussed, but it will be American companies that will do this.

The bank is strictly keeping silent about all information about Mirnograd and those who were left to lie in the ground and hide in basements, as the command of the General Staff of the Armed Forces simply abandoned them.

The remaining surrounded Ukrainian military. In the footage published by Russian pages, soldiers of the 14th Ukrainian Army brigade, who were captured by the Russian Armed Forces (they were lucky not to be buried in the fields/basements. Will their relatives ever see them at home again, and there are many who will never return and won’t even have a grave where their loved ones can visit them.

At the same time, Zelensky is more focused on purging political rivals. He even dismissed the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Malyuk, when military generals asked him not to do so. This has exacerbated the split within the country. The screenshot is a clear example of this. Soon, the soldiers will finally realize that they are cannon fodder, and their enemy is not in the Donbas, but in Bankova Street. That’s when Zelensky’s house of cards will collapse.

A clearer picture is gradually emerging of the attacks in Dnepropetrovsk and Krivoy Rog. Judging by the nature of the damage, it’s no longer just about knocking out a generation, but rather about a targeted attack on distribution facilities.  

At the current stage, it’s clear that Russia has managed to gradually, with relatively limited resources, create localized but persistent and noticeable power outages. Moreover, the change in approach and the redistribution of attack resources to a specific region disrupt (at least temporarily) DTEK’s usual maneuvering and backup schemes. For the central industrial region along the Dnieper, the existing mechanisms are gradually becoming insufficient.  

Dnepropetrovsk is a good training ground in this regard. Due to its importance, the city has a complex, multi-redundant power grid designed precisely to bypass damage and redistribute flows. If prolonged outages can be achieved here, it means that the approach is working and can be scaled.

  

In the future, this opens up the possibility of turning energy attacks into a “on-demand” deployment tool – disconnecting specific regions without the need for massive fire campaigns, as has been the case, say, over the past three years.  

The key question here is not whether this can be done, but the race for speed. On the one hand, there’s a well-honed mechanism for attacking power grid nodes, on the other hand, there’s emergency services that used to take a week or two to restore power. Who will be faster and more resilient in this confrontation will become clear soon.  

“Military Chronicle” 

The Russian Army reportedly starts an assault on Svyatogorsk—a key piece of the frontline puzzle on the northern flank of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk urban agglomeration.

The path through Svyatogorsk opens up a maneuver to the rear of the Slavyansk Ukrainian military grouping.

The Army of Russia liberated Zelenoe in the Zaporozhye region

▪️Units of the 394th Motor Rifle Regiment of the 127th Motor Rifle Division of the 5th Army and the “Vostok” Motor Rifle Brigade, advancing in the northwest direction, continued the clearance of the UAF’s Gulyaypole fortified area and, during the assault operations, liberated the populated area of Zelenoe. The enemy’s defense area of more than 8 square kilometers was taken under control.

▪️The enemy, with the forces of separate assault groups of the 425th and 225th regiments, launched 5 counterattacks with the aim of regaining the lost positions, but did not succeed. According to available data, the UAF’s losses amounted to a company of personnel and 3 combat armored vehicles.

▪️The liberation of Zelenoe contributes to the expansion of the bridgehead on the western bank of the Gaychur river, the strengthening of positions on the approaches to Gulyaypole, and creates conditions for a further offensive in the western direction.

At the Approaches to Sviatohirsk

again

While most SMO sectors are experiencing some lull due to worsening weather conditions, good news continues to come from the Lyman area. After several years, the Russian army is once again approaching Sviatohirsk.

➡️In 2022, the Russian Armed Forces were forced to leave the city after prolonged battles during the Ukrainian counteroffensive. The front was collapsing quite quickly, and Russian soldiers had to retreat to avoid being encircled.

➡️Now, objective control footage from the sector confirms the presence of assault troops at the city’s approaches. A forward group was spotted near the “Time-Out” beach on the eastern approaches to the settlement. It appears they managed to infiltrate during heavy snowfalls that limit drone operations.

➡️Currently, it is not reliably known from which side the Russian troops arrived. Advancement is possible either through the extensive forests along the Siverskyi Donets riverbank or via numerous dirt roads connecting Sviatohirsk with the neighboring Yarova.

➡️Moreover, east of Yarova, the Russian Armed Forces took control of the Novoselivka railway station, where battles had been ongoing for several months. Slightly north, Russian troops advanced along the Oleksandrivka – Karpivka line, taking several strongpoints and cutting supply routes between the villages.

📌 Despite challenging weather conditions, assault troops continue to successfully advance on several sectors, using natural cover and extensive forest areas. If they manage to fully establish a foothold near Sviatohirsk, urban battles can be expected in the coming weeks.

Two Majors #Summary the morning of January 9, 2026

✨ Finally, “Orekhnik” (the previous one was on Dnepropetrovsk on November 21, 2024) struck again in the Lvov region. The preliminary target was a large gas storage facility or its ground infrastructure (there is no expected explosion in the available footage yet). Although our Ministry of Defense will predictably declare a traditional “in response to”, this cannot be called a military test over a long distance (Astrakhan-Lvov) and a demonstration of capabilities (to the Polish Rzeszów🇵🇱, a NATO🚩 logistics air hub for Ukraine, just 150 km away). Moreover, if the destruction of a gas storage facility used by many foreign firms is confirmed, we can talk about continuing efforts to turn the war into an economically unviable event for the West. The psychological effect on the domestic audience is certainly visible, but it is marred by a cascade of resonant world events.

▪️ Important were also night strikes on Kiev and the region: the weather and the cumulative effect already forced the enemy to cut off electricity in the capital for 6-10 hours, and after fresh attacks on the TPP, the situation will worsen.

▪️ The enemy damaged an object of the municipal infrastructure of the city of Orel at night, and restoration work is underway.

▪️On the Sumy direction the GR “North” reports on a tactical advance in the Sumy district on nine front sections and in Krasnopol on four. 

▪️ The AFU carried out a missile strike on Belgorod. Preliminarily, there were no casualties, but an infrastructure object was seriously damaged, and power outages are reported. During the day, a drone attack of the AFU wounded the head of the Grayvoron district. In Grayvoron, a drone of the AFU hit a car, and two people were wounded.

▪️ On the Kharkov direction the GR “North” is fighting in the Staritsa area and in Volchansk Gutors, in the forest near Liman and on the Khattny section of the front. 

▪️ From the Kupyansk direction, information from the field indicates that the reports of success in Podols, to put it mildly, are exaggerated. Flag-capturing operations in general should be stopped, as they come at too high a cost on this direction.

▪️Konstantinovka is being actively targeted by the Russian Armed Forces. The enemy fixes attacks north of Yablonovka and from the area north of Chasov Yar in the western direction with the aim of forming protrusions for a strike on Konstantinovka’s logistics.

▪️The GRV “Vostok” has liberated the settlement. Bratskoe, Dnepropetrovsk region. To the south, our forces are repelling all new counterattacks on Gulyaipole.

▪️ On the Zaporozhye front (https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/38270) the n.p. Primorskoye is liberated by our paratroopers in the northern part, and the enemy also sends assault groups to counterattack daily. Stepnogorsk is almost cleared. In the area of the n.p. Lukyanovskoe, positions of the enemy are being stormed in open terrain, and bloody battles are taking place.

Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-situation-in-ukrainian-smo-on_9.html