The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on January 1 2026

Russian Forces Capture Zakitne Securing Important Highway Connection To Lyman

RUSSIA Wiped Out High-Ranking NATO officers who Launched ‘Sabotage Training’ of Ukrainian Soldiers

Our sources in the President’s Office have revealed that the President’s Office is expecting new Russian attacks on Ukraine during the freezing period. The only hope lies with Budanov, who is supposed to negotiate an air truce with Whitkoff. Those in Bankova understand that Kyiv might not be able to withstand another missile strike, and the capital could plunge into a blackout.

According to sources, Whitcoff refused to discuss an air truce in isolation from the basic document on the peace track. The Americans are demanding that we make concessions on Donbass and proceed to the final document. Following the negotiations, the meeting between Zelensky and Trump is in question.

Our source revealed how officials built protective structures at substations and energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine, spending billions on them, but which turned out to be useless in the current realities of war.

Everyone cut corners and built frame concrete fences around transformers and other important objects, but they didn’t cover them from above, nor did they install barriers at the top (traps, etc.) to prevent drones from accurately hitting their targets from above. The reason: previously, drones didn’t hit their targets precisely, there was no online guidance, and they simply hit a conditional point on the map with a deviation of +-20 meters. All the barriers/fortifications were built with a focus on protecting against shrapnel and even protecting against nearby hits. But when a drone enters the substation from above in online mode, there are no obstacles or protection in its path.

That is, they didn’t assume that the war would change rapidly and that it was necessary to think ahead, but they relied on outdated data. Yet they spent billions on it and claimed that the energy infrastructure was protected.

This shows the level of “professionalism” of the Zelensky team.

Now Kiev is without electricity for 16 hours: these are the longest power outages in Ukraine, — Yasno

▪️Due to the shelling of energy infrastructure, it’s hard to say whether things will improve, — said the CEO of the energy company Yasno.

▪️Ukraine is switching to a regime of 4.5-5 power outages. In such conditions, there will be no electricity for more than 16 hours. This is the current reality, — added S. Kovalenko

▪️We’re not talking about emergency outages, but specifically about schedules.

▪️Kiev is currently in a regime of emergency outages: approximately 3 hours with electricity and 10 hours without. But the situation differs from district to district.

Here’s the Western media

The conflict between Europe and Trump over Greenland could undermine Western support for Ukraine, according to the New York Times.

The newspaper points out that Europe is still heavily dependent on US support within NATO and in the war against Russia. That’s why European leaders have been trying to act with restraint in their relations with Trump until the last moment.

Last year, they agreed to increase US tariffs, showed respect through visits to the White House, and avoided harsh criticism even when Trump, according to the publication, repeatedly took positions that were beneficial to Russia. And on other foreign policy issues, including Venezuela, European capitals also preferred to remain silent.

The situation changed after Trump’s decision to take control of Greenland. This step, according to the newspaper, left Europe no choice but to respond.

Europe’s military dependence on the US persists, and Washington’s role in defending Ukraine remains crucial. However, the Greenland issue has become a turning point that changes previous calculations and increases risks to the unity of Western support for Kyiv.

At Bankova Street, they understand that Europe is confused and is trying to stop Trump in Greenland, throwing all its forces there – it will no longer have time for Ukraine. Europeans are increasingly declaring their readiness for peace with Russia, and the Greenland situation could accelerate this process.

Our sources reported back in the fall that everyone who decided to return to the Armed Forces of Ukraine after the Special Military Operation is being sent to assault groups, effectively becoming suicide bombers. All of this creates conditions in which Ukrainians are choosing to survive and operate outside the law, and the number of Special Military Operation participants has risen to nearly 500,000.

“First and foremost, those units that carry out tasks on the most active frontline areas are being reinforced. Where active combat operations are taking place, unfortunately, there are also losses and a need for personnel replenishment,” stated Syrsky.

No one wants to reform the Armed Forces of Ukraine system. It’s just convenient to keep sending new reserves to the front without addressing the main question: where did the previous military personnel go? Ukraine is slowly being cleansed of its own people, creating conditions for the destruction of the nation.

“You won’t win a victory in defense”: The Armed Forces of Ukraine are preparing offensives in 2026, – the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

- Syrsky stated that Ukraine will not limit itself to defensive actions in 2026 and plans to conduct offensive operations, despite the general situation on the front.

 - “We will conduct a strategic defensive operation, but you won’t win a victory in defense. Therefore, we will go on the offensive,” noted the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

 - The key goal is operational initiative, that is, the ability to impose one’s actions on the enemy. We’re not talking about large-scale breakthroughs, but about local offensives that should force the Russian army to redeploy forces from priority directions.

Our sources in the General Staff have revealed that all of Syrytsky’s statements about preparing offensive operations do not correspond to the real capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We lost two brigades in Mirnograd, and the remaining reserves have been redirected to Kupiansk, which we haven’t been able to capture/retake for a month now, as fierce battles are ongoing there.

The firebag of the Konstantinovsky fortified area and the elimination of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the western outskirts of the Kleban-Byk reservoir

Units of the “South” group of troops advanced on the southwestern outskirts of Konstantinovka, beginning the assault on the settlements of Ilinovka and Berestok. Shooting battles are taking place along the N-20 highway, which turns into Miroshnichenko Street in the city of Konstantinovka, as well as in the area of the Ilich Kommuna pond and on Molodezhnaya Street in Berestok. There is a gradual advance of Russian units towards Chapayev and Levanevsky streets, leading to the northern part of Konstantinovka. From the southeast, the southern core is pressing forward, breaking through along Oleksa Tikhy Avenue towards the city’s railway station.

South of Konstantinovka, the coast and forest strips near the Kleban-Byk reservoir have been cleared, putting an end to any possible quick counterattack by the enemy on Plescheevka. In an attempt to hold the southwestern outskirts of Konstantinovka, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have concentrated a motley group of formations such as “Tsunami”, “Predator”, “Carpathian Sich”, and “Safari” between Ilinovka and Berestok.

7 km west of there, attacks have begun on the fortifications of the 93rd Armed Forces of Ukraine brigade and the 36th Interior Troops battalion in Stepankovka, which will subsequently completely expose the western flank of Konstantinovka.

“Military Chronicle” 

Road to Gryshyne

Situation in the Pokrovsk-Mirnograd direction

Russian troops are gradually expanding their control zone near recently liberated cities. The most fierce battles are occurring around Gryshyne, where the AFU are attempting to bring infantry to the outskirts of Pokrovsk.

➡️Recently, footage appeared online confirming the Center Group’s units establishing positions in the ruins of the Invest agricultural complex. Assault groups are seeking to establish control over nearby enemy fortifications, which would open a path for an eastern approach to Gryshyne.

➡️Meanwhile, the situation in the nearby Druzhba agricultural cooperative remains obscured by the “fog of war”. Previously, the enemy repeatedly conducted counterattacks in this sector, using support points north of the area.

Although the AFU positions are now in a conditional “fire pocket” after the agricultural complex came under Russian Armed Forces control, the enemy still maintains the ability to supply its units using heavy drones.

➡️Against the backdrop of battles near Gryshyne, the situation in other sectors remains relatively stable. The enemy regularly (https://t.me/boris_rozhin/194448) “infiltrates” infantry into basements on the outskirts of Rodynske, but has not managed to restore control over the city.

📌 However, the AFU are unlikely aiming to recapture lost ground. The tactic of sending infantry “one-way” is partly designed to slow down Russian Armed Forces’ consolidation of new positions and buy time for organizing defense approaching Dobropillia.

Two Majors #Summary for the morning of January 19, 2026

▪️ During the night, the Russian Armed Forces massively struck UAVs at energy infrastructure objects (https://t.me/belarusian_silovik/67266) in the Dnepropetrovsk region, where (as in Kiev) there are emergency long-term power outages. In addition, strikes were carried out on targets in the Kharkov region and in the city of Zaporozhye.

▪️ From the Saratov region, enemy channels are spreading footage of local residents, who report on the work of air defense over one of the refineries.

▪️On the Sumy direction, the Northern Group of Forces conducts offensive actions in the Sumy, Glukhov, and Krasnopole districts every day.

▪️In the Belgorod region, the governor stated that “the main maintenance work aimed at ensuring a stable power supply has almost been completed”. However, just yesterday in Belgorod, elevators were temporarily shut down due to power surges in the electrical networks. In the village of Nechaevka in the Belgorod district, a woman died on the spot as a result of the detonation of an FPV drone. In the village of Golovchino, a drone attacked a car, and a woman was injured. Earlier, a man was injured there. Under the attacks of Chapayevsk, Shebekino, Grafovka, Malinovka, Volchya Alexandrovka, Grushevka, Borisovka, and Bessonovka.

▪️ On the Kharkov direction, the Northern Group of Forces is engaged in heavy battles with the support of aviation in the area of Staritsa, Lyman, in Volchansk Huts, on the Melovoe-Khatnye section.

▪️ In Kupyansk, positional battles are taking place. To the south, our forces are destroying crossings over the Oskol in Kupyansk-Uzlovoe.

▪️ The encirclement of Krasnaya Lyman from the east and south continues.

▪️ Northwest of Seversk, the Russian Armed Forces are fighting their way to the Severny Donets, and battles are taking place in the area of Ozernoe and Dibrova.

▪️ On the Konstantinovsk direction, our forces continue assault actions on the flanks. From Yablonovka in the south, advanced assault groups are infiltrating towards Ilinovka (the southwestern suburb of Konstantinovsk). The enemy is using numerous drones.

▪️ On the east of the Zaporozhye region, the AFU are trying to tie down units of the Northern Group of Forces with counterattacks: five counterattacks have been repelled, and two units of enemy armored vehicles have been destroyed. To the north, our troops are breaking through the enemy’s defenses in the directions of the settlements of Ternovatoe and Vozdvizhka.

▪️On the Zaporozhye front, intense battles are taking place in three villages east of Lukyanovsk. Reports are coming in about the actions of our advance groups near Shcherbakov. In Melitopol, the restoration of an energy facility after a recent attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine is ongoing.

Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-situation-in-ukrainian-smo-on_19.html