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In the first days of January 2026, exchanges of strikes between Russia and Ukraine continued with renewed intensity. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that on the night of January 2, Russian forces attacked with 116 strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 86 of which were successfully shot down or suppressed. According to Russian statements, targets from December 27, 2025, to January 2, 2026, included defense industry enterprises, energy facilities, port infrastructure, assembly workshops for rocket engine components, and temporary deployment points of military formations.
In particular, strikes on January 1–2 targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in several regions. Energy facilities in the Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv regions were attacked using “Geran” UAVs, which—according to local sources—led to fires at generation facilities. Similar attacks were recorded in the Chernihiv and Kharkiv regions, as well as in the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Emergency power outages also persisted in the left-bank part of Kyiv, which had been hit by strikes a week earlier.
One incident involved an explosion at the “Persona” shopping center in Kharkiv. Ukrainian sources reported that two Russian Iskander missiles hit the building. The force of the blast, which completely destroyed the building, and the subsequent secondary detonation, according to some analysts, point to the explosion of ammunition stored there, rather than solely a missile strike.
In video footage of the explosion from another angle, the impact of a missile is not visible; the detonation occurs without any external strike
Published photos from the scene showed wounded military personnel and military-style vehicles, which may indicate the object’s military use.
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In connection with this incident, the Russian Ministry of Defense made the following statement:
“Information about an alleged strike on the city of Kharkiv by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on January 2 does not correspond to reality.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation did not plan and did not carry out strikes using missile weapons or aviation means of destruction within the city of Kharkiv.
Based on eyewitness video materials published by Ukrainian information resources, the epicenter of the explosion was located at the “Persona” shopping center at 2 Olesia Honchara Street.
In the published video footage, several seconds before the explosion, intense smoke of unknown origin was recorded in the building, which indicates that a detonation of ammunition stored there by the Ukrainian Armed Forces most likely occurred in the “Persona” shopping center.
Statements by the Kyiv regime about an alleged “Russian strike on Kharkiv” aim to divert the attention of the international community from the brutal terrorist act committed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the night of January 1 against the civilian population in the town of Khorly, Kherson region”.
From strikes confirmed by the Russian side, those targeting temporary deployment points of Ukrainian drone operators near the village of Semenivka in the Chernihiv region were reported. The attacks resulted in the destruction of a command post, storage facilities for UAVs and their warheads, as well as the vehicles used for their transportation.
Strikes on Russia
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the interception and destruction of 64 UAVs over 12 regions of the country during the night. The largest number of drones—20—was shot down over the Samara region, where, according to preliminary data, an attack on an oil refinery in Novokuybyshevsk occurred, accompanied by fires.
Simultaneously with the hostilities, the information war has intensified. The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service circulated a statement that Russia is allegedly preparing a “large-scale provocation with significant casualties,” possibly targeting an Orthodox church on Christmas, with the aim of derailing peace negotiations. In Russia, these statements were seen as an attempt by Ukraine to preemptively justify possible provocative actions of its own.
Against this backdrop, details of US involvement in the conflict are being revealed. According to a New York Times report, the CIA plays a key role in coordinating Ukrainian strikes on targets in Russian territory, particularly oil refineries. This involves not just the sharing of intelligence, but detailed assistance in selecting targets—pinpointing specific technological units, the failure of which halts plant operations for a long time.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, according to reports, actively defended these programs even after President Donald Trump formally limited support. While Ratcliffe advocates for continued support for Ukraine, “realists” in the Pentagon, such as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and advisor Elbridge Colby, are lobbying for a complete withdrawal of US involvement in the conflict in 2026. They seek to redirect resources to other regions, including Asia and Latin America. This internal rift defines the inconsistency of American policy: Trump’s public calls for “de-escalation” are combined with an ongoing covert campaign to weaken Russian military industry and export revenues.
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chi cerca trova e il rullo compressore ha cominciato a girare e andrà sino a leopoli.
the sf censor denies inconvenient truths, from time to time
routinely. en masse you only get to see a limited selection. very limited
2°world war shorter than the donbass conquer and just 1.3m dead russian soldiers, life is better at russia by now
western propaganda need to inflate the russian casualties, otherwise thousands of new contract will sign as russia pay 2500 dollar per month.
putin is world powerful speaker with weakest military action plan.it is laughably to give evidence to cia who reports to trump.just as trump said to medvedev who is in charge of russia so is trump in charge of usa.
putin slow western trump and moody pleasing war has kill more russian soldiers after world war 2.because of putin inaction.in the meantime west have acquired more combat experience and decoding of russian deadly missile and systems secret.putin must go.