KRYVYI RIH, UKRAINE – JANUARY 17: (——EDITORIAL USE ONLY – MANDATORY CREDIT – ‘DNIPROPETROVSK … [+] REGIONAL MILITARY ADMINISTRATION/ HANDOUT’ – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS——) A four-story building of an educational institution is partially destroyed following Russian rocket strikes in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine on January 17, 2025 . Rockets also hit an open area, damaging two apartment buildings and an outbuilding. A fire broke out on the fourth floor of one of the buildings. Four people were killed, and six others were injured. (Photo by Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Anadolu via Getty Images

Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,059.

National and Regional. Russia unleashed a massive missile attack on Ukraine’s electrical grid in the early hours of January 15, firing 43 missiles and more than 70 drones. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 30 missiles and 47 drones, while others were neutralized by electronic warfare systems. Nonetheless, heavy damage to the grid led to loss of power throughout the country. Although relentless attacks on Kyiv’s energy grid repeatedly have occurred since the early autumn of 2022 as the Kremlin tries to compel Ukraine to make concessions, this attack was the first on such a large-scale since December 25, 2024.

Kherson region. Late on January 15, a Russian drone attack on the village of Antonivka killed a 37-year-old man and wounded another resident. The settlement lies across the Dnipro River, next to territories in Ukraine’s southern region that were occupied by Russian military columns advancing from the Crimean Peninsula in the early days of the war. On the same day, other attacks across the region killed three and left 10 others wounded.

Donetsk region. Over the last three days, systematic Russian shelling has killed two and wounded more than 15 civilians.

Nearly 450,000 Ukrainians left the country in 2024, bringing the total number of permanent departures during the war to nearly 3 million. This marks a sharp increase from 2023, when only 134,000 people did not return, highlighting the nation’s mounting demographic and economic challenges. While April and August saw more returns than departures, the overall trend remains a net outflow.

As of the end of August, 4.2 million Ukrainians were registered under temporary protection programs in the EU, with Germany and Poland hosting the largest share. Labor shortages have worsened in Ukraine, where 71% of companies report difficulties finding skilled employees, straining rebuilding efforts.

World.

Ukraine and the United Kingdom have signed a historic agreement, solidifying a century-long partnership between the nations. Signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the deal includes London’s commitment to deliver at least $3.6 billion annually in military aid, funded by frozen Russian assets. Zelenskyy emphasized the extensive support from Western allies, noting that Ukraine has allocated more than $100 billion for defense in 2024 alone. This includes $40 billion derived from domestic taxation, $35 billion from the U.S. and $25 billion from European allies.

A new round of U.S. sanctions targeting the Russian energy sector, leading enterprises and “shadow fleet” vessels, could disrupt up to 15% of Moscow’s oil exports. Russian analysts expect that the new package could lead to a 27.5% drop in maritime oil exports, which stood at 2.9 million barrels per day in early January. Following the sanctions, nearly 65 tankers were forced to anchor off China and the Middle East, while India and China, the primary buyers of Russian crude oil, have started seeking alternative supplies.

Russia’s National Wealth Fund depleted nearly a quarter of its reserves in 2024 while propping up the economy. Since the onset of the war, the fund has been used to cover the budget deficit resulting from unprecedented expenditures in the ongoing war. Although the fund’s holdings remain around $117 billion, liquid assets fell 24% to nearly $35 billion as of January 1. Since 2022, the fund has shrunk by 57%. Despite higher oil revenues, it risks depletion by the end of 2025 amid escalating economic sanctions.

Culture Front.

Recognized as the Best Pavilion in POLITICO’s inaugural Davos Awards last year, Ukrainian House will return to Promenade 59 at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, a pivotal venue for global policymakers and business leaders. The focus will be on Ukraine’s natural resources, valued at $12 trillion, and the $1 trillion rebuilding effort ahead, as well as the country’s role in shaping a stable future for Europe and the world. Invited Ukrainian leaders include Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

The Victor Pinchuk Foundation soon will launch the Your Country First – Win With Us initiative. The project, highlighting the global implications of Ukraine’s resistance against Russian aggression, will emphasize the importance of a Ukrainian victory not only for the country’s own future but for the security and prosperity of the world. Alongside the Davos Ukrainian Breakfast, the Foundation from January 21 to January 23 will host discussions and exhibitions exploring the geopolitical impact of the war, accentuating Ukraine’s untapped potential in safeguarding European stability.

The Marian Goodman Gallery in New York presents Refracted Times, a solo exhibition by acclaimed Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov, from January 10 to February 22. Born in Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv, Mikhailov is widely regarded as one of the most significant photographers to emerge from the former USSR. Renowned for a groundbreaking approach to photography, his works blend elements of cinema, documentaries, performance and writing, creating a body of work that is both innovative and profoundly evocative. The exhibition features a diverse selection of works, including Yesterday’s Sandwich (1960s-’70s), a surrealist video exploring layered photographic compositions, and Our Time is Our Burden (2024), a poignant reflection on displacement and war. Additionally, visitors might explore Mikhailov’s iconic photographic series from the 1980s and 1990s, in which his distinctive mix of dark humor and stark realism captures Ukraine’s shifting socio-political landscape.

Connecticut College’s Cummings Arts Center Galleries will host Slava Ukraini! Glory to Ukraine!, an exhibition showcasing Ukrainian resilience through graphic design. Featuring hundreds of posters from the Odesa City Letters Project, the exhibition, running from January 21 to March 7, tells stories of courage, humor and defiance amidst ongoing war. Co-curated by Andrea Wollensak of Connecticut College and Alexander Tochilovsky of The Cooper Union in New York City, it includes student-created typographic responses.

By Danylo Nosov, Alan Sacks.