Russo-Ukraine War – 14 January 2026

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On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” (SVO – spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the “Donbass republics” for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow’s goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

“To initiate a war of aggression… is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.” [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia likely sustained approximately 415,000 casualties (killed and wounded) in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2025, the second highest yearly total since launching the illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This is a slight decrease from the approximately 430,000 casualties Russia sustained in 2024, the highest yearly total. Russia has likely sustained approximately 1,213,000 casualties overall.

The average daily Russian casualty rate during December 2025 was 1,130 according to Ukrainian General Staff reporting, an increase from 1,030 in November 2025, and the fourth consecutive monthly increase. Russia’s average daily casualty rates from August 2025 to December 2025 were the five lowest monthly average rates reported since April 2024.

Russia’s monthly casualty rate has risen again in conjunction with increasing advances across the frontline. Russia will highly likely continue to experience high casualty rates over January 2026 with continued dismounted infantry attacks on multiple axes.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Defense Forces are directing efforts to disrupt the execution of Russian invaders’ offensive plans and exhaust their combat potential.

Since the beginning of the day, there have been 118 combat clashes.

The Russian enemy launched 31 air strikes, dropped 71 controlled air bombs, carried out 3,736 kamikaze drone strikes and 2,854 shelling positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements.

In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, Ukrainian soldiers repelled one attack of Russian invaders, the Russian enemy made 105 shells, three of which were from reactive systems of salvage fire.

13 combat clashes took place in the South Slobozhansky direction – in the areas of Vovchansky, Zelenoy and towards the settlements Grafskke, Vovchanski Hutory, Krugle. Four clashes are currently underway.

In the Kupyans ,komu direction, Russian forces made three attacks on the position of Ukrainian troops towards Petropavlivka, Pi Наany, Borovoí̈, two confrontations are still ongoing.

In the Lyman direction, Russian troops stormed 11 times the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the areas of the settlements of Zarichne, Karpivka, Novoselivka, Torske and towards the settlements of Stavka, Drobisheve, Dibrova. The four clashes are still ongoing.

Ukrainian soldiers today repelled five Russian attacks on Ukrainian positions in the Slovak direction. Units of the occupiers tried to advance in the areas of fedorívka, svâto-pokrovsky and towards zakítnogo.

In the Kramators неkomu direction the Russian opponent did not carry out offensive actions.

In the Konstantinivka direction, the Russian occupiers today stormed the positions of Ukrainian defenders 13 times in the areas of settlements of Konstyantinivka, Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleschievka, Ivanopilya, Scherbinivka, and towards Sofiyivka, Novopavlivka and Torsky.

In the Pokrovsky direction, Russian forces made 23 attempts to submerge Ukrainian units in the areas of populated areas of Nikanorivka, Mirnograd, Kotline, Udaachne, Filiya and towards populated areas Dorozhne, Rodinske, Grishine, Novopavlivka.

According to preliminary calculations, in this direction Ukrainian soldiers have eliminated 50 and wounded 25 Russian invaders, destroyed one artillery system, three motorcycles, 55 unmanned aircraft, two units of automobile equipment, a ground robotic complex, three manpower shelters and one BPLA control point. In addition, six artillery systems, five automobile units and one special equipment unit, one REB device, two BPLA control points and seven Russian personnel shelters were hit.

In the Oleksandrivsky direction, the Russian enemy attacked 10 times near the settlements of Sichneve, Zlagoda and in the direction of Ivanivka and the New Zaporizhia One battle is going on. Gavrilivka suffered an enemy air strike.

In the Gulyaipil direction, Ukrainian soldiers today repelled 17 Russian attacks in the area of Gulyaipol and in the direction of Dobropil, Zelenoy, Svyatopetrivka. The Russian enemy launched an air strike on Staroukraíncí.

In the Orihiv direction there was one collision in the area of Primorsky. The Russian enemy caused air strikes on Christmas and Zaliznychný.

In the Pridniprovsk direction, the Russian opponent did not carry out offensive actions.

In other directions, significant changes in the environment have not been recorded.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

As a result of active and resolute actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces liberated Komarovka in Sumy region.

Russian troops engaged formations of one mechanised brigade, one air assault brigade of the AFU and one territorial defence brigade close to Khoten, Yastrebinoye, and Kondratovka (Sumy region).

In Kharkov direction, units of three mechanised brigades of the AFU and one border detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine have been hit near Krugloye, Ternovaya, Staritsa, and Volchanskiye Khutora (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 190 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, 16 motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns. One fuel depot and three material depot were destroyed.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one engineering brigade of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, and two national guard brigades close to Shiykovka, Osinovo, Glushkovka, Berezovka, Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, Kutkovka, Cherneshchina (Kharkov region), Mayaki, and Krasny Liman (Donetsk People’s Republic).

The enemy losses amounted to up to 200 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, 26 motor vehicles, two artillery guns, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-fire radar station. Six ammunition depots were wiped out.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line. Russian troops hit three mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, one assault brigade of the AFU, one marine brigade, and the Azov Special Forces Brigade near Zakotnoye, Konstantinovka, Kramatorsk, and Novotroitskoye (Donetsk People’s Republic).

The AFU lost up to 125 troops, six armoured fighting vehicles, including one Italian-made Puma armoured personnel carrier, 15 motor vehicles, four field artillery guns, including two Western-made ones, and two electronic warfare stations.

The Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. The Group’s units inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of five mechanised brigades, one jaeger brigade, one airborne brigade, two air assault brigades, two assault regiments of the AFU, one marine brigade, one territorial defence brigade, four national guard brigades, and the Azov Special Forces Brigade near Belitskoye, Grishino, Shevchenko, Toretskoye, Lenino (Donetsk People’s Republic), Ivanovka, Novopavlovka, and Novopodgorodnoye (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 440 troops, two tanks, one infantry fighting vehicle, two U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, four Kazak armoured fighting vehicles, and seven motor vehicles.

The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy’s defences. Manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, three assault brigades, and four assault regiments of the AFU have been hit near Kopani, Rizdvyanka, Vozdvizhevka, Zaliznichnoye, Zhovtnevoye, Ternovatoye, Staroukrainka (Zaporozhye region) and Malomikhaylovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 300 troops, one armoured personnel carrier, seven armoured fighting vehicles, 16 motor vehicles, one 155-mm Bogdana self-propelled artillery system, and one Czech-made Vampire MLRS.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on units of one mountain assault brigade of the AFU and one territorial defence brigade near Novoyakovlevka, Orekhov, and Pavlovka (Zaporozhye region).

More than 55 troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, 15 motor vehicles, two field artillery guns, one counter-battery warfare station, three electronic warfare stations, and four ammunition and materiel depots have been neutralised.

Operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops, and artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have inflicted damage on the storage and pre-flight training areas of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, fuel depots, power industry facilities that provides work to the Ukrainian defence industry, as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 145 areas.

Air defence systems shot down seven guided aerial bombs, six HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 260 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 670 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 108,925 unmanned aerial vehicles, 645 anti-aircraft missile systems, 27,115 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,641 MLRS vehicles, 32,567 field artillery guns and mortars, and 51,746 special military vehicles have been neutralised.