This is Yuliia Taradiuk reporting from Kyiv on day 1,434 of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Today’s top story:

Russian forces have intensified pressure in the Pokrovsk direction, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Response Corps reported on Jan. 27.

Russian forces focused their main efforts on an attempt to seize the village of Hryshyne, north-west of Pokrovsk, the unit said. It added that the Russian military took advantage of the weather conditions and deployed vehicles and personnel in an industrial zone in the city’s northwest. From there, Russian troops are attempting to advance toward Hryshyne via several routes.

Russian troops also stepped up pressure on the northern outskirts of Myrnohrad, where active small-arms fighting is ongoing in the city center, the Ukrainian military said. Ukrainian units have been working to block Russian advances along the line of eastern Myrnohrad, Krasnyi Lyman, and Rodynske.

The 7th Rapid Response Corps reported a sharp increase in Russian drone and air activity across its area of responsibility, including the expanded use of “Molniya” drones, which can deploy multiple FPV drones in sequential strikes, as well as fiber-optic drones capable of reaching more than 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) into Ukrainian defenses.

Russian tactical aviation has also intensified, with nearly 360 aerial bombs dropped on the Pokrovsk area over the past week, which is a 20% increase compared to the previous week.

Consistently the hottest area of the front line over 2025, the industrial city of Pokrovsk held back Russia’s offensive operations in Donetsk Oblast for more than a year before being largely overrun in the late fall.

Ukraine destroys Russian Tor-M2 anti-aircraft system in occupied Crimea

Last updated 5:45 p.m. Kyiv time.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed a Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system near the village of Kacha in the temporarily occupied Crimea overnight on Jan. 27.

The strike was carried out as part of a larger effort to degrade Russia’s offensive capabilities, the General Staff said, adding that the extent of the damage is still being assessed.

Russian agent sentenced to 15 years for coordinating Russian strikes, SBU says

Last updated 5:27 p.m. Kyiv time.

A 20-year-old Ukrainian man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for coordinating Russian missile and drone strikes on the south of the country, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on Jan. 27.

According to the SBU, the resident of Tatarbunary was previously found guilty of treason committed under martial law. Investigators said the man was recruited by Russian special services after seeking “easy earnings” on Telegram channels.

The suspect was detained in January 2025 in Odesa Oblast while actively coordinating an air attack on the region, the agency said. A phone containing coordinates of Ukrainian Defense forces facilities was seized during the arrest.

The collected information was marked on Google Maps and sent to Russia via encrypted messaging services.

In a separate case, the agency said it also exposed an FSB agent accused of directing shelling in the Poltava region and spreading disinformation about the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to investigators, the suspect conducted nighttime surveillance near populated areas during air raid alerts, documenting the movement routes and combat positions of mobile fire groups. Russian forces intended to use the information to “bypass” Ukrainian air defence during future attacks, the SBU said.  

The man has been charged with treason under martial law and collaboration with the enemy. He is being held in custody without the right to bail, facing life imprisonment with confiscation of property.

US source denies ‘forcing’ Ukraine on territory as reports tie security guarantees to Donbas ceding

Last updated 4:53 p.m. Kyiv time.

The Trump administration is again pressuring Kyiv by seeking to tie U.S. security guarantees to Ukraine’s agreement to cede unoccupied areas of Donbas to Russia, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Jan. 27, citing eight people familiar with the talks.

The reported push comes as Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. reengage in active diplomacy amid President Donald Trump’s latest effort to end the war, with the next round of talks expected on Feb. 1.

Washington has reportedly told Kyiv that security guarantees would come only after Ukraine reaches a peace deal with Russia — a deal likely to involve territorial concessions in the Donbas.

Kyiv has pushed for guarantees to be secured before agreeing to any loss of territory.

A U.S. source familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent that Washington “is not trying to force any territorial concessions upon Ukraine.”

“Both sides must agree to a peace deal, but the contents of the peace deal are up to Russia and Ukraine,” the source added, without elaborating.

‘926 buildings across several districts on the left bank of Kyiv remain without heating,’ Zelensky says

Last updated 4:52 p.m. Kyiv time.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that 926 buildings across several districts on the left bank of Kyiv remain without heating, as of Jan. 27.

He added the Energy Ministry and the Internal Affairs Ministry are deploying additional generators, with reserves from all over Ukraine being redirected to support the capital.

Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian infrastructure since the start of the full-scale invasion, with intensified strikes during the winter months aimed at disrupting electricity and energy supplies.

Ukrainian authorities have relied on emergency generators, rapid repair teams and regional energy reserves to keep critical services running amid ongoing attacks.

Public safety warnings issued after Russian drone strike on Lviv Oblast oil terminal

Last updated 2:42 p.m. Kyiv time.

A Russian drone strike on an oil terminal in Lviv Oblast overnight on Jan. 27 caused a fire and heavy smoke in nearby areas, prompting local authorities to issue public safety warnings and temporarily suspend school classes.

Local officials said the drone targeted an oil infrastructure facility in the Zolochiv district. Residents of the town of Brody and surrounding villages reported thick smoke and a strong odor following the attack, which authorities said was caused by the burning of petroleum products.

Emergency services were dispatched to the site and continued working throughout the morning amid concerns over air quality. Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi said the situation was under control and closely monitored.

“The situation is under control. The radiation background is within normal limits.” Kozytskyi said, adding that emergency crews remain on site.

No casualties were reported.

Read the full report at the link below.

At least 8 killed, 53 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day

Russian attacks killed at least eight Ukrainians and injured 53 others over the past day, local authorities said on Jan. 27.

Russia launched 165 drones of various types at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force reported, including roughly 135 Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 110, but 24 drones struck 14 locations across the country, and drone debris was recorded at nine additional sites.

Overnight on Jan. 27, Odesa Oblast suffered the most losses among the civilian population from Russian attacks. Russia sent a swarm of 50 drones into the city shortly after 2:00 a.m. The explosions killed three, injured 35, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported.

In Donetsk Oblast, a woman and a man born in 1980 and 1977 were killed, and a man born in 2005 was injured in Russian attacks on Sloviansk, local Governor Vadym Filaskin reported. Two others were injured in Druzhkivka and Oleksiivo-Druzhkivka.

In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported one civilian was killed and two were injured in Russian attacks, which hit 25 municipalities, including the city of Kherson itself.

In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks, including several dozen drones, killed a 35-year-old man, and injured eight people, Governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. It also damaged 20 homes and apartment buildings, 2 educational institutions, power grids, and cars throughout the oblast.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian strikes killed one woman, and injured 2 others, including an 18-year-old woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported

In Sumy Oblast, two people were injured as a result of Russian drone attacks, which hit 25 municipalities, Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported.

In Mykolaiv Oblast, Russian drones attacked energy infrastructure, and falling debris from downed drones damaged three houses in the Olshanska community, Governor Vitalii Kim reported. As a result of the attack, a 59-year-old woman was injured, Kim said.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a Russian drone hit a multi-story residential building in Kryvii Rih, but no one was injured in the strike, Governor Oleksandr Handza reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,235,880 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022

Russia has lost around 1,235,880 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on Jan. 27.

The number includes 820 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,609 tanks, 23,954 armored fighting vehicles, 76,025 vehicles and fuel tanks, 36,691 artillery systems, 1,628 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,286 air defense systems, 434 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 116,712 drones, 28 ships and boats, and two submarines.