The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov, stated during a visit to his troops that their army has captured 17 settlements and taken control of over 500 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine this January.
Furthermore, Moscow continues to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the middle of winter, leaving a significant part of the population without electricity or heating as temperatures drop below zero degrees.
Last night, Russia launched a massive attack on Odesa, where more than 50 drones struck civilian facilities and residential buildings, resulting in one fatality and dozens injured.
At Least One Dead and Dozens Injured in Odesa
The Russian massive attack on Odesa has led to the death of at least one person, with dozens more injured. "The body of a man was found among the rubble," explained the head of the military administration of Odesa, Sergiy Lysak, as reported by Afp.
According to Oleg Kiper, governor of the region, another 23 people were injured in the attack. "Nine have been hospitalized, including two children and a pregnant woman at 39 weeks," he stated on social media.
There could be more victims trapped under the rubble, he noted, mentioning that rescue teams were continuing search operations.
An AFP journalist at the scene observed that the facade of a residential building had collapsed, and rescuers were searching for victims among the debris.
Two Dead and One Injured in Sloviansk
Russian attacks resulted in the deaths of three individuals in eastern and southern Ukraine and left around twenty people injured, according to local authorities.
A Russian glide bomb hit the city of Sloviansk on Tuesday morning, killing "a couple aged 45 and 48," as reported by the prosecutor's office in the eastern Donetsk region in a statement cited by Afp.
"Their 20-year-old son was also injured," the prosecutor's office specified, adding that five other homes were damaged. Sloviansk, located about twenty kilometers from the front line, is a regular target of Russian forces.
Zelensky Accuses Russia of Undermining Peace Talks with Latest Attack on Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Russian drone attack on Ukrainian territory on Tuesday, which once again targeted the country's energy system, stating that such bombings undermine the peace negotiation process.
"Each of these Russian attacks erodes the ongoing diplomacy and undermines the efforts of partners who are helping to end this war," said Zelensky, urging the US, Europe, and other allies of Kiev to speak out against Russian bombings and impose further sanctions on Moscow.
Russia attacked Ukraine last night with 165 drones, over 50 of which were directed at the port city of Odesa, where energy facilities and other civilian infrastructure suffered damage, resulting in over 20 injuries. According to Zelensky, the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Sumy have also been targeted by the Russian Army in recent hours.
Russia Targets Energy Infrastructure in Odesa and Mykolaiv
The Russian drone attack on Monday night caused severe damage to an electrical grid infrastructure in the port city of Odesa, located in southern Ukraine and one of the most heavily affected cities by long-distance Russian bombings during this war.
"The destruction is massive, and the reconstruction work will take a long time for the equipment to be operational again," reads a statement from DTEK, the private company owning the targeted infrastructure.
The Russian attack last night also damaged the energy system in the Mykolaiv region, also in southern Ukraine and east of Odesa. According to the company operating the affected infrastructure, the Russian attack caused damage to a gas pipeline, leaving at least one locality without supply. Reported by Efe
Russia Shoots Down Dozens of Ukrainian Drones
Russian anti-aircraft defenses shot down 20 Ukrainian drones overnight, half the number from the previous day, indicating a decrease in intensity amid trilateral negotiations to reach a peace agreement.
Nine of the drones were downed in the border region of Kursk, five in Krasnodar, one in Oryol, another in Belgorod, and the last one in Voronezh.
However, after 09:00, an alert was issued for drones in the Voronezh region, which shares a small border strip with Ukraine. Three drones were intercepted over the Sea of Azov. Reported by Efe.
Gerasimov Announces the Capture of a City near Kupiansk
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, announced the capture of Kupiansk-Uzlovoi in the Kharkiv region during the inspection of the troops of the West military group.
"Kupiansk-Uzlovoi has been liberated. Urban areas of the city are now being inspected and cleared," the Deputy Minister of Defense reported on state television, Rossiya 24.
"Military operations continue in the villages of Kovsharovka and Glushkovka. In total, up to 800 soldiers remain in the besieged area, covering an area of four by six kilometers," Gerasimov declared. He added that Russian troops were firing from tanks from the eastern bank of the Oskol River, which runs through Kupiansk. Reported by Efe
Putin's Envoy States Donbas Withdrawal is the Path to Peace
Kirill Dmitriev, special envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated on Tuesday that Ukraine's withdrawal from the Donbas region is the path to peace.
"The withdrawal from Donbas is the path to peace for Ukraine," Dmitriev wrote on the X social network.
Russia controls around 90% of the Donbas region, and Putin has repeatedly stated that if Ukraine does not yield the rest, Russia will take it by force.
Moscow continues to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the middle of winter, leaving a significant part of the population without electricity or heating as temperatures drop below zero degrees.
Last night, Russia attacked an infrastructure facility in the Lviv region, as reported by the regional governor, Maksym Kozytskyi.
Russia Captures Over 500 Square Kilometers of Ukraine in January
Russian forces have captured 17 settlements and taken control of over 500 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine so far in January, as announced by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov.
The military leader visited the Russian "West" forces group fighting in Ukraine, as reported by the Ministry of Defense.