Ukraine War: Russia Bombs Odessa – Putin Claims Attack & Evidence Emerges

Update, 1:51 PM: Ukrainian forces have refuted Russia’s claim of capturing the city of Rodynske in the Donetsk region, stating that the city remains under Ukrainian control. According to Ukrinform, a Ukrainian brigade posted footage on Telegram showing a Ukrainian flag flying in the city. “Russian soldiers who manage to enter the city are located and destroyed by all available means. Fighting continues around the clock,” the report stated.

Update, 1:17 PM: Russian attacks in the Ukraine War on the Odessa region have disrupted power to more than 170,000 consumers, according to the Ukrainian Energy Ministry. Emergency repairs are underway, Reuters reported, citing the ministry.

Update, 12:19 PM: EU High Representative Kaja Kallas accused Russia of “deliberate distraction tactics.” “Russia’s claim that Ukraine recently attacked key government sites in Russia is a deliberate distraction,” Kallas wrote on X. Moscow is attempting to undermine progress in talks to end the Ukraine War, she added: “No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor, who has been indiscriminately attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian population since the beginning of the war.”

Russia Releases Video Following Alleged Attack on Putin Villa

Update, 11:49 AM: Following the alleged attack by Kyiv on a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow has presented potential evidence for the first time – including remnants of what it claims is a Ukrainian drone. “The terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime was targeted, carefully planned, and carried out in several stages,” said the head of Russia’s Aerospace Forces’ anti-aircraft missile troops, Alexander Romanenkov, in Moscow.

In a video released by the Defense Ministry, the major general listed locations, precise times, and flight paths of individual drones on the night of December 29. The ministry also released a video showing a uniformed man in a forest and fragments of an alleged Ukrainian drone.

Ukraine War Updates: Reports of Explosions in Russian Region Following Drone Warning

Update, 11:31 AM: Explosions have been reported in the Russian region of Yaroslavl after the governor warned of a drone threat. The Astra Telegram channel posted footage of burning fuel tankers, stating: “Fuel tankers are burning after an attack on the FSKU ‘Kombinat Temp’ of Rosrezerva in Rybinsk in the Yaroslavl region.” As Ukrainska Pravda writes, the state-owned enterprise Kombinat Temp is located in Rybinsk: “An institution that is part of the state reserve system of Russia (Rosrezerv) and is used for storing fuel.” Residents reported explosions this morning – eyewitnesses later stated that tanks were burning.

Russia’s General Staff Chief: Putin Orders Expansion of ‘Buffer Zone’

Update, 10:48 AM: According to Russia’s top general, President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to push forward with the expansion of the Russian-designated “buffer zone” in the new year. General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov told Reuters that Putin ordered the expansion of the buffer zone in the Ukrainian regions of Sumy and Kharkiv near the Russian border by 2026.

The general’s remarks come amid Moscow’s threat of retaliation for the alleged Ukrainian attack on Putin’s residence. Ukraine has rejected the attack claim. Kyiv also dismissed Moscow’s “buffer zone” as a pretext for deeper incursions into Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine War Updates: Russia Targets Energy Infrastructure in Odessa

Update, 10:08 AM: Russian forces targeted energy infrastructure in Odessa overnight, according to the Ukrainian Energy Ministry. Two energy facilities were hit, the DTEK company reported. According to Ukrainska Pravda, the energy company reported significant damage to the facilities. Parts of the region are without electricity, water, and heating as a result of the recent Russian attacks in the Ukraine War. In December alone, Russia has severely damaged ten substations in the Odessa region, the report states.

Current Losses for Russia in the Ukraine War: Kyiv Reports 1,000 Soldiers in One Day

Update, 9:03 AM: The Ukrainian General Staff has released new loss figures for the Ukraine War. According to the figures, Russia lost 1,000 soldiers, as well as 33 artillery systems and five tanks within 24 hours. The total losses since the start of the war amount to more than 1.2 million soldiers, according to Ukrainian figures. The information cannot be independently verified.

• Soldiers: 1,207,910 (+1000 from the previous day)
• Drones: 97,684 (+552)
• Artillery Systems: 35,642 (+33)
• Tanks: 11,481 (+4)

Ongoing Ukraine Talks: Europeans Considering Ground Troops

Update, 7:29 AM: Several European states have reportedly developed plans to secure a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. Between “10,000 and 15,000” soldiers from European countries could be deployed in the first six months, according to a report by Welt citing diplomatic sources. France and the United Kingdom are reportedly ready to provide robust security guarantees and, if necessary, participate in monitoring a possible ceasefire without a mandate from the United Nations or the European Union. German participation was not mentioned in the report.

Ukraine War Updates: Russia Attacks Odessa

Update, December 31, 6:05 AM: Ukraine and Russia exchanged rocket attacks again overnight. The Russian army primarily bombarded the region of Odessa on the Black Sea with numerous drones. Several multi-story residential buildings and infrastructure were hit and damaged, and four people, including three children, were injured, the military administration said on Telegram, according to Ukrainian media. Meanwhile, Ukraine reportedly attacked an oil refinery in Tuapse, a port on the Black Sea in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar. Explosions were also reported in the region around Moscow.

Zelenskyy Sees Parts of Ukraine Peace in Final Stages – Massive Power Outage Near Moscow

Update, 5:52 PM: In an online press conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, according to the Ukrainian news site Ukrainska Pravda, that some documents from the peace negotiations are already ready for signing in January 2026. Now it depends on the “willingness” of the contracting parties. Zelenskyy did not provide details on which documents he was referring to.

According to Zelenskyy, the job market is at the top of the list for U.S. President Donald Trump in the documents for the economic reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. The U.S. reportedly wants to triple salaries. Zelenskyy also said that Trump had promised Ukraine further air defense systems.

Current Ukraine Talks: Meeting of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ Planned

Update, 3:04 PM: A meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing and Ukraine is scheduled for January 6. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on the online platform X. First, a meeting of national security advisors is scheduled for January 3. Then, on January 6, a meeting of heads of state and government will take place in France. “These meetings are necessary,” Zelenskyy wrote. He also thanked U.S. President Donald Trump “for his willingness to participate in all effective formats.” Teams from the U.S. and Ukraine were in contact again today.

French President Emmanuel Macron had previously announced a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris in early January. The meeting will determine the “concrete contribution of each individual” to the security guarantees for Kyiv at the end of the Ukraine War, Macron explained on X. The Coalition of the Willing comprises around 30 states.

Crude Trump Claim Following Alleged Attack on Putin Residence

Update, 10:50 AM: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described the alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region as an attack against Donald Trump. The attack was not only directed against Vladimir Putin but also against the U.S. president and his current peace efforts in the Ukraine War, the Kremlin spokesman said. “This is a terrorist act aimed at sabotaging the negotiation process,” Peskov told the Russian newspaper Kommersant. “It is also directed against Trump.” The “trustful dialogue” between Putin and Trump, however, cannot be destroyed by the alleged Ukrainian attack. (Sources: dpa, AFP, Reuters) (cs)