As the 680th day of the war approaches, there have been significant developments. Here is the current situation as of Thursday, January 4, 2024.
Fighting
Russia and Ukraine participated in a large prisoner exchange, with hundreds of captives being released on both sides. In addition to this, there were reports of attacks and casualties in various regions, including Belgorod, Kursk, the Crimean Peninsula, Zaporizhia, Kherson, and Avdiivka.
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence suggested that Russia may have shifted its focus from targeting energy infrastructure to targeting Ukraine’s defence industry in its military strategies.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ukrainian army’s ground forces, reported ongoing offensives by Russian forces in Bakhmut and Kupyan, with intense fighting in Bakhmut. Russia also accidentally bombed a village in southwest Russia, causing injuries and damage to buildings and vehicles.
Politics and diplomacy
The European Union imposed sanctions on Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond miner, and its CEO, Pavel Alekseevich Marinychev, to further pressure Russian revenue sources. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal appealed for more than $37bn in foreign funding and support from international partners to help maintain the country’s economy. Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed concern about denied access to parts of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied nuclear power station and a lack of maintenance plans for the facility.
Weapons
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called for Western countries to increase sanctions against Russia and provide Ukraine with long-range missiles. In response, Norway announced that it would send F-16 fighter jets to Denmark to train Ukrainian pilots.
These developments demonstrate the ongoing conflict and the impact it has on various aspects of the regions involved.