With the war entering its 686th day, there are several main developments to note as of Wednesday, January 10, 2024.
In terms of fighting, the Kremlin spokesperson has stated that Moscow will do everything possible to stop Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod, while Russia’s Defence Ministry reported the downing of 10 rockets fired at the Russian border city, resulting in three injuries. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from Belgorod following a recent attack that killed over 20 civilians. Ukrainian shelling has also resulted in one death in Russia’s Kursk region and injured three in Oryol. Additionally, one person was killed in Ukrainian shelling of Horlivka in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Donetsk region. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, over 520 children have been killed and nearly 1,200 have been injured. The appalling death toll continues to rise as a body was found in the ruins of a Kyiv warehouse destroyed in Russia’s December 29 missile attack, bringing the number of deaths to 33.
Politically, a secret meeting took place in Saudi Arabia last month between Ukraine, its G7 allies, and a small group of Global South countries to garner support for Kyiv’s peace plan. Russia’s Interior Ministry has put exiled Russian tycoon and opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky on its wanted list, accusing him of spreading false information about the Russian army. Italian city Modena has blocked an event on the reconstruction of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, under Russian occupation, as it appeared to openly support Russia’s invasion.
In terms of weapons, a group of 48 countries, including Argentina, Australia, and the US, condemned the DPRK’s export and Russia’s procurement of DPRK ballistic missiles, as well as Russia’s use of these missiles against Ukraine in late December and early January. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia’s recent escalation of missile and drone attacks was stretching their air defense resources, leaving the country vulnerable. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov announced that an internal audit of the ministry had uncovered corruption schemes estimated at more than $262 million. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed there were “clear signs of a slowdown” in the activities of Russia’s defence industry and called for further action to eliminate loopholes in sanctions against Moscow, although he provided no evidence for his claim.