The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had succeeded in downing a Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO reporting name Flanker). The ministry further claimed to have shot down multiple High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rockets and several dozen drones since the start of the New Year.

Moscow also launched strikes targeting Kyiv in the new year, deploying a total of 81 drones toward Ukrainian territory over the weekend.

Ukraine president says deadly Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia ‘absolutely deliberate’ Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Russia claims that its forces have captured the front-line town of Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. The town has borne the brunt of Russian advances in recent months and is a stepping-stone to the key logistical hub of Pokrovsk.

A Russian guided bomb attack on Wednesday killed at least 13 people and injured 63 in Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, authorities said. The blast left bodies strewn across a road alongside injured residents.

The military said that Russia has seized the facility to coordinate attacks against Ukrainian forces and civilians, especially in Kurakhove. Russia announced a full capture of Kurakhove earlier this week.