Victory Chronicles-DAY 1420

A Russian overnight missile and drone attack on a logistics facilitry outside Kharkiv killed four civilian workers and injured six others. Ukrainian officials say the airborne strike on Jan. 13 hit a major private courier service branded as Nova Poshta,one of Ukraine’s largest private delivery companies, collapsing parts of the terminal and setting trucks and buildings on fire.

Regional officials say Russia uses a so-called double-tap strke, first launching ballistic missiles, then attack drones as emergency crews arrived. Two of the victims were killed inside a nearby concrete shelter that was almost completely destroyed by a direct hit. Two others died inside the terminal itself. Rescuers pulled several people from the rubble while air raid sirens sound during follow-up drone strikes.

Nova Poshta confirmed that the dead are employees and contractor drivers and says it is supporting their families. Emergency officials reported that fires across roughly 500 square meters and dozens of people trapped by smoke before being evacuated. Local authorities say this is the fourth time Russian strikes have effectively destroyed the same terminal, underscoring repeated attacks on civilian logistics far from the front lines.

Bloomberg: Iran sells billions in missiles to Russia for war in Ukraine. Iran has supplied Russia with nearly $3 billion worth of projectiles to support its war against Ukraine, with total bilateral arms contracts between the two countries exceeding $4 billion since late 2021, Bloomberg reports, citing a Western security official. 

The cooperation began before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with initial missile contracts that were signed in October 2021.

The $2.7 billion package includes hundreds of Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles, nearly 500 other close-range ballistic missiles and about 200 surface-to-air missiles for air defense systems. Iran also ships millions of rounds of ammunition and artillery shells, the official says.

A separate contract worth $1.75 billion, signed in early 2023, covers Shahed-136 attack drones and the transfer of production technology, allowing Russia to manufacture them domestically under the name Geran-2. The official says additional deliveries are expected, meaning the total value could rise further.

Although Russia and Iran sign a strategic partnership agreement in January 2025, the deal stops short of mutual defense commitments.

Russian overnight barrage targets energy grid, kills civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia launched nearly 300 attack drones, most of which were Shahed suicide drones, along with 18 ballistic and seven cruise missiles against Ukraine overnight, with the main target once again the country’s energy system. Writing on Jan. 13, Zelenskyy said power generation facilities and substations were hit across multiple regions, leaving widespread damage to residential and civilian infrastructure.

Hundreds of thousands of families in the Kyiv region were left without electricity, while emergency crews worked on the ground and so-called Points of Resilience were opened to provide heat, power and basic services.

Zelenskyy said every such strike is a reminder that support for Ukraine cannot slow, especially in winter. He urged faster delivery of air defense missiles that have been already pledged by the United States and Europe, warning that Russia will not win the war by trying to weaponize freezing temperatures.

Drones strike aircraft and military-linked plants in Russia’s Taganrog. Ukrainian drones struck facilities tied to Russia’s military-industrial sector in the city of Taganrog early on Jan. 13, triggering explosions and fires, Russian officials and local reports said. 

Russian Telegram channel Astra, citing residents, reported strikes on the Atlant Aero plant and the Beriev Aircraft Company. Atlant Aero is linked to the development of Orion unmanned aerial vehicles and components for attack drones, control systems and electronic warfare equipment. Beriev is known for military aircraft design and repair.

Regional officials said there are no reports of civilian casualties as damage assessments continue. 

Key Takeaways

1. The Russian people are increasingly feeling the effects of the Kremlin’s continued prioritization of the Russian defense industrial base (DIB).
2. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated that the Russian Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launched on the night of January 8 to 9 struck a Ukrainian defense industrial enterprise in Lviv City, which is consistent with the available visual evidence.
3. Dozens of shadow fleet tankers off the coast of Venezuela have reportedly switched to using Russian flags in recent months.
4. Ukraine’s Western partners continue to provide weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.
5. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian forces advanced on January 12.

• Zelenskyy: Russia must understand that cold will not help it win the war
• Ukraine’s General Staff: Drone plant in Russia’s Taganrog hit by Ukrainian-made missiles
• Politico: EU divided over Ukraine’s right to buy US weapons using €90bn loan
• Ukraine’s commander-in-chief: Ukraine reduced personnel losses by 13% in 2025
• OSCE to discuss Russian strikes on energy sector at Kyiv’s request, says Ukraine’s foreign minister
• Russian strike on Odesa damages Polish consulate
• Russia has lost over 1.2 million soldiers since February 2022