Victory Chronicles-DAY 1421

The government in Madrid approved the delivery of a long-range air defense radar to Ukraine, boosting the country’s ability to detect aircraft and drones far beyond the front lines. The Spanish government signed off on a contract to supply the Lanza LTR-25 radar, along with logistical support, as part of ongoing military assistance to Kyiv.

The Lanza LTR-25 is developed by Indra Sistemas and is a mobile, long-range 3D radar that is designed for early air surveillance. It can detect and track aircraft, drones and other aerial targets at distances of up to 460 kilometers (about 286 miles), even in environments with heavy electronic interference. Unlike simpler systems, the radar measures range, direction and altitude, allowing air defense units to better assess flight routes and threats.

The system can be rapidly deployed and integrated into allied air defense networks. The contract is valued at about 37 million euros ($40 million) and runs through Dec. 31. Spanish officials did not disclose how many radar units Ukraine will receive.

Russian drone strike cuts power to tens of thousands in Kryvyi Rih. A Russian drone attack on infrastructure in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, left more than 45,000 electricity customers without power overnight, local officials say. 

The strike on Jan. 14 targeted critical facilities and triggered emergency outages across the city, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s Defense Council.

Vilkul said there were no reported injuries, but the damage forced more than 700 buildings to lose heating after several boiler houses were knocked offline. Smaller boiler facilities switched to generators, while larger ones remained without backup power. Water pumps moved to generators as well, keeping supply in the system but at reduced pressure.

Ukrainian authorities said  repeated drone strikes on energy infrastructure were aimed at disrupting daily life during winter rather than achieving military gains.

Russian drone hits civilian evacuation vehicle in Sumy region, police injured. A Russian drone struck a civilian evacuation vehicle in northern Ukraine, injuring police officers who were assisting residents flee border areas, regional officials said. The attack occurred on Jan. 14 in the Shostka district of the Sumy Oblast, according to regional administration head Oleh Hryhorov.

The vehicle belongs to a police evacuation unit known as White Angel and was hit while officers were transporting civilians out of a dangerous border zone. The armored car sustained heavy damage, but the civilians inside were not injured, officials said, though they suffered severe stress during the attack.

The police officers sustained minor injuries and are undergoing medical checks. Despite the strike, the evacuation was completed and the civilians were delivered to a safer location.

Ukraine says Russian forces deploy military gear near reactors at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Ukrainian officials said that Russian forces have positioned military equipment next to nuclear reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, violating international humanitarian law that bans the use of nuclear facilities for military purposes. The claim was made on Jan. 14 by Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces, who released recent drone reconnaissance video from the site.

Voloshyn says Russian troops are deliberately using the plant to shield equipment, calculating that Ukraine will not strike a nuclear facility. He adds that parts of the site are being used to train drone operators and that Ukrainian forces have information suggesting multiple rocket launcher attacks are launched from the plant area toward the city of Zaporizhzhia.

The nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, has been under Russian occupation since 2022. Voloshyn questions whether inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, who maintain a presence at the facility, can see the military activity taking place on the grounds. Ukrainian officials warn that such actions sharply increase the risk of a nuclear incident.

Key Takeaways

1. Russian strikes caused significantly more civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2025 compared to previous years.
2. Russia dramatically increased the size, scale, and destructiveness of its strike packages throughout 2025, which likely contributed to the increase in civilian casualties.
3. Russian forces conducted a series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of January 12 to 13 that significantly damaged energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine and hit a postal terminal in Kharkiv Oblast.
4. Russia continues to scale up the production and innovation of inexpensive strike drones that have succeeded in generating favorable battlefield effects for Russian forces.
5. Russian forces are struggling with other technological aspects of the battlespace, however, including with the effectiveness of some guided artillery munitions.
6. Western sanctions on aircraft components will likely continue to constrain Russia’s ability to produce military aircraft.
7. Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian defense industrial and energy assets.
8. Unidentified drones struck multiple oil tankers off the Russian coast in the Black Sea.
9. The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reportedly dismissed Russian Navy Deputy Commander for Coastal and Ground Forces Lieutenant General Sukhrab Akhmedov.
10. Russian forces recently advanced near Borova, in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.

• The Times: UK considers using oil from Russia’s shadow fleet to support Ukraine
• Bloomberg: Trump’s envoys Witkoff and Kushner plan visit to see Putin
• Politico: EU demands the appointment of its own negotiator for peace talks in Ukraine
• FT: G7 leaders in Davos to urge Trump to back security guarantees for Ukraine
• Zelenskyy says work with Trump and his team has been “very productive”
• European Commission sets out plan for €90bn Ukraine loan over two years
• Reurters: China’s 2025 trade with Russia posts first decline in 5 years