Photo : Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot on 21 January. Source: Zebra News
Photo : Ukraine strikes Russian oil depot on 21 January. Source: Zebra News
WAR ON THE GROUND
On 21 January, Ukraine’s armed forces (UAF) launched a wave of drones into Russia sparking a fire in an oil depot and leading to explosions at a plant producing military aircraft. In the western Voronezh region located on the Ukrainian border. In a statement: “Tanks with fuel and lubricants used by the occupiers to supply Russian troops caught fire.” The UAF also claimed striking an aviation plant producing “combat aircraft” in Smolensk, a western city in Russia. According to the governor of the Smolensk, the debris from the destroyed drones had sparked “roof fires.” While the Russian military reported on downing 55 Ukrainian drones over bordering areas of Ukraine.
On 21 January, at the World Economic Forum, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “at least 200,000” allied troops would be required to enforce any peace deal. He urged Europe to “take care of itself” as Donald Trump returns as US President. Zelenskyy said that he was working on meeting with Trump however no date was scheduled. He said: “We want to finish the war and President Trump says that he also really would like to finish the war, and I believe he will help us with this.”
On 22 January, in a report by The Guardian, Bill Browder an activist is attempting to push all USD 300 billion of frozen Russian assets to be spent on supporting Ukraine’s military. During the World Economic Forum, Graeme Wearden and John Collingridge stated that if US military support for Ukraine dried up and alternative funding was not found, Russian territorial gains would force millions of Ukrainians to flee, leading to “a refugee problem.”
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 21 January, the Russian defence ministry claimed that its forces had captured the settlement of Volkove in the eastern Donetsk region, a village which was estimated to have a pre-war population of around two dozen people. Further north, in Kupiansk two, five were wounded in a Russian drone attack. The Russian army which is placed two kilometres said that it attacked railway infrastructure in the south of eastern Donetsk region, wounding three.
On 22 January, Russia’s Deputy Ambassador at the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy responded to Trump’s demand for Putin on a deal to end the war. He said: “It’s not merely the question of ending the war. It’s first and foremost the question of addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.” The report reiterated, Trump’s threat to Russia with taxes, tariffs and sanctions if no deal is reached to end the war and his statement on Russia’s economy as failing and should “settle now and stop this ridiculous war.”
On 22 January, Russia claimed to take control of Zapadne village in Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv Oblast. Russia’s efforts to establish a bridgehead on the western bank by 2025 make Zapadne’s location in the west of the Oskil River a strategic gain. The Kharkiv Oblast is constantly shelled and two were killed. The same was confirmed by the Ukrainian air force intercepting 65 Russian drones across Ukraine.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from the US and Europe
On 21 January, US President Donald Trump expressed imposing fresh sanctions on Russia if Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, refuses to settle to end the war in Ukraine. Trump said: “Should make a deal … I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal.” The US has already sanctioned Russia heavily and Trump added: “We’re talking to [Ukrainian president Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, we’re going to be talking with President Putin very soon.” He also stressed China’s President, Xi Jinping, call not being effective to stop the war in Ukraine. Trump claimed “Russia never would have gone into Ukraine” if he had been president.
References
David Axe, “A Few Days After Double-Tapping A Russian Bomber Base, Ukraine’s Drones Target The Factory That Builds The Bombers,” The Guardian, 20 January 2025
“More Russian sanctions likely if no deal: Trump,” The Daily Star, 23 January 2025
Warren Murray, “Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine drones hit Russian oil depot; Trump floats fresh Russia sanctions,” The Guardian, 22 January 2025
David Lawder and Daphne Psaledakis, “Trump threatens Russia, others with tariffs if Ukraine deal not reached,” Reuters 23 January 2025
“Russian Troops Capture Kharkiv Region Village Amid Westward Advance,” The Moscow Times, 22 January 2025