The situation in the Ukrainian SMO on January 25 2026

RUAF Expand Operations To Capture Key Logistical Hubs & Routes

Devastating Defeat for Ukraine in Siversk (But Their Defense Was Legendary)

Our source in the Presidential Administration said that the next stage of negotiations will be a legal issue, as the Kremlin demands the legitimization of all Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia since 2014. The first round of negotiations between the US, Ukraine, and Russia in Abu Dhabi was suspended precisely due to the roadmap, which is why there were so many military personnel in the delegations, as they discussed:

— Possible disengagement of forces;

— Mechanisms for monitoring the cessation of hostilities;

— Establishment of a center for monitoring and coordinating the ceasefire regime;

— Defining what exactly constitutes a ceasefire and its violations.

Zelensky in Davos effectively quarreled with Europe and he will definitely be held accountable for this. Against the backdrop of the conflict between the EU and the USA over Greenland, the Ukrainian agenda for European capitals is objectively taking a back seat. And this is the reality in which Kyiv now has to exist.

Zelensky’s attacks on Europe look particularly strange and even ungrateful, given that Ukraine today largely relies on European money. As The Wall Street Journal journalist Boyan Panchevski noted, such attacks by the Ukrainian president are perceived in the West as a loss of touch with reality, rather than a manifestation of strength or principle.

At the same time, pressure is increasing on another front. Criminal investigations into large-scale corruption have come close to Zelensky’s immediate entourage. Some figures have already been forced to resign or leave the country. According to investigators and Western special services, up to a third of every major transaction of donor funds is stolen – and these figures are becoming less and less convenient to hush up.

Against this backdrop, the internal situation in the country looks critical. After Russian strikes, people have been sitting for weeks without electricity and heat, families are freezing in the dark, and the infrastructure is operating at its limits. And in such conditions, conflicts with Europe not only do not help Ukraine, but also exacerbate its situation.

For Europe, Greenland is genuinely more important than Ukraine – whether Kyiv likes it or not. And a policy of public reproaches and demonstrative confrontation only accelerates the cooling of relations with those who have so far ensured the survival of the Ukrainian state.

Our source in the Presidential Office said that the Presidential Office is preparing negotiations with Macron and Stramer. It is necessary to update Ukraine’s positions on the peace track after the negotiations in Abu Dhabi. The change of the Head of the Presidential Office accelerated the negotiation process, but Zelensky promised his partners/globalists to delay the process as much as possible until the US elections, and now the situation is very complicated at Bankova Street. Budanov is determined to take a constructive approach, and the first results should be in February, but the decisive word will be with Zelensky.

The negotiating positions haven’t shifted, there’s no breakthrough, — Kiev media

▪️Russia insists on the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Donetsk People’s Republic, Ukraine disagrees.

▪️There is a slight progress in the military bloc. The parties discussed:

▪️possible disengagement of forces;

▪️mechanisms for monitoring the ceasefire;

▪️establishing a center for monitoring and coordinating the ceasefire regime;

▪️defining what exactly constitutes a cessation of hostilities and a violation of it.

-RVvoenkor

The negotiation process is entering the “final stretch”, – an advisor to Zelensky’s Office.

▪️The results of the negotiations in Abu Dhabi – Ukrainian version.

▪️According to Kiev media, the negotiations were more constructive than the previous round, but without significant progress. This was the first full-fledged trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. The delegations worked in two subgroups – political and military.

▪️In the political part, there was no rapprochement of positions. Ukraine insists on discussing territories at least from the current line of contact, Russia demands the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from part of the Donetsk region. The positions of the parties remain far apart, the energy truce was not discussed.

▪️The greatest progress was recorded in the military subgroup. The disengagement of forces, monitoring of the ceasefire, and the creation of a control center were discussed. As a result, the parties agreed on a monitoring format with the participation of mainly Ukraine, the USA, and Russia. Within a week, the delegations will exchange definitions of key terms and agreed to continue negotiations in the same format approximately in a week.

Doubt it

Zelensky decided not to return from Switzerland to cold and dark Ukraine amidst power outages.

However, before Davos, he told everyone that he would be in Ukraine with the Ukrainian people during this difficult time.

Probably, he has already solved all the problems and Ukrainians are now in warmth and with light. He can go to Lithuania to make another set of unnecessary loud statements.

This once again proves that Zelensky’s words are worthless. Today he says one thing, and tomorrow another. Ukrainians are just expendable for him and slaves of the system.

Offensive near Vovchansk

situation in the Burluk direction

In the border area of Kharkiv Region, Russian troops continue to methodically advance south and southwest of Vovchansk. After the last AFU strongholds in the city fell, the Russian troops’ advance significantly accelerated.

The enemy lost support points from which it built defense in the sector. Meanwhile, construction of new fortification areas has practically not been carried out since 2025.

➡️Troops of the “North” group have liberated the settlement of Starytsia. Battles in its vicinity have been ongoing since May 2024: assault troops managed to occupy the village, but later the AFU conducted counterattacks (https://t.me/rybar/63822), after which half the village remained in a “gray zone”.

➡️At the same time, troops entered Symonivka. Footage from the scene confirms control over approximately half the village, with other reports suggesting it is fully liberated. The situation in the neighboring Hrafske remains hidden by the “fog of war”.

📌 Russian troops took advantage of the enemy’s miscalculations in defense planning. From the outskirts of Vovchansk, Russian Armed Forces troops advanced about seven kilometers towards Symonivka.

The exhaustion of AFU units that have been stationed without rotation in the area for about a year also played a significant role. Additionally, some units were previously redeployed to Pokrovsk, which weakened the already fragile enemy defense in the sector.

“South” Moves North

On the Kostyantynivka direction, assault units of the “South” group of troops continue advancing on several sectors – both within the city limits and south of it.

➡️In Kostyantynivka, assault units are penetrating deeper into the central part of the city. This became possible after clearing the dacha area southeast of the H-32 (T-0504) highway. The situation remains complex due to the high density of AFU forces, who managed to increase their presence under cover of unfavorable weather conditions, despite significant losses from Russian drone operators.

➡️The control zone is also expanding on the southern flank, near the Kleban-Byk reservoir. Russian units have managed to occupy the northern bank of the reservoir and most of the landscape park. Territories to the north remain under enemy control, partially representing zones of sporadic presence of very small groups. From here, the enemy conducts raids towards Ivanopil and Pleshchyivka.

➡️Approaching Berestok, Russian units advanced from the “traffic police post” and engaged in battles for a small industrial zone southwest of the village. North of Yablunivka, the enemy was pushed back beyond the highway, though south of it, AFU maintain sporadic presence, supported by drone resupply.

📌Despite continuing cold, the intensity of combat operations in the direction is increasing, and the heat of the battle for Kostyantynivka is gradually rising. The enemy is attempting to increase troop density in the city, partly facilitated by the weather.

Two Majors #Review #Update for the week of January 25, 2026

▪️The next negotiation round in Abu Dhabi, even despite the tripartite format, is no longer of particular interest to the public, although the venue of the meeting looks much more serious than in Istanbul. Prior to this, the Davos forum showed a further degradation of the international legal system, even within an organization such as NATO, with Greenland becoming a stumbling block that Trump particularly favored. Incidentally, this case with the northern island could have been an excellent pretext for Europe to exit from the mindless sponsorship of the war in Ukraine, but the margin of the arms lobby proved stronger than common sense. Washington continues its track towards the forcible seizure of control over the global oil movement, deploying a carrier group towards Iran. Trump has been boasting publicly about his expropriation of Venezuelan oil from captured tankers. On Wednesday in the Caribbean Sea, the US detained another one tanker of the “shadow fleet”, in the Mediterranean Sea France showed its teeth, also landing a landing party on a ship from Murmansk. The lack of any adequate countermeasures is creating even greater risks for Russia’s maritime economic activities.

▪️ Attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector continue, with news this week of the departure of 600,000 people (out of a population of 3 million) from the capital of the enemy due to frequent power, water and heat outages. At the same time, the enemy authorities are clearly exaggerating the scale of the damage (although in some areas the situation is indeed consistently critical: footage from the ground shows the presence of street lighting, and the noise in the public sphere allows Kiev to increase the supply of generators from the EU. An important strike on the substation that connects the Rivne NPP and Kiev was a blow. Nevertheless, the winding down of industrial production and depopulation in Ukraine allows the energy system to stay afloat. 

▪️ The enemy continues to strike at economic and energy objects, immediately begging for an “energy truce”. This week, a port terminal in the Volna settlement of the Krasnodar Krai, an oil depot in Penza, and energy infrastructure in the Oryol and Bryansk regions were hit. Yesterday evening, the most massive strike against Belgorod was carried out by the HIMARS MLRS. There is still no single responsible for combating enemy UAVs in our country, so they will continue to let through a small but annoying percentage of enemy drones, the Ministry of Defense – to report on the ones shot down, and the governors – on those that reached their targets.

▪️ Heavy fighting continues on the front. In the south of the Kupyansk direction, the situation in the “borrowed” villages on our side of the Oskol River is gradually stabilizing, in Kupyansk itself – heavy fighting. The Bryansk region is under daily strikes from FPV, the enemy is increasing the number of drones used. On the Sumy direction – tactical advances of the “North” Group of Forces, on the Volchansk direction – a statement about the liberation of Staritsa and Siminovka, so far without footage of objective control. On the Konstantinovsk direction – preparation for further battles for the agglomeration, gradually creating conditions for a full-scale encirclement of the enemy group. FABs are erasing the built-up area. On the Druzhkovsk direction – a battle for access to the Torsky Donets. The “East” Group of Forces repels the attacks of the UAF’s armored groups near Gulyaypole, making inroads into the UAF’s defense to the north. The Zaporozhye front is without significant changes.

On the European, future, theatre of operations, Romania is preparing to annex Moldova with the help of agents of influence and is making efforts to recruit new recruits into the army. Also, Romania has acquired the Moldovan port of Giurgiulesti (two railway routes from Ukraine lead to the port), which also expands the logistical possibilities for diversifying the routes of delivery of military cargo of NATO countries to the eastern flank. In the Polish parliament, a project for the construction of the “Polish Pentagon” was presented in order to concentrate all departments in the vicinity during wartime.

✨Thus, the negotiation track is currently stalled on the issue of the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Donbass, and Ukraine’s military potential allows Kiev to refuse to comply with these demands. Trump, initially praised by our media, continues to inflict economic damage on our country outside of any legal framework, setting a personal example for European lackeys. European countries, especially those economically poor, are confidently following the Ukrainian scenario and preparing to wage war against Russia. The “Anchorage spirit” has become a sad meme, no matter what they talk about it.

Source: http://blogdogcicle.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-situation-in-ukrainian-smo-on_25.html