Day: January 8, 2026

MORE: The Kremlin again explicitly rejected the security guarantees for Ukraine that the United States and Europe are currently finalizing with Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar)NEW: Preliminary unconfirmed reports suggested that Russian forces may have conducted an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) strike against Lviv Oblast on the night of January 8, but Ukrainian officials have not yet confirmed these reports.

Other Key Takeaways:

The Kremlin again explicitly rejected the security guarantees for Ukraine that the United States and Europe are currently finalizing with Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.

The owner of the Russian-flagged Bella-1 oil tanker that the US Coast Guard seized on January 7 is reportedly affiliated with Russian efforts to evade sanctions against the Venezuelan oil sector
Russia appears to be attempting to distance itself from the Bella-1 oil tanker even as it seeks to protect other likely shadow fleet vessels.

The Russian military command reportedly continues to create new military units and formations but will likely struggle to staff them to their full doctrinal end strength.

The United Kingdom provided Ukraine with air defense systems amidst Russia’s escalating long-range drone and missile strikes against Ukrainian civilian and critical infrastructure.

Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast.—  https://x.com/TheStudyofWar/status/2009442223180415361

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) Jan 9, 2026

The post Update: 4 dead, 10 injured as Russia launches mass attack on Ukraine. A paramedic was among those killed as a result of a double-tap strike, and five of the wounded were hospitalized, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported. https://kyivindependenm/4-injured-russia-mass-attack-kyiv-lviv/ first appeared on October Surprise 2016 – octobersurprise2016.org.