UNITED24 Media Telegram Highlights
Poland nearly lost power due to a large-scale Russian cyberattack on the energy sector, RMF24 reports.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digitalization Krzysztof Gawkowski said the aim was to leave citizens without electricity ahead of the holidays. He described the incident as Russian sabotage targeting power plants, energy producers, and thermal power facilities.
Polish services intervened in time and prevented a blackout. [actually there could be an argument that they should have allowed it to happen - make Russia's actions real to people]
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has arrived in Kyiv for a visit — Reuters.
According to the agency, Georgieva will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, NBU chief Andrii Pyshnyy, and business leaders.
She will also assess Ukraine’s progress on key issues, including adoption of the 2026 budget, steps to boost domestic revenues by expanding the tax base, and securing large-scale external financing on grant-like terms.
Details of Georgieva’s visit were kept confidential due to security concerns.
🛢 The EU Council announced that, effective February 1, 2026, EU countries will lower the price cap on Russian oil.
The new limit will be $44.1 per barrel, down from $47.6.
This means European companies will be barred from providing transportation, insurance, or financing for oil transactions priced above the cap.
The ceiling will be reviewed several times a year and calculated as the three-month average market price minus 15%.
Under these conditions, Russia will either have to lower oil prices or continue exports via a “shadow fleet” — aging vessels or tankers registered under third-country flags.
Decisions are being prepared to increase financial support for frontline soldiers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a meeting with newly appointed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
“The key priority is protecting the sky. There are concrete decisions that must be implemented as soon as possible.
Second, in coordination with the military, the technological component must be significantly strengthened to stop the advance of Russian occupiers on the battlefield and resolve critical frontline supply issues.
In particular, an audit of defense financing will be carried out promptly. Mykhailo will present options to close existing gaps.
We are also working separately on drone supplies. The Ministry of Defense must introduce a basic level of drone support for combat brigades, as well as procure specialized drones to strike the enemy deeper along the front.
Third, the Ministry of Defense will propose systemic solutions to the accumulated problems within the CCC.
Decisions have already been made to ensure a fairer distribution of personnel among combat brigades.
However, much broader changes are needed in the mobilization process to create greater opportunities both for Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces and for the country’s economic processes.
In the near future, the Defense Minister will also present a new ministry team.”
🇪🇸🇺🇦 Spain to supply Ukraine with Lanza LTR-25 radar capable of detecting targets up to 450 km
The Spanish government has approved an agreement for the production and delivery of the Lanza LTR-25 long-range tactical radar to Ukraine to strengthen its air defense.
The contract, worth about €37 million, will remain in force until December 31, 2026, with no option for extension.
The Lanza LTR-25 is a mobile three-dimensional radar capable of detecting aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles at distances of over 450 km. As part of NATO’s air defense system, it can transmit target coordinates for interception.
The US is freezing all visa applications for 75 countries, including Russia, Iran, Somalia, and others — Fox News.
The suspension will take effect on January 21 and remain in place indefinitely until the State Department completes a review of the visa process. Consular officers have been instructed to deny visas in line with current law.
The Iranian cargo ship Rona sank in the Caspian Sea. It may have been involved in transporting weapons to Russia.
“On January 14, the Turkmenistan coast guard received an SOS signal from the Iranian cargo ship Rona. Thanks to prompt action, all 14 crew members were rescued. According to preliminary information, they are citizens of Iran and India,” Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry said.
Monitoring sources report that Rona was following the same route previously used by ships transporting weapons from Iran to Russia.
In 2024–2025, the vessel repeatedly called at the Russian ports of Astrakhan, Makhachkala, and Azov after departing from the Iranian ports of Amirabad and Anzeli. This time, it was also heading to Astrakhan.
In 2023, investigative journalists reported that the main route for supplying Iranian weapons to Russia runs from Amirabad and Anzeli to Astrakhan, including shipments of artillery shells.
“Paper Tiger.” Russia’s allies complain that Putin failed to help when it mattered most, Bloomberg reports.
According to the publication, Venezuela, Cuba, Syria, and Iran are feeling the consequences of the Kremlin’s “inattention.”
The most striking case is Venezuela, where leader Nicolás Maduro lost Russian protection and ended up in a US prison. Caracas accuses Russian and Cuban intelligence services of failing to neutralize the threat and criticizes the poor performance of air defense and cyber defense systems, which led to large-scale power outages.
At the same time, Bloomberg notes that Moscow now views relations with the United States as more important than ties with Venezuela. Iran remains a more significant partner for Russia, though still without deep or comprehensive support.
Russian forces are launching drones from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and keeping military equipment and weapons at the site.
Footage from a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone shows Russian military equipment positioned next to nuclear reactors, which violates international humanitarian law, said Vladislav Voloshyn, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces.
😶🌫️ The body of former Uralkali (Russia) director Vladislav Baumgertner, who went missing on January 7, has been found in Cyprus.
According to Russian Telegram channels citing sources, his body was discovered in a mountain gorge on the southern coast of Cyprus, between the villages of Pissouri and Avdimou.
Baumgertner was reportedly an avid rock climber and is believed to have gone climbing in windy conditions on the day he disappeared. His death was caused allegedly by an accident.
The Ukrainian documentary 'Traces,' about crimes committed by Russian military personnel against Ukrainian women, will be screened at Berlinale 2026.
The film by Ukrainian director and service member Alisa Kovalenko, co-directed with Marysa Nikiniuk, has been selected for the Panorama Dokumente competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.
Traces tells the stories of women from Donbas, Kherson, and the Kyiv region who survived Russian occupation, sexual violence, and torture, and chose to speak publicly about their experiences.
Among the protagonists is Iryna Dovhan, head of SEMA Ukraine, as well as other women who testify to crimes committed by Russian military personnel.
The premiere will take place in Berlin from February 12 to 22.