January 1, 2026, was marked by a series of significant events in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced major changes in domestic policy, including the upcoming appointment of a new head of the President’s Office and potential reshuffles among regional administration leaders. He also noted Ukraine’s active participation, along with the EU and USA, in ongoing intense peace negotiations that continued through New Year's Eve.
The talks involved Ukrainian, European and American representatives, focusing on strengthening security guarantees, developing mechanisms for ending the war and preventing its renewal. Donald Trump’s demonstrated readiness to reach a peace agreement is tempered by doubts and mixed signals from the Kremlin, especially around the issue of Donbas.
International media highlighted Sergey Lavrov’s role in the talks, his political maneuvers, and noted that the future peace agreement might not be fair to Ukraine. The Finnish president mentioned that peace in Europe is closer than ever since 2022, but the West remains unsure whether Russia is ready for compromise.
Within US politics, recent polls show skepticism among the American public regarding Trump’s approach to resolving the Ukraine conflict, while most Americans still support aid to Ukraine.
In Russia, there is growing distrust towards official information: some Russians suspect that the New Year's address attributed to Putin was generated by artificial intelligence. The Kremlin continues to spread misinformation about alleged Ukrainian drone attacks on Putin’s residence and other fabricated incidents.
During New Year's night, Russia attacked Ukraine with 205 drones, of which Ukrainian air defense forces downed 176. The main targets were Odessa region and critical energy infrastructure. Transport facilities in Volyn and Chernihiv regions also suffered from Russian attacks. Ukraine, in turn, launched drones at targets in Russia, including major industrial facilities in Tatarstan.
Additionally, the Ukrainian High Anti-Corruption Court set bail for members of parliament suspected of bribery, with some bails reaching UAH 40 million and several suspects ordered to wear electronic bracelets.
Thus, the first day of 2026 in Ukraine ended with key political decisions, peace initiatives, military strikes, and important developments on multiple fronts.
