Ukraine, blackouts in Russian-occupied areas. Drones over Kharkiv

Power supply disruptions have occurred in Russian-occupied areas of the Zaporizhzhia region following Kiev drone attacks, according to Moscow-appointed authorities. The governor of the region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said that 'significant parts' had been hit and that generators were ensuring supplies to critical facilities, such as hospitals. He also threatened punitive measures for those who publish videos showing air defence in action or the aftermath of raids, such as those circulating on social media. The Kremlin-appointed governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, also reported blackours in his region that have left hundreds of small towns without electricity

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council and chief negotiator Rustem Umerov announced that the US and Ukraine will continue peace talks in Davos. He said this after meetings with the US delegation, including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The two sides discussed security guarantees and the plan to revive the country's economy.

Over the course of last night, Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 63 Ukrainian drones. This was reported by the Russian Defence Ministry quoted by Tass. Specifically: 23 drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, 13 over the Briansk region, 6 over the Rostov region, 6 over North Ossetia-Alania, 4 over the Astrakhan region, 4 over the Volgograd region, 2 over the Kursk region, one each over the Voronezh, Ryazan and Stavropol regions, and one drone was intercepted over the Sea of Azov.

Ukraine will soon receive assistance from Italy to restore its energy sector, which has suffered numerous and massive attacks by the Russian regime. Rbc-Ukraine reports this, quoting the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov. According to Budanov, a batch of heating equipment will arrive in Ukraine from Italy. It is destined for the regions most affected by Russian terrorism. "This is the implementation of the agreements between the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni," he stressed.

Russian airstrikes killed a woman in Kharkiv and wounded several others in Sumy, authorities in these towns in north-eastern Ukraine reported this morning. 'One person died as a result of an enemy drone strike on a private home,' the mayor of this important town near the Russian border, Igor Terekhov, said overnight on Telegram. The head of the local military administration, Oleg Synegubov, specified that the victim was a 20-year-old woman. Emergency services reported an airstrike on a residential area in Sumy (north-east), injuring four people, including a seven-year-old child, and damaging 15 buildings.