A UN expert on Jan. 2 condemned a new wave of Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine. The recent attacks targeted densely-populated cities and towns across the country. In her statement, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown said:

For the people of Ukraine, the new year started with loss, pain, and anguish. For the third day in row, vast aerial assaults by the Russian Federation have caused death – including several children – and destruction of homes and other civilian infrastructure.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted, "Over the previous five days, the enemy has launched at least 500 missiles and drones toward Ukraine." Many parts of the capital Kyiv have been left without electricity or water, as temperatures drop to -20 degrees C. (Jurist)

Ukraine and Russia on Jan. 3 announced their first prisoner-of-war exchange since August 2023. The exchange involved a total of nearly 500 prisoners captured by both Ukraine and Russia. Following the exchange, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted its mediation efforts in the exchange.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 230 Ukrainians returned to Ukraine through the prisoner swap, six of whom are civilians. (Jurist)

At least 27 civilians were killed and 25 injured at a market in the Russian-occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on June 22. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation released a statement that a market in the suburb of Tekstilshckik was shelled, causing civilian fatalities and injuries. The suburb is located less than 15 kilometers from the frontline of war. 

Ukraine's armed forces denied these accusations, adding: "Donetsk is Ukraine! Russia will have to be responsible for the lives of Ukrainians taken." (Jurist)

Russia accused Ukraine of deliberately shooting down a Russian military transport plane Jan. 24 carrying 65 Ukrainian military personnel for an alleged “pre-agreed exchange” of prisoners of war. The incident over Belgorod region reportedly killed 74, including six crew members and three Russian officers.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the incident, stating: "The Main Intelligence Directorate is clarifying the fate of all captives... I have instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to provide our partners with the information available to Ukraine. Our state will insist on an international investigation." (Jurist)

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced Feb. 2 that it had suspended senior official Toomas Makhkur after the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) said that it had exposed an embezzlement scheme within the ministry. (Jurist)

Russian officials accused Ukraine on Feb. 3 of attacking a bakery in a Russian-occupied town, Lysychansk, in eastern Ukraine, killing civilians and several representatives of the Russian occupation authorities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the attack a terrorist act against a civilian target. Russia says 28 people were killed in the attack. Ukrainian officials have not yet commented. (Jurist)

Russian troops have occupied the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka after a months-long assault that wore down Ukrainian troops running low on ammunition.

Oleksandra Ustinova, a Ukrainian lawmaker who leads a parliamentary committee on international aid and arms procurement, told NPR that Ukraine is struggling to defend itself and criticized the US House, saying representatives were "playing internal politics" with an Ukraine aid package that the Senate has already approved.

"Our soldiers and civilians are dying as there is no munition left to protect them," she said.

Ukraine lowered the age of military conscription on April 1 from 27 to 25 in an attempt to reinforce their army admist the ongoing war with Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the bill instating the change which had already been passed by the country's parliament. (Jurist)

Over the past days more than 30 settlements in Ukraine's eastern region of Kharkiv have come under artillery and mortar fire, with the town of Vovchansk being hit by massive shelling. According to the latest reports, during the last three days, 5,762 civilians have been evacuated from their homes amid heavy fighting in the region. Some families had to walk miles to reach transportation to take them to safety. (IRC)

The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office said May 26 that a Russian strike on a hardware store the day before killed and injured at least 17 and 48 people, respectively. Five people also remain missing. The victims of the strike were employees and customers of the store.

The attack by Russian forces took place in a residential area, where no military facilities were available nearby. According to te mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, the attack was aimed at a densely populated civilian area.

Before this strike, Russia also attacked the settlement of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, Kharkiv region. This led to the wounding of five people and damaging of ambulances and civilian vehicles. (Jurist)

Germany and the US authorized Ukraine on May 31 to target specific locations within Russia using the long-range weaponry they are providing. This major shift in policy occurs as Ukrainian forces, who are facing shortages, continue to lose territory in the conflict. (Jurist)

The civilian death toll in Ukraine last month rose sharply to 174, the highest in nearly a year amid a Russian ground offensive near the city of Kharkiv, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) said June 7. May's civilian casualty numbers mark the highest monthly toll in the conflict since June 2023. (Jurist)

The United States has extended security guarantees to Ukraine for the next 10 years, a clear effort to signal long-term support for Kyiv’s defense against Russia ahead of a US election that could throw future American aid to Ukraine into doubt.

The bilateral security agreement, announced June 13 night during the G7 meeting in Fasano, Italy, will see the US help Ukraine strengthen its military-industrial base, coordinate on Kyiv's future weapons needs, and bring Ukraine closer to joining NATO.

The deal is an "executive agreement" and won’t be ratified by Congress. Should former President Donald Trump return to power in January, he could abandon the eal, reneging on Washington's commitment. (Politico, NYT)

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed the US on June 24 for a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea that killed four and injured more than 150, saying in a statement they had "no doubt" of the US involvement. Russia also summoned the US ambassador to the country to discuss the issue.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine launched US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles equipped with cluster warheads at Sevastopol, the largest city in Crimea. Local news reports that Russian air defense forces intercepted four missiles, but the fragmented warhead of the fifth missile detonated in the air above the city. Footage posted to X appears to show the cluster munitions striking beachgoers near Sevastopol, which resulted in the deaths of four people, including two children. (Jurist)

The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced June 24 during the Foreign Affairs Council that EU ministers agreed on a "legal framework" to increase its military support to Ukraine and bypass Hungary’s opposition to the project. (Jurist)