January 5, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Jack Guy, Ed Upright, Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal and Leinz Vales, CNN

Updated 1:58 a.m. ET, January 6, 2023
17 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
10:40 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Putin tells Turkey's Erdogan that Ukraine must accept "new territorial realities" to negotiate

From CNN's Uliana Pavlova and Ipek Yezdani

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting of his ruling AK Party in Ankara, Turkey, on January 5.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meeting of his ruling AK Party in Ankara, Turkey, on January 5. (Presidential Press Office/Reuters)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has positioned himself as a broker in the Russia-Ukraine conflict throughout 2022, held separate phone calls Thursday with both President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He told Zelensky that Turkey was ready to undertake a mediator and facilitator role for lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine and that it could provide diplomatic efforts regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, a Turkish government readout of the call said.

In his call with Putin, Erdogan told him that calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral declaration of ceasefire and a vision of “a fair solution.”

Putin, however, told Erdogan that Moscow is open to "serious dialogue," but Kyiv must accept the “new territorial realities,” according to a Kremlin statement. 

“In light of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's readiness for Turkish mediation for a political settlement of the conflict, Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s openness to serious dialogue, provided that the Kyiv authorities comply with the well-known and repeatedly voiced demands and take into account new territorial realities,” the Kremlin said following a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday. 

Putin also emphasized “the destructive role of the West, pumping Ukraine with weapons and providing it with target designation,” the Kremlin said. 

The readout also mentioned that the two leaders discussed expanding ties in the energy sector and Putin also asked to lift barriers on Russian exports as part of the Black Sea grain deal.

What Zelensky says: Later on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he and Erdogan “discussed security cooperation” between their two countries and “nuclear safety issues, in particular the situation at ZNPP (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station).”

“There should be no invaders there. We also talked about the exchange of prisoners of war with Turkish mediation, the development of the grain agreement. We appreciate Türkiye's willingness to take part in the implementation of our Peace Formula,” Zelensky said on Telegram, following a phone call between the two leaders.

9:25 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Belarus will increase joint military grouping with Russia

From Uliana Pavlova and Sarah Dean

The Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced Thursday it is continuing to increase its joint military grouping with Russia in Belarus.

The ministry also announced upcoming joint air force exercises between the two countries.  

“As part of ensuring the military security of the Union State, the build-up of the regional grouping of troops (forces) of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation continues,” the ministry said in a news release. 

“Personnel, weapons, military and special equipment of the armed forces of the Russian Federation will continue to arrive to the Republic of Belarus," it said.

“Further combat coordination activities are planned with the arriving units at the training grounds of the Republic of Belarus,” according to the release.

Planned joint air force exercises are aimed at increasing the level of combat training for Belarusian and Russian air force members, the ministry said.

Some background: Russian forces are based in Belarus and used its territory in the initial invasion of Ukraine in February. But President Alexander Lukashenko has gone to some lengths to ensure that Belarus' troops do not become involved in Russia's "special military operation," the euphemism that the country calls its war in Ukraine. 

Last month, Ukraine warned it does "not rule out" a "deliberate provocation" from Russia after Belarus said that the wreckage of a Ukrainian missile landed on its territory.

9:51 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

NATO chief warns: "It is dangerous to underestimate Russia"

From CNN’s Allegra Goodwin

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during NHO's (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise) annual conference in Oslo Spektrum, Sweden, on January 5.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during NHO's (Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise) annual conference in Oslo Spektrum, Sweden, on January 5. (Stian Lysberg Solum/NTB/Reuters)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday warned of the danger of underestimating Russia during President Vladimir Putin’s “war of aggression against Ukraine.”

“The Ukrainian forces have inflicted heavy losses on Russia in Ukraine. But Russians have once again shown a willingness to take great risks and endure great human losses,” Stoltenberg said in a speech at a business conference in Oslo, Norway.

“They have already mobilized 200,000 extra troops. In addition, we know that they can acquire a lot of new material. And perhaps most importantly, there is no indication that Russia’s ambitions have changed,” he added. 

“It is dangerous to underestimate Russia,” Stoltenberg continued. 

8:57 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Tennis Australia to allow Russian and Belarusian players at Australian Open despite Ukraine's calls for ban

From CNN's Matt Foster

Tennis Australia is to stand by its decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete at the upcoming Australian Open in the face of demands from the Ukrainian ambassador in Australia to implement a ban.

A statement from Tennis Australia on Thursday said: “Players from Russia and Belarus are only able to compete in international tennis events as individuals – and without flags or country recognition – which will be the case for Australian Open 2023.”

“Tennis Australia stands united with the international governing bodies of tennis – the Grand Slams, the ATP and WTA Tours and the ITF – in its condemnation of Russia’s actions and its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine," it said. "The governing bodies of tennis issued a statement in March 2022 expressing shock, distress and sadness, along with a pledge to provide ongoing support for the people of Ukraine." 

“Russia and Belarus were immediately suspended from all tennis team competition and official WTA and ATP Tour events in those countries were cancelled,” Tennis Australia added. 

Some background: That statement came in response to Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, arguing that the tournament should not permit Russian players. A tweet Wednesday from the Embassy’s official account quotes Myroshnychenko as saying, “It doesn’t matter what flag Russian Federation players compete under. It has Ukrainian blood on it.”

On his own Twitter feed Tuesday, Myroshnychenko shared an interview with Sky News Australia, where he said, “We know how important it is for Russia to have their athletes perform.”

“Russians are really paying a great deal of attention to the performance of their athletes and this is pretty much an extension of their foreign policy, an extension of what they want to convey to the world,” he said. 

In 2022, Wimbledon banned all Russian and Belarusian players from competing in any guise as a result of the invasion.

The 2023 Australian Open runs from Jan. 16 through Jan. 29.

8:29 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Wagner leader says first Russian prisoners recruited to fight in Ukraine as mercenaries have been pardoned

From CNN's Seb Shukla

Video footage has emerged purporting to show Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin congratulating recruited prisoners who have been pardoned after serving six-month contracts in Ukraine.

Russian state media RIA Novosti published video in which Prigozhin is seen hugging, shaking hands and talking to alleged Wagner recruits who have finished their stint in Ukraine.

“You fulfilled them [contracts] with honor,” says Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private military company.

“The first, yes. You are the first,” he continues, suggesting that these recruits were the first to be recruited out of Russian prisons and given six-month contracts to serve as mercenaries in order to receive a pardon.

In the summer of 2022, videos began appearing showing Prigozhin in prisons offering amnesty for prisoners in return for a six-month contract on the front lines in Ukraine.

In the videos, Prigozhin is dressed in khaki military fatigues and is surrounded by a group of men.

“These are warriors. They were born warriors and now they've seen they are warriors," he says. "Today, there is a war going on. And they need to protect their homes during that war."

Prigozhin is then seen addressing other apparent recruits.

"Don't drink too much; don't do drugs; don't rape women. Don't cause trouble," he says.

RIA Novosti suggested that some of those who recently received their pardon will be returning to the Wagner ranks.

“We want to return to finish what we started and continue to defend our homeland. Beat the Nazis, as our grandfathers did," says an unnamed man quoted by RIA Novosti.

In August, CNN reported that recruiters, likely from Wagner, were touring Russian prisons searching for recruits. One prisoner told CNN that recruiters came to his prison in the first half of July.

Video of Prigozhin touring prisons himself began to surface online over the summer, and in recent weeks he has become more prominent in Russian state media.

Wagner forces are largely involved in fighting around the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Over the weekend Prigozhin said there was a “fortress in every house” in the city.

CNN has previously reported on Wagner recruits being killed in fighting around Bakhmut. A Zambian national was killed there in September 2022. 

8:27 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Ukraine suffered a 30% hit to its economy in 2022, according to new figures from its economy ministry, but that's a smaller decrease than some previous predictions.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Russian Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, has called for a ceasefire to mark Orthodox Christmas on January 7.

Here are the latest headlines:

  • Ukraine counts economic damage: The Ukrainian economy shrunk by almost a third last year, after Russian forces invaded in February, according to a statement from the country's economy ministry. However the figure is "better than most experts expected at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, when estimates ranged from 40-50% of decline in GDP and deeper," it added.
  • Church leader calls for Christmas ceasefire: Patriarch Kirill has called for a temporary 36-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Christmas. The "Christmas truce" would allow worshippers to attend religious services, he said. Kirill has previously been a vocal supporter of the war in Ukraine, and gave a sermon in which he said that “military duty washes away all sins."
  • Erdogan tells Putin he wants peace: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral declaration of ceasefire and a vision of “a fair solution.” Turkey has called for an end to the conflict on multiple occasions and throughout 2022 Erdogan attempted to position himself as the broker between Putin and the West.
  • DPR chief says he visited troops wounded at Makiivka: The leader of the self-declared, Russian-backed separatist Donetsk People's Republic said that he has visited troops injured in the strike on Russian barracks in the occupied Ukrainian city of Makiivka. Denis Pushilin said that he traveled to a hospital in the Russian city of Rostov where wounded soldiers are receiving treatment. CNN could not verify that the troops were those injured in the attack, or if the hospital he visited was in Rostov.
  • Biden confirms US may send new military equipment: The United States is considering sending Bradley armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine, said President Joe Biden. The Bradley is an armored vehicle designed to transport troops on the battlefield. It is armed with several different weapons to protect the crew and to attack hostile targets. The US could announce the transfer of Bradley vehicles in the next Ukraine security package, one defense official said.
6:43 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Separatist leader says he visited Russian troops injured in Makiivka strike

From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv

The leader of the self-declared, Russian-backed separatist Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said that he has visited troops injured in the strike on Russian barracks in the occupied Ukrainian city of Makiivka.

Denis Pushilin said that he traveled to a hospital in the Russian city of Rostov where wounded soldiers are receiving treatment.

Only “three people remained in the republic. The rest were already transported to Rostov and then to other regions of the Russian Federation,” said Pushilin in a Telegram post. 

Pushilin said he visited the troops with the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Viktor Goremykin.

CNN could not verify that the troops were those injured in the attack, or if the hospital he visited was in Rostov. 

6:42 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Biden confirms the US is considering sending Bradley armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine

From CNN's Oren Liebermann and Betsy Klein

A US Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) patrols the countryside of the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province, on April 20.
A US Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) patrols the countryside of the Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province, on April 20. (Delil souleiman/AFP/Getty Images)

The United States is considering sending Bradley armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine, President Joe Biden said Wednesday.

Asked if Bradley vehicles were “on the table” for Ukraine, Biden told a group of reporters: “yes.”

The Bradley is an armored vehicle designed to transport troops on the battlefield. It is armed with several different weapons to protect the crew and to attack hostile targets. 

The US could announce the transfer of Bradley vehicles in the next Ukraine security package, one defense official said. 

It would be the first new piece of military equipment that the US has agreed to send to Ukraine following President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington late last month. 

During that visit the US announced it would send Patriot aerial defense missiles to Ukraine, one of the most significant and advanced systems Washington has yet provided to Kyiv.

But Zelensky made it clear he would still need more as the war in Ukraine nears its one-year mark.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday the US is planning to announce a new aid package in the coming days or weeks.

The US has provided other armored vehicles to Ukraine in the past, including Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and armored utility vehicles. The US also paid for the refurbishment of Soviet-era T-72 tanks.

At this time, the US is not ready to send M-1 Abrams tanks, despite repeated Ukrainian requests, two defense officials said.

5:59 a.m. ET, January 5, 2023

Turkey’s Erdogan called for Ukraine ceasefire in phone call with Putin

From CNN's Ipek Yezdani

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the announcement of 2022 foreign trade figures in Istanbul, Turkey, on January 2.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the announcement of 2022 foreign trade figures in Istanbul, Turkey, on January 2. (Serhat Cagdas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral declaration of ceasefire and a vision of “a fair solution,” according to a government statement. 

In a phone call with Putin on Thursday, Erdogan highlighted that previous negotiations have yielded positive results, such as the establishment of the Black Sea grain corridor, prisoner exchanges and initiatives to create a safe zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.  

Turkey has called for an end to the conflict on multiple occasions and throughout 2022 Erdogan attempted to position himself as the broker between Putin and the West.

On December 22, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to thank Turkey for its “efforts to ensure the continuation of the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative,” according to a statement from US State Department spokesman Ned Price.