Russians begin to use Shahed drones operated via Starlink

Russian forces have likely used Shahed loitering munitions guided via Starlink satellite internet during an attack near the central Ukrainian city of Kropyvnytskyi, according to Serhii “Flash” Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military radio technology expert and adviser to Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Beskrestnov said the drones were used to strike helicopters near the city and appeared to be manually controlled through a live video feed. He noted that no other UAVs were present to form a mesh radio network, leading him to conclude that the Shaheds were instead operating via Starlink. He added that the drones were flying at very low altitude to avoid radar detection.

“Did I expect this? Yes. Did I warn about it? Yes. Did anyone listen to me? No,” Beskrestnov wrote on Telegram, calling the development a new technological challenge. He said his team would now work proactively to counter the emerging threat.

Orban accuses Ukraine of threats and Hungarian election interference

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on January 24 accused Ukraine of interfering in Hungary’s parliamentary elections, claiming Kyiv had “gone on the offensive” by issuing threats and meddling in domestic politics. Orban argued that Ukraine’s goal was to secure EU funding and accelerate its accession to the bloc, insisting that Hungary, as an EU member, has the right to oppose those efforts. He said his government was acting to protect Hungarian households and national security, rejecting financial support for Ukraine and any involvement in the war.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto echoed the accusations, warning Ukrainian officials against influencing Hungary’s elections and vowing not to accept a government that would “say yes to Brussels” and “drag Hungary into your war.” Orban said Budapest would not yield to pressure or cover the costs of supporting Ukraine, reinforcing Hungary’s long-standing opposition to Kyiv’s EU bid.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha rejected the claims, saying Orban’s threats were aimed more at Hungary’s domestic audience than at Ukraine. He accused Orban of exploiting the Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region for political gain and of advancing Moscow’s interests by blocking Ukraine’s EU accession. Sybiha warned that Hungary risked aligning itself with the Kremlin, adding that the Hungarian people “do not deserve” to be placed on what he called the wrong side of history.

15% of Kyiv residential buildings remain without heat after Russia's attacks

There are currently 1,330 residential buildings in Kyiv — about 15% of the city’s total housing stock — that remain without heating following a series of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on today.

Kyiv, with a population of more than 3 million people, continues to struggle with restoring electricity, heating, and water supplies after major Russian strikes on January 9, January 20, and January 24. In some neighborhoods, residents have been without heating and power since Jan. 9, as repeated attacks have disrupted repair efforts and caused renewed damage just as services were being restored.

Following the latest attack yesterday, nearly 6,000 of Kyiv’s roughly 12,000 apartment buildings were left without heating. This represented a major setback, as energy workers had managed to reduce the number of unheated buildings to fewer than 2,000 just one day earlier, on January 23.

According to Klitschko, emergency repair crews moved quickly after yesterday`s strike. More than 4,000 residential buildings were repaired in the immediate aftermath. Heating was restored to around 1,600 buildings overnight yesterday, with additional reconnections continuing throughout today. By this evening, another 340 multi-story residential buildings had been reconnected to the heating network. Despite these efforts, 1,330 buildings remained without heat.

Vitaliy Zaichenko, CEO of Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s state electricity grid operator, told the Kyiv Independent that the situation is particularly difficult on Kyiv’s left bank — the eastern side of the Dnipro River — where heating disruptions are most acute and are now beginning to affect parts of the right bank as well.

“Energy workers continue working to restore services to the homes of Kyiv residents,” Klitschko said, adding that crews are operating around the clock despite the risks posed by ongoing attacks.

To support residents affected by the outages, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said that approximately 1,300 heating tents, known as “Resilience points,” have been set up across the capital. He noted that 91 of these tents are operated by the State Emergency Service and are located directly between residential buildings in Kyiv’s districts, providing warmth, electricity, and basic assistance to those without heating.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyposted on X this morning that Russia’s primary targets remain Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and residential areas. He added that over the past week alone, Russian forces launched more than 1,700 drones, more than 1,380 guided aerial bombs, and 69 missiles of various types against Ukraine.

“Every massive attack by Russia can become devastating,” Zelensky said. “That is why missiles for air defense systems are needed every day, and we continue working with the United States and Europe to ensure stronger protection of our skies.”

As temperatures remain low, Ukrainian authorities warn that restoring and protecting energy infrastructure remains critical to preventing further humanitarian hardship in the capital and across the country.