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The Kyiv Independent: NATO approved Kyiv’s request to hold an emergency meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council in response to Russia's recent large-scale strikes against Ukraine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Jan. 3.

Reuters: Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday announced their first exchange of prisoners of war in nearly five months, with more than 200 freed by each side after what both said was a complex negotiation involving mediation by the United Arab Emirates.

Le Monde: Moscow's forces have adapted their tactics since last winter, preceding their missiles with waves of drones, whose mission is to saturate Kyiv's air defense capabilities and deplete their ammunition reserves.

The Kyiv Independent: France's Foreign Ministry commented on a Dec. 30 strike on the Russian city of Belgorod, saying at a press briefing on Jan. 3 that Russia, as the aggressor in the war, bears responsibility for civilian casualties on its own soil.

AFP: The UN nuclear watchdog said Wednesday it had recently been blocked for the first time from inspecting the reactor halls of three units of Ukraine's Russian-held Zaporizhzhia power plant, further limiting access to the site.

POLITICO: France’s far-right National Rally says a new report on Russian interference in French democracy is part of a “cabal” against the movement, after a Washington Post investigation revealed Moscow’s efforts to promote “political discord” in France and undermine support for Ukraine through “political figures and social media accounts.”

Reuters: Ukraine launched repeated missile and drone attacks on Wednesday on Russia's southern region of Belgorod, Russia's defence ministry and local authorities said.

The Kyiv Independent: The Russian ruling party, United Russia, is recruiting members for its own "private army," the mercenary company Hispaniola, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said on Jan. 3.

AP News: NATO announced Wednesday that it would help buy up to 1,000 Patriot missiles so that allies can better protect their territory as Russia ramps up its air assault on Ukraine.

Ukrainska Pravda: NATO has stated that it will maintain its support for Ukraine and defend "every inch of Poland" in response to Russia's recent large-scale missile attacks on Ukraine.

The Moscow Times: Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has called for the prosecution of wanted fugitives' family members, according to the opposition group 1Adat, remarks he made during a meeting with officials on New Year's Eve.

The Kyiv Independent: One of Ukraine's key goals for 2024 is to increase the defense industry production capacity six times, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Jan. 3 as the country braces for another year of war.

Ukrainska Pravda: France is committed to producing more weapons in Ukraine, not just donating or purchasing them.

Reuters: Polish farmers will resume their blockade of the Medyka border crossing with Ukraine from Thursday, protest leaders told state-run news agency PAP, as Prime Minister Donald Tusk attempted to defuse the dispute.

UK Defence Ministry: Recent Russian long-range strikes against Ukraine primarily targeted defense industry targets, in contrast with last year's attacks that prioritized energy infrastructure, the Ministry said in its latest intel report.

The Moscow Times: Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into “war fakes” against the head of a Kazakh diaspora in Moscow, the independent news outlet Verstka reported Wednesday.

Norway will send two F-16 fighter jets to Denmark to contribute to the training of Ukrainian pilots on the use of the U.S.-made airplane, the Norwegian defence minister said on Wednesday.

Reuters: The European Union has added Russia's Alrosa, the world's biggest diamond producer, as well as its CEO Pavel Alekseevich Marinychev to its sanctions list, it said on Wednesday.

The Kyiv Independent: Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called on Jan. 3 for the provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine and tighter sanctions against Russia in response to a recent mass strike against Ukrainian cities.

worth mentioning

CEPA: Putin’s $300bn Belongs to Ukraine

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