Russian forces conducted a series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of January 12 to 13 that significantly damaged energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine and hit a postal terminal in Kharkiv Oblast.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 18 Iskander-M ballistic missiles/S-300 air defense missiles from Kursk, Bryansk, and Voronezh oblasts and seven Iskander-K cruise missiles from Kursk and Belgorod oblasts.[9] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces also launched 293 Shahed-type, Gerbera-type, and other drones — of which about 200 were Shahed-type drones — from the directions of Oryol and Kursk cities; Shatalovo, Smolensk Oblast; Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; and occupied Kacha, Crimea. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the Russian ballistic missiles targeted Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kyiv oblasts and that Ukrainian forces downed two Iskander-M/S-300 missiles, five Iskander-K missiles, and 240 drones as of 0930 local time on January 13. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that an unspecified number of missiles and 48 drones struck 24 locations. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck residential, educational, railroad, port, and energy infrastructure in Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhia, Kyiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk oblasts.[10]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russian strikes largely targeted energy generation infrastructure and substations.[11] Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, reported that Russian strikes significantly damaged two power facilities in Odesa City, leaving 46,000 families without power.[12] Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces struck a postal terminal in Kharkiv Oblast with two missiles and then four drones, killing four civilians.[13] Russian forces often launch no or few missiles for multiple days in a row before launching strike packages with a significant quantity of missiles, likely stockpiling their missiles between strike series in order to launch larger strike packages to maximize damage against Ukraine.[14] Zelensky warned on January 12 that Ukrainian intelligence has information that Russian forces are preparing a new massive drone and missile strike, possibly in the coming days.[15] Zelensky noted that Russian forces are trying to take advantage of the cold weather in Ukraine, likely to maximize the consequences of strikes on the Ukrainian energy grid. Zelensky similarly warned about a new massive Russian strike on the afternoon of January 8, before the Russian Oreshnik ballistic missile strike on Lviv Oblast on the night of January 8 to 9.[16]
Ukrainian officials reported on January 12 that Russian drones also struck two vessels in the Black Sea — a Panamanian-flagged civilian vessel waiting to enter the port of Chornomorsk, Odesa Oblast, and a San Marino-flagged dry cargo ship that was leaving the port.[17] The Russian Rubikon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies posted geolocated footage on January 12 showing drone strikes against two cargo ships near Odesa City. ...Rubikon elements conducted drone strikes against a Ukrainian helicopter in Poltava Oblast and a transport aircraft in Mykolaiv Oblast in late December 2025, demonstrating how Rubikon is becoming increasingly involved in strikes in the Ukrainian rear.[19]
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Shot down: 240/293 Shahed and other type drones; 5/7 Iskander-K cruise missiles; 2/18 Iskander-M/S-300 ballistic missiles. Hits from missiles and drones were recorded at 24 locations.
Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian defense industrial and energy assets. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces used an unspecified Ukrainian-made missile to strike the Atlant Aero drone production facility in Taganrog, Rostov Oblast, on the night of January 12 to 13.[35] The Ukrainian General Staff reported a fire at the Atlant Aero enterprise, which designs, manufactures, and tests Molniya fixed-wing drones and components for Orion reconnaissance drones. Geolocated footage published on January 13 shows a fire near the drone facility in Taganrog.[36] Russian opposition outlet Astra reported that locals speculated that Ukrainian forces also hit the Beriev Aircraft Repair Plant in Taganrog.[37] Rostov Oblast Governor Yury Slyusar claimed that Russian forces destroyed seven drones over Taganrog and Krasnosulinsky Raion, and that drone debris damaged an industrial facility, residential buildings, gas lines, and vehicles in Taganrog.[38]
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Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation Head Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, who frequently reports on successful Ukrainian strikes, stated on January 12 that a strike caused a fire at the Oryol thermal power plant (TPP) in Oryol City.[39] A Ukrainian source posted footage showing a fire at the Oryol TPP, and Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi reported that the footage of the smoke and bright burning color indicates damage to industrial infrastructure, likely a power unit or an auxiliary system.[40] Militarnyi noted that the Oryol TPP supplies energy to Oryol City and nearby military facilities.
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Russian strikes caused significantly more civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2025 compared to previous years. Bloomberg reported on January 12 that a comprehensive assessment by unspecified European governments found that Russian strikes killed roughly 2,400 Ukrainian civilians and injured almost 12,000 in 2025 — nearly a 30 percent increase from 2024.[1] The report noted that Russian strikes killed over 2,000 civilians (about 83 percent of the total 2025 deaths) after US President Donald Trump’s March 2025 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which they agreed to start talks toward a ceasefire, and that Russian strikes killed over 220 of these civilians after the initial reports about the 28-point peace plan in November 2025. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) similarly reported on January 12 that conflict-related violence in Ukraine killed 2,512 civilians and injured 12,142 in 2025, 31 percent higher than in 2024 and 70 percent higher than in 2023.[2] The UN HRMMU noted that Russian strikes against Ukrainian-controlled areas caused 97 percent of the total civilian casualties in 2025. The UN HRMMU reported that Russia conducted its deadliest individual strike of 2025 on November 19 against Ternopil City, which killed at least 28 and injured at least 99.
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Russia dramatically increased the size, scale, and destructiveness of its strike packages throughout 2025, which likely contributed to the increase in civilian casualties. Russian forces only launched three strike packages containing over 200 projectiles in 2024, with the largest consisting of 287 projectiles in December 2024.[3] In contrast, Russian forces launched 42 strike packages containing over 300 projectiles in 2025, with the largest comprised of 823 projectiles in September 2025.[4] Bloomberg noted that the European government report found that Russian strikes have killed roughly 15,000 civilians and injured more than 40,000 since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.[5] Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on January 13 that Russian forces have launched over 13,300 missiles and 142,300 drones against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.[6] Russia has been able to dramatically increase the size and frequency of its strike packages by scaling up production with support from partners such as North Korea, Iran, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).[7] The makeup of Russian strike packages and Russian strike tactics has also increased civilian harm, as ISW previously reported.[8]
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- Russian strikes caused significantly more civilian casualties in Ukraine in 2025 compared to previous years.
- Russia dramatically increased the size, scale, and destructiveness of its strike packages throughout 2025, which likely contributed to the increase in civilian casualties.
- Russian forces conducted a series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of January 12 to 13 that significantly damaged energy infrastructure throughout Ukraine and hit a postal terminal in Kharkiv Oblast.
- Russia continues to scale up the production and innovation of inexpensive strike drones that have succeeded in generating favorable battlefield effects for Russian forces.
- Russian forces are struggling with other technological aspects of the battlespace, however, including with the effectiveness of some guided artillery munitions.
- Western sanctions on aircraft components will likely continue to constrain Russia’s ability to produce military aircraft.
- Ukrainian forces continued their long-range strike campaign against Russian defense industrial and energy assets.
- Unidentified drones struck multiple oil tankers off the Russian coast in the Black Sea.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) reportedly dismissed Russian Navy Deputy Commander for Coastal and Ground Forces Lieutenant General Sukhrab Akhmedov.
- Russian forces recently advanced near Borova, in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
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**General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine**
*Operational information as of 22:00 on January 13, 2026, regarding the Russian invasion*
The defense forces are focusing their efforts on disrupting the Russian invaders' plans for an offensive and exhausting their combat potential.
Since the beginning of the day, there have been 130 combat clashes.
The enemy launched one missile and 23 air strikes, used 23 missiles and dropped 47 guided aerial bombs, carried out 5,627 strikes with kamikaze drones and 3,073 shellings of our troops' positions and populated areas.
- - In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the enemy carried out 119 shellings, including nine with multiple launch rocket systems.
- - In the South Slobozhanskyi direction, there were six combat clashes in the areas of the settlements of Zelenе, Bugruvatka, Prylipka, and Dehtiarne, and fighting is currently ongoing.
- - In the Kupianskyi direction, the enemy carried out four attacks on the positions of our troops in the direction of Petropavlivka and Pishchane.
- - In the Lyman direction, Russian troops stormed the positions of Ukrainian defenders nine times in the areas of the settlements of Kolodyazi, Novoyegorivka, Zarichne, Novoselivka, and towards the settlements of Dibrova, Lypove, and Stavy. Another combat engagement is still ongoing.
- - In the Sloviansk direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled three enemy attacks on our positions today. Occupying forces attempted to advance in the areas of the settlements of Dronivka and Fedorivka.
- - In the Kramatorsk direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled two attacks in the Stupochok area and towards Privillia.
- - In the Kostyantynivka direction, the occupiers stormed the positions of our defenders 13 times today in the areas of the settlements of Oleksandro-Shultyne, Pleshchiivka, Ivanopilya, Berestok, Yablunivka, and towards Sofiivka.
- - In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy made 30 attempts to push back our units in the areas of the settlements of Shakhov, Fedorivka, Rodynske, Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk, Kotlyne, Udachne, and towards Filiya and Novopavlivka. Three combat engagements are ongoing.
According to preliminary estimates, our soldiers eliminated 38 and wounded eight occupiers in this direction, destroyed 17 vehicles, 72 unmanned aerial vehicles, two artillery systems, eight communication antennas, and a ground drone. In addition, eight vehicles, two UAV control points, and 17 enemy personnel shelters were hit.
- - In the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy attacked eight times near the settlements of Rybne, Yegorivka, and Solodke.
- - In the Huliaipole direction, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 25 enemy attacks today in the Huliaipole area and in the direction of Dobropillia and Varvarivka. Fighting continues in some locations.
- - In the Orikhiv direction, no enemy offensive actions have been recorded at this time.
- - In the Prydniprovsk direction, the occupiers made one unsuccessful attempt to advance in the area of the Antonivsky Bridge.
- - No significant changes in the situation have been recorded in other areas.
Let us defeat the enemy and bring our victory closer!
Glory to Ukraine!
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Russian sources now report that no less than 4 tankers of Russia's shadow fleet have been struck in the Black Sea. Aside from previously reported Delta Harmony (9408463) and Matilda (9407457), the Freud (9804461) and the Delta Supreme (9585895) were also struck. All of those ships are somewhere near the coast of Novorossiysk, Russia.
Unidentified drones struck multiple oil tankers off the Russian coast in the Black Sea. Western outlets and Russian opposition sources reported on January 13 that drones struck two oil tankers sailing in the Black Sea toward the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal near Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai.[41] The drones reportedly struck the Kazakh-chartered Matilda tanker and the Delta Harmony, a tanker under the management of the Greek company Delta Tanker.[42] The drone strikes reportedly caused minimal damage to the tankers and caused no injuries. Reuters reported that Delta Tankers stated that earlier reports from industry sources that the strikes hit another of its tankers were untrue, and the Greek company TMS similarly denied reports that drones hit one of its tankers.[43] The actor involved in the drone strikes is unclear.
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- Ukrainian drone strikes on January 13, 2026, damaged four Greek-managed tankers—Delta Harmony, Matilda, Freud, and Delta Supreme—in the Black Sea near Novorossiysk, Russia, as confirmed by Reuters and other sources, disrupting vessels en route to load Kazakh and Russian oil.
- Russia's shadow fleet, comprising over 600 aging tankers used to bypass Western sanctions, has lost at least 20 vessels to Ukrainian attacks since 2022, reducing Moscow's oil export capacity by an estimated 5-10% according to a 2025 Lloyd's List report.
- These strikes exemplify Ukraine's evolving naval drone strategy, which has neutralized much of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and imposed de facto blockades, potentially costing Russia $1-2 billion annually in lost oil revenues per International Energy Agency data.
