Russia in January 2026: the most important developments in security
In January 2026, the confrontation between Russia and Western states over oil tankers was the most widely reported security story. On 7 January the U.S. military seized the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic, with UK support; Russia called it piracy, sent naval vessels and a submarine to escort the ship, and demanded humane treatment for its crew. On 22 January the French navy intercepted a tanker in the Mediterranean that Emmanuel Macron said had sailed from Russia and was suspected of belonging to a shadow fleet used to circumvent sanctions; it was diverted toward Marseille. A Russian senator said the detention raised tensions, and Russia's ambassador to the UK described London's threats to stop Russian ships as piracy.
In Ukraine, Russian strikes on the energy grid continued through freezing weather. Missile and drone attacks hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and other cities, leaving large parts of Kyiv without power, heat and water, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. On 9 January Russia used its Oreshnik hypersonic missile for the first time, and the EU's top diplomat called it a clear escalation. On 24 January Russia launched its largest air strikes of the year on Kyiv and Kharkiv while talks were under way in Abu Dhabi. A drone attack on a passenger train in Ukraine killed between five and twelve people. Ukrainian strikes left about 600,000 people in the Belgorod region without power, heat or water. On 30 January the Kremlin confirmed that Vladimir Putin agreed to Donald Trump's request to pause strikes on Kyiv until 1 February, and Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would stop striking Russian energy targets if Russia did the same.
Elsewhere, European troops arrived in Greenland, and Denmark said its drills there focus on countering Russia while rejecting U.S. claims of Russian and Chinese ships near the island. Germany charged two men with planning attacks for Russia and expelled a Russian diplomat on 22 January; Russia and Britain expelled diplomats from each other's countries. A German general warned that Russia could attack NATO in two to three years.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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