January 6: Despite the ceasefire declared by Russia, Russian forces continued their attacks. According to Ukrainian Governor Serhiy Haidai, 34 Ukrainian cities, including areas around Bakhmut, were shelled. Neither side adhered to the ceasefire in the Bakhmut region. Ukraine viewed the ceasefire as a pretext for Russian soldiers at the front to replenish ammunition and regroup.

The United States announced another military aid package for Ukraine worth $3.075 billion. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian statements and threats regarding arms deliveries to Ukraine were primarily propagandistic, without evidence of "red lines" or genuine concerns from Russian authorities. The U.S. announcement of the new military aid package did not provoke significant reactions from Russian officials or war bloggers.

January 8: Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, expressed confidence that 2023 would be the year of Ukraine's victory. He emphasized, however, the need for careful preparation to achieve this goal. Reflecting on the early phase of the war, Budanov acknowledged the real threat to Ukraine's survival as a state at that time but highlighted that the country overcame this critical period, a reason for all Ukrainians to take pride.

January 9: The British Ministry of Defence reported advances by Russian forces and the Wagner Group in Soledar, where fighting focused on the entrances to the salt mine tunnels. These attacks aimed to encircle Bakhmut from the north, though their complete capture in the near future seemed unlikely. ISW noted that Yevgeny Prigozhin was using reports of the Wagner Group's successes in Soledar and Bakhmut to enhance the image of his forces as essential to Russian operations. Fighting persisted along the Svatove–Kreminna line, in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and against Russian logistics, where Ukrainian partisans conducted sabotage operations. Russian forces strengthened their positions in the Zaporizhzhia region, fearing a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

January 10: Sweden announced the delivery of advanced Archer artillery systems to Ukraine, expected to arrive within 6–8 weeks. Meanwhile, Foreign Policy reported that since November 2022, Turkey has been supplying Ukraine with Cold War-era cluster munitions.

Illustrative photo. Generated by AI