Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck the mountains of Sochi, the European Seismological Center reported on January 4.
Seismologists recorded the tremors at 12:47 PM Moscow time. The earthquake's epicenter was located at a depth of approximately 10 km—39 km northwest of Sochi and 9 km southeast of Lazarevskoye.
According to the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the epicenter was located in the Black Sea, approximately 5 km off the coast of Sochi. According to the resort's mayor, Andrei Proshunin, the intensity of the tremors in the Lazarevsky district reached magnitude 4, and in the Central district, magnitude 3. The tremors were felt by residents of Magri, Lazarevskoye, and Loo.
“There were no casualties or damage to infrastructure,” the city’s mayor reported.
On December 6, a magnitude 4.1 earthquake also struck Sochi. The epicenter was located at a depth of approximately 10 km, approximately 49 km northwest of central Sochi and 8 km northeast of Lazarevskoye. The seismic event was recorded at 1:13 PM Moscow time. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
In January 2024, a magnitude 3.5 earthquake was recorded in Sochi at a depth of approximately 5 km, followed by a subsequent seismic event at the same location that evening. The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that no residents had called for help, and no damage or casualties were reported.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.30 Launches of "Shaheeds" were noted from all directions. There is information that there could be up to 1000 drones tonight
22.00 Threat of Tu-95MS, Tu-160, Tu-22M3 bombers taking off during the night, – monitors.
21.30 The Energia plant is on fire in the city of Yelts, Lipetsk region. According to Russian publications, unknown drones visited it. Energia is a key enterprise in the Russian military-industrial complex. The plant produces chemical power sources for missiles (including Iskander), UAVs and other special equipment for the Russian Ministry of Defense, Roscosmos and other law enforcement agencies.
21:00 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that our country will prepare for two options for the development of events regarding the peace process: diplomacy or further active defense.
"Ukraine will prepare for both options for further developments: diplomacy, which we provide, or further active defense if pressure from partners on Russia proves insufficient. Ukraine seeks peace. But Ukraine will not give its strength to anyone," the president said.
20:30 Ukrainian paratroopers eliminated a Russian column of ATVs in the Pokrovsk area.
19.50 Russian troops, using the example of Pokrovsk, have applied a new scheme for capturing cities. This is stated in the material for The Washington Post by the leading analyst of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) Georges Barros, who analyzed the course of the battles for this city. The expert noted that despite the fact that the occupation of Pokrovsk will bring Moscow minor tactical advantages, the campaign to capture the city shows that Russian troops are learning and adapting.
19.00 The Russian army has made attempts to "probe" the border in Sumy region. Some of them are located "quite far" from the recently occupied Grabovske, said Viktor Tregubov, head of the Communications Department of the Joint Forces Group, on the air of Suspilny .
In addition, according to Tregubov, the enemy is remotely mining Grabovske to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks. The Russian army also uses mainly FPV drones.
18.20 Fragments of the body of another person killed in an enemy ballistic attack on January 2 were discovered in Kharkiv - the number of victims has increased to six, the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Synegubov, reported on Sunday evening.
17:00 Defense forces control Rodynske, the enemy has not taken control of Pokrovsk, Myrnograd, and Hulyaipole, heavy fighting continues, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the NSDC's Center for Countering Disinformation, reported on Sunday.
In turn, the head of the communications department of the Joint Forces Group, Viktor Tregubov, added that the Russian army continues its attempts to infiltrate Liman, while simultaneously trying to bypass Ukrainian positions around the city. Both sides face serious difficulties: a wide so-called "gray zone" and the active use of UAVs.
15.40 The head of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDC), Denis Kapustin, for the first time publicly commented on the information about his "death" during the GUR special operation. Kapustin thanked for the support, confirmed his service in the GUR, and emphasized that the operation was successful.
He also announced the preparation of new actions in 2026, calling the coming year "very interesting."
15.04 In the city of Korenovsk, Krasnodar Territory, an explosion occurred near the location of the 47th Missile Brigade of the 8th Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces. It is known that there are casualties among Russian servicemen, the Ministry of Defense's GUR reports.
14.45 The death toll in Kharkiv from the Russian missile strike on the city on January 2 has risen to five. This was reported by the city's mayor, Igor Terekhov, on Telegram.
Debris removal and search operations are still ongoing at the site of the missile strike. In total, more than 4,500 tons of concrete and metal structures have been removed.
14.22 The head of the State Border Service of Ukraine (SBSU), Serhiy Deineko, has been appointed advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs. He will also be appointed commander of a combat unit of the SBSU after a short rehabilitation.
14.00 A serviceman was injured in an SUV explosion in Obolon, Kyiv. The incident has been classified as a terrorist attack, the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office reported.
13.41 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on the implementation of the NSDC decision to impose sanctions against 95 individuals and 70 legal entities. Most of them are citizens and residents of the Russian Federation, the presidential press service reported.
13.09 Germany has signed a contract for the large-scale production of Taurus Neo cruise missiles. This was announced by MBDA. For this purpose, it is planned to invest 2.4 billion euros.
12.40 Ukrainian military is holding the defense of the city of Rodynske in the Donetsk region. The Russian occupiers are suffering significant losses in manpower and equipment, the 1st Corps of the Azov National Guard reported. The enemy is using fabricated materials and manipulative messages to create a false impression of the alleged capture of the city.
11.33 This week, the aggressor country Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 1,070 guided bombs, almost 1,000 drones, and six missiles. This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
09.22 Over the past 24 hours, 211 combat clashes between the Ukrainian army and the Russian invaders were recorded at the front. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in its morning briefing . The invaders continue to concentrate their main efforts on the Pokrovsky direction, where our defenders stopped 40 assaults.
09.00 In the Donetsk region, in the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol, the Russian occupiers have sharply increased the tariff for heating and water , which local residents already receive once every two days. This was reported by the Mariupol City Council.
08.39 On Sunday night, Russian aggressors launched 52 drones of various types over Ukraine. Air defense and electronic warfare units shot down/suppressed most of the enemy targets, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. The attack by Russian drones is currently ongoing. An air alert has been declared in Kyiv and a number of regions.
07.31 Over the past 24 hours, the Russian occupation army has lost 900 soldiers killed and wounded on the front in Ukraine. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational update . The Ukrainian military has destroyed almost 400 units of Russian equipment, including one air defense system and 12 artillery systems.
04.35 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has scheduled a meeting with US President Donald Trump, which could take place by the end of January. The main topics of the talks will include security guarantees, reconstruction, as well as cooperation with representatives of the military sector.
02.23 On the night of Sunday, January 4, fragments of the body of another person were discovered at the site of a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, bringing the number of victims of the tragedy to four. This was reported by Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
00.51 Moscow's Vnukovo Airport is experiencing delays of about a hundred flights due to the appearance of unknown drones in the airspace on Saturday evening, December 3. Russia has reported the "shooting down" of more than a hundred drones, including 19 over the territory of the Moscow region.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] The greatest intensity of combat clashes with the enemy is concentrated in the Pokrovsky and Hulyaypil directions.
Since the beginning of January 4, there have been 154 combat clashes. The Russian army has also carried out more than 3,000 shelling and used 4,663 kamikaze drones. 23 air strikes using 75 guided bombs have been recorded. This was reported by the General Staff in its evening summary.
The greatest intensity of fighting is concentrated in the Pokrovske and Hulyaipil directions. 47 attacks were repelled near Pokrovske, Myrnograd and surrounding settlements.
In this area, Ukrainian defenders eliminated and wounded 121 occupiers, destroyed a tank, three ammunition depots, three robotic complexes, and 29 drones. In the Hulyaipil direction, the Defense Forces stopped 53 enemy assault attempts.
Significant activity was also recorded in the Oleksandrivske (22 attacks) and Kostyantynivske (17 attacks) directions. A total of 18 attacks were repelled in the Kupyanske, Lymanske, and Slovianske directions, and fighting is ongoing in some places.
Seven offensive attempts were stopped in the South Slobozhansk direction, including in the Vovchansk area.
The enemy did not show any activity in the Dnieper direction, and the situation in other areas of the front did not undergo significant changes.
Earlier, Artem Pribilnov, a communications officer of the 155th separate mechanized brigade named after Anna of Kyiv, reported that Russian troops continue to exert active pressure in the Pokrovsky direction, but there is no breakthrough. The state of the combat contact line remains unchanged.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 16:18 Posted first-person footage of a Russian mobile fire team in action. 16:11 Specialists from the repair platoon of the 244th Artillery Brigade of the 11th Army Corps of the North group of forces restored an artillery piece, video.
15:40 Published footage of the destruction of two Ukrainian self-propelled guns in the Khar'kov region.
Two Ukrainian self-propelled guns, a 152mm 2S3 Akatsiya and a 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika, were discovered near the Russian border in the Khar'kov region and destroyed by crews of the 245th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the North group of forces.
14:39 Coming information about the clearing of Khromovka and Bogdarnoye in the Slavyansk direction.
14:32 Posted a video compilation of footage of the destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles in the Severyan zone of responsibility.
14:09 Operators of the Kurier NRTK of the Center group's unmanned aerial vehicle systems unit continue to provide round-the-clock support to troops in the Krasnoarmeysk direction, video.
13:34 From 10:00 Moscow time to 13:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 11 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
Eight over the territory of the Belgorod region,
Two over the territory of the Kursk region,
One over the territory of the Ryazan region.
12:17 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of January 4, 2026:
Units of the "North" force group improved their tactical position. Formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized brigade were defeated near the villages of Kondratovka and Pisarevka in Sumy Oblast.
In the Khar'kov direction, units of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Vovchanskie Khutora, Zolochiv, Zhukov Yar and Ryasnoye in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 140 servicemen, three vehicles, and a field artillery gun. Three supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the "West" military group, as a result of active operations, took control of the village of Podoli in the Khar'kov region.
The manpower and equipment of the mechanized, assault, and airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Blagodatovka, Staroverovka, Grushevka, and Nechvolodovka in the Khar'kov region, and Lozove and Rubtsov in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy's losses amounted to 180 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, nine cars, a US-made 155mm M-198 howitzer and three ammunition depots.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have improved their position along the forward edge. Four mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade were defeated near the settlements of Alekseyevo-Druzhkovka, Konstantinovka, Novopavlovka, Slavyansk, and Reznikovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost more than 180 troops, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, seven armored fighting vehicles, and 14 vehicles. Two supply depots and a fuel depot were destroyed.
Units of the Center group of forces occupied more advantageous lines and positions, inflicting losses on the manpower and equipment of four mechanized, infantry, airborne assault, and airmobile brigades, two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, two territorial defense brigades, the Azov* special forces brigade, and two National Guard brigades in the areas of the settlements of Torskoye, Grishino, Dobropolye, Gulevo, Belitskoye, Toretskoye, Udachnoye, and Volnoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Novopavlovka and Dibrova in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The enemy's losses amounted to 410 servicemen, an armored personnel carrier, four Cossack armored vehicles, seven pickup trucks, a 105mm M-119 gun, and a US-made AN/TPQ-37 counter-battery radar.
Units of the "East" force group continued to advance deep into the enemy's defenses. They inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade, three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Verkhnyaya Tersa, Zaliznichnoe, Tsvetkovoe, and Vozdvizhevka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 275 servicemen, nine armored combat vehicles and five cars.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized brigade and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Orekhov in the Zaporizhzhia region, Sadovoe in the Kherson region and the city of Kherson.
Up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, 11 vehicles and an electronic warfare station were destroyed.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups damaged workshops for the production and assembly of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles and their storage sites, ammunition depots, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 156 districts.
Air defense systems shot down a guided aerial bomb and 210 unmanned aerial vehicles.
12:10 Severyan drones destroyed electronic equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – video.
11:04 The Russian Armed Forces carried out strikes against the enemy in the Khar'kov and Dnipropetrovsk regions, video.
11:03 Drone operators of the Northern Forces Group destroyed Ukrainian Armed Forces ammunition depot in the Khar'kov direction.
10:31 In the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk direction, units of the South group of forces are developing an offensive in the Vasyukovka-Bondarny area.
9:22 In the period from 7:00 Moscow time to 9:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 42 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
12 UAVs were flying over the Ryazan region,
11 UAVs were flying over the Belgorod region,
Six UAVs were flying over the Voronezh region,
Four UAVs were flying over the Kursk region,
Four UAVs were flying over the Lipetsk region,
Two UAVs were flying over the Tula region,
One UAV was flying over the Oryol region,
One UAV was flying over the Kaluga region, and
One UAV was flying over the Tambov region.
8:44 To the servicemen of the 70th Motorized Rifle Division of the Southern Group of Forces who distinguished themselves in the performance of combat missions handed over state and departmental awards.
7:22 During the past night, in the period from 23:30 Moscow time on January 3 to 7:00 Moscow time on January 4, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 90 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
37 – over the territory of the Bryansk region,
22 – over the territory of the Kursk region,
11 – over the territory of the Kaluga region,
11 – over the territory of the Moscow region,
Four – over the territory of the Tula region,
Two – over the territory of the Voronezh region,
One – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
One – over the territory of the Rostov region,
One – over the territory of the Oryol region.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
