Explosions were heard in Kyiv on Saturday morning. However, the Ukrainian army told the residents of the capital city that the blasts were not caused by Russian attacks, UNIAN agency reported. Russian Telegram channels wrote about an alleged Russian offensive from Belarus. “If there was a threat, you would have heard air raid sirens”, Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Force General Oleksandr Pavluuk said and noted that more information about the blasts will be provided later.  

Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that its forces had taken control of the town of Soledar. However, Kyiv denied that this was the case, saying heavy fighting was still ongoing, France Press agency reported. “The difficult battle for Donetsk region continues. The battle for Bakhmut and Soledar, for Kreminna, for other towns and villages of the east of our country continues”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address. According to the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War, “Russian forces’ likely capture of Soledar on January 11 is not an operationally significant development and is unlikely to presage an imminent Russian encirclement of Bakhmut.”

“The primary priority of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU is that of providing military aid to Ukraine”, Sweden’s Premier Ulf Kristersson said at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.”The fate of Ukraine is the fate of Europe”, he said. Ursula von der Leyen announced the disbursement of the first tranche of the 18 billion euro economic support to Kiev by January.