RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western military aid to Kyiv, worldwide reaction, and the plight of civilians and refugees. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Latest Developments At A Glance Shortly before his inauguration on January 20, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump again said he would get Ukraine and Russia to stop fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his embattled nation had been slammed by more than 1,000 Russian projectiles over the past week, prompting him to renew his urgent plea for additional air defense weapons, particularly the U.S.-made Patriot missile system. A Ukrainian military spokesman claimed on January 18 that the situation in Pokrovsk remains 'stable' and that there are no Russian troops inside the embattled Ukrainian city, even as authorities rushed to evacuate children from the bombed-out ruins. The Russian military launched a deadly strike on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and also hit the city of Zaporizhzhya, local authorities reported on January 18. Four people were killed and seven others were wounded in a Russian missile strike deep in the heart of Ukraine, partially destroying an educational facility in the central city of Kryviy Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on a visit to Kyiv this week that any deal to end the war in Ukraine must 'guarantee' Ukraine's security and independence. Russian forces tried to prevent Ukrainian troops who captured a North Korean soldier in Kursk earlier this month from taking him off the battlefield, according to a Ukrainian soldier involved in the mission in comments to RFE/RL. Russia's foreign minister signaled that Moscow was ready to hear from Donald Trump and advisers on proposals to resolve the Ukraine war, saying the incoming administration had 'started to acknowledge the realities on the ground.' Why Do Ukrainians Oppose Lowering The Conscription Age?

A Ukrainian mother told RFE/RL that she has sent her teenage sons abroad so that they can avoid military service when they came of age - and she's not alone. Suggestions by senior U.S. politicians that Ukraine lower the conscription age from 25 to18 are deeply unpopular. Read the report by Ray Furlong, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Current Time here.

Ukraine Has Launched A New Offensive Into Russia. Why And Why Now?

Ukraine has launched a new offensive in Russia's region of Kursk. But it's not clear why exactly Ukraine is waging a new assault in Kursk, and why now. Read the report by Todd Prince here.

What Awaits Ukraine War In 2025 Amid Shifting Political Climate?

The outgunned Ukrainian military has relied on Western support to buoy its defensive efforts as Russian forces look to seize more Ukrainian territory. Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden is rushing to deliver more aid to the country before he leaves office in January. But it's unclear how the incoming Trump administration will support Ukraine in 2025. By Donbas.Realities, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Austin Malloy

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