The Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, is incorporating three former Wagner assault detachments into its first volunteer corps formation, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. This follows a law signed by President Vladimir Putin on December 25 authorizing Rosgvardia to form its own volunteer formations. The incorporation indicates Wagner has been successfully subordinated to Rosgvardia, increasing Russian state control over the paramilitary group, the UK Ministry of Defence assessed.
Rosgvardia will likely deploy its new volunteer detachments to Ukraine and Africa, offering six-month contracts for Ukraine and nine-month contracts for Africa, the UK Ministry of Defence said. This aligns with a broader Russian legal and operational framework, as the government has declared that commercial vessels could be co-opted by the military for any purpose, according to research from eight sources.
On the battlefield, Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure have intensified. Five people were killed and at least 19 injured, including a 14-year-old girl, in a Russian drone attack on a market in Nikopol, Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials and the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha. Ukraine's prosecutor general's office claimed the Nikopol attack was a war crime.
Additional Ukrainian civilian casualties were reported from drone strikes overnight. In Sumy, at least 11 people were wounded, including a 15-year-old, the National Police said. A drone strike caused a fire in Kyiv, but no casualties were reported, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service. In the Donetsk region, a Russian drone strike hit a civilian car, killing one woman and wounding another, said Serhiy Horbunov, head of the Kostyantynivka City Military Administration.
This proves strong EU unity.
The scale of Russian drone attacks was massive, with Russia firing 286 drones at Ukraine overnight, of which 260 were downed, the Ukrainian Air Force reported. Russia's defence ministry claimed its forces fired precision weapons at military-industrial and energy facilities used by Ukrainian forces, though the specific facilities targeted have not been disclosed.
Cross-border attacks have also caused casualties in Russia. In occupied Luhansk, Ukrainian forces hit railroad infrastructure and private houses, killing a family of three, according to Russian-installed head Leonid Pasechnik. One person was killed and four injured in Russia's Rostov region from an attack, governor Yuri Slyusar said, while another person was wounded in Samara region's city of Tolyatti, governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev reported.
Amid the violence, diplomatic engagement continues, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul to meet Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks on security issues, according to research from eight sources. The exact security issues being discussed have not been detailed.
Russia's espionage and grey zone warfare against the UK have escalated, with spy sensors discovered in UK waters targeting nuclear submarines, UK officials said. Grey zone warfare includes actions like undermining oil and gas supplies, money laundering, espionage, and sabotage, research from eight sources indicates. Russian hostile acts on UK soil have included the use of a nerve agent in Salisbury, cyberattacks, espionage, and arson, according to a UK announcement.
I thank all EU leaders for their support.
Russian undersea threats to UK infrastructure are growing, with remote seabed platforms established off the UK coast to recharge sensors and map undersea cables for future attacks, according to former UK defence minister Tobias Ellwood. The exact locations and operational status of these platforms remain unclear. In January 2025, the Russian ship Yantar was spotted in UK territorial waters near the English Channel, research from eight sources reported.
Russian missile threats to NATO countries are also a concern, with Kremlin military files revealing 32 locations across NATO countries that Russia could strike with missiles, including three in the UK, the Financial Times reported. Russia's Northern Fleet poses the most stark missile threat to the UK since the Cold War, said William Freer.
Suspected Russian espionage extends to Norway, where in Kirkenes, Russian fishing trawlers including Arka-33 were docked, with concerns they might be used for espionage, according to research from eight sources. Locals noticed Russian fishermen were younger and sometimes did physical-training exercises on deck, but the number of trawlers suspected and evidence supporting espionage concerns have not been specified.
African casualties and recruitment by Russian forces have emerged as a significant issue. Cameroon's government says Russia confirmed 16 Cameroonian nationals were killed fighting in Ukraine. A report documented at least 94 Cameroonians killed while fighting for Russia, with about 335 Cameroonian fighters recruited among over 1,400 Africans, according to the All Eyes on Wagner project. Ukrainian authorities say around 1,800 people from African countries have been conscripted into Russian forces.
Russia is trying to drag African citizens into the war, with recruits from 36 African countries.
Testimonies reveal deceptive recruitment and forced conscription of Africans, with several African recruits testifying about being lured to Russia with false promises of jobs or education and then forced into the army. How many African recruits have been successfully integrated into Russian forces, and their current deployment status in Ukraine or other regions, is unknown.
Russia's troop replacement challenges are mounting, as its casualty rate has outpaced its ability to replace troops since January 2026, according to Western intelligence agencies and the Institute for the Study of War. This comes despite Putin's statement that conscripts will not be sent to fight in Ukraine and there will be no additional call-up of reservists, while he also endorsed bringing in foreign volunteers, including from the Middle East, to join the war.
In a move to support Ukraine, a deal was reached on a €50bn aid package for Ukraine at an EU leaders summit in Brussels, with all 27 leaders agreeing, according to European Council president Charles Michel. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, "This proves strong EU unity," and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal added, "I thank all EU leaders for their support." Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted, "Russia is trying to drag African citizens into the war, with recruits from 36 African countries."
In unrelated sports news from Namibia, the Erongo Region's Under-20 football team won the 2026 Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup, beating Kunene 2-1, according to research from eight sources. The Kavango East netball team won the 2026 Nedbank Namibian Newspaper Cup, defeating Khomas 35-28, research from eight sources reported.