‘Happy New Year of Life and Freedom—Happy Our Year!’ – Ukraine at War Update for Jan. 1

Zelensky declares 2025 a pivotal year for Ukraine to stop Russia

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday vowed that the country would use 2025 to fight for an end to Russia’s nearly three-year-long invasion at all costs. “May 2025 be our year,” Zelensky said in an address to the nation just before the clock struck midnight in Kyiv. “We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift but we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war.”

Residents of several cities, including Kyiv, had to take shelter during air raid alerts that rang out throughout the night. Ukraine lost seven times more territory to Russia in 2024 than in 2023, according to an AFP analysis, and is facing the possibility of a reduction in US military and political backing when President-elect Donald Trump takes over the White House.

Incumbent US President Joe Biden’s administration unveiled almost $6 billion in military and budget aid for Ukraine on Monday in a race to support Kyiv before Trump takes office in January. The Republican has promised to end the conflict in “24 hours” once in power, raising fears in Ukraine that it will be forced to give up all the land the Kremlin currently controls in exchange for peace.

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In his New Year’s address, Zelensky said that Ukraine had to continue to fight to gain the upper hand – both on the battlefield and ahead of any prospective peace talks. “Every day in the coming year, I, and all of us, must fight for a Ukraine that is strong enough,” the Ukrainian leader said. “Because only such a Ukraine is respected and heard. Both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”

But Zelensky appeared sanguine about Trump’s return.“I have no doubt that the new American President is willing and capable of achieving peace and ending (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s aggression,” Zelensky said.

In his own New Year’s Eve address on Tuesday, Putin did not explicitly mention the war in Ukraine but praised Russia’s soldiers. “You are true heroes who have undertaken the great military labor to defend Russia,” he said.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov paid tribute to “fallen soldiers” in his address, saying that they had died fighting “Nazism” – a pretext Putin used to launch his invasion. Since that began in February 2022, Moscow has launched overnight aerial attacks on Ukraine almost every day. Those have targeted military and civilian infrastructure, including the power grid.

The Ukrainian president doubled down in his message for 2025 on social media. “Hard work and courage, humanity and integrity of the entire nation filled this year. Along with care, development and love, the desire to change reality for the better, no matter what,” he added in another New Year’s message from Zelensky on X.

“We Ukrainians know what it means not to wait for what tomorrow will bring, but to fight for every single day and every year of freedom. And 2024 was exactly that—a year hard-won and free. Another step towards justice, a fair peace, our victory, and a life without war.”

“I wish us all strength, unity, and inspiration in the coming year. Happy New Year of life and freedom—Happy Our Year!”

How Ukrainian doctors are rebuilding the faces and lives of wounded soldiers

Ukrainian doctors are performing advanced facial reconstructive surgeries to help those who sustained severe facial injuries in battle, restoring not only the physical appearance but also the dignity and lives of wounded soldiers.

“Your face is your entryway to life,” said Oleksandr Vasyliev, head of the maxillofacial surgery department at a hospital in Kyiv, told the Washington Post in a recent interview published Tuesday. He has operated on dozens of severely injured soldiers returning from the front and trained several other medical professionals on new techniques he has learned since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Specialized surgeons have been trained in innovative techniques to address complex facial injuries caused by explosive weapons with the help of foreign teams who have traveled to Ukraine to teach local doctors how to perform intricate surgeries. 

These international partnerships have allowed Ukrainian doctors to learn advanced procedures – such as fibula-free flap surgery, which involves using a piece of bone from a soldier’s leg to reconstruct their jaw after suffering devastating wounds. Such skills have become increasingly necessary as Russia’s full-scale war drags into its third year.

Initiatives like the University of Oklahoma’s Operation Ukraine have partnered with Face to Face — the humanitarian arm of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (AAFPRS) — along with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as Razom for Ukraine, INgenius, and Sooner Hope for Ukraine, to develop ground-breaking academic-based educational observership in head and neck reconstruction for Ukrainian surgeons.

“Multiple groups of Ukrainian surgeons have since traveled to Oklahoma to learn complex neurosurgical as well as head and neck reconstructive techniques that would then be used to treat their own civilians and soldiers,” Operation Ukraine’s mission statement says. “In addition, these surgeons are provided the tools and collaboration needed for them to begin training surgeons back home.”

“Through this organic growth model, we hope to increase the availability and sustainability of complex neurosurgical and head and neck reconstructive care to allow patients from all corners of Ukraine experience this life-changing care.”

The emotional and psychological impact of facial injuries, and the surgeries needed to correct them, is profound. For many veterans, regaining their facial structure translates into a restoration of dignity and self-worth. “It brings hope to people who have lost their very facial appearance—the central aspect of what makes them human,” told the Houston Chronicle in 2023.

Each successful surgery not only restores physical appearance but also rekindles hope for a brighter future among soldiers who have sacrificed so much for their country. The efforts of these dedicated medical professionals serve as a powerful reminder that even in the darkest times, compassion and expertise can pave the way for healing and renewal. These dedicated medical professionals are not just mending faces – they are helping rebuild lives, instilling confidence, and fostering a sense of much-needed normalcy. 

Ukraine’s MoD greenlighted over 1,300 weapons in 2024

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has approved the deployment of over 1,300 types of weapons and military equipment for 2024, with nearly 75% produced domestically. 

The achievement underscores the high efficiency and capability of Ukrainian defense enterprises in meeting the needs of the armed forces during wartime, according to the Ministry of Defense. 

“In wartime conditions, they not only meet the needs of the frontlines but also demonstrate competitiveness on the international stage,” stated Deputy Defense Minister Dmytro Klimenkov in a statement on Tuesday. 

Among the newly approved items in 2024 are:

• 251 unmanned aerial systems (UAS/UAVs)
• 169 types of ammunition
• 153 electronic warfare (EW) and intelligence systems
• 108 engineering tools
• 97 communication devices
• 57 ground missile systems (GMS)

Klimenkov attributed Ukraine’s productivity to the close cooperation between the Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian manufacturers, and international partners. He said the collaborative efforts have resulted in a robust defense industry capable of producing advanced military technology.

The deputy minister said that Ukrainian companies currently have the capacity to produce four million drones annually, with agreements already established for the production of 1.5 million unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This surge in domestic production not only enhances Ukraine’s military capabilities but also positions it as a competitive player in the global defense market.

The approval of these weapons and equipment is crucial for Ukraine to maintain its operational effectiveness against ongoing threats. This strategic focus on domestic production not only strengthens national security but also fosters economic growth within the country, ensuring that Ukrainian industries play a pivotal role in the nation’s current and future defense strategy.