Russian Ministry of Defense Reports Drone Interceptions
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on January 27 and 28, 2026, that its air defense systems successfully intercepted a significant number of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. According to reports carried by the state news agency TASS, Russian forces shot down 105 Ukrainian drones within a 24-hour period. A statement from the Russian Defense Ministry on January 27 further specified that these included 105 hybridized fixed-wing drones, along with 11 HIMARS rockets and a modified S-200 missile targeting ground objectives.
Claims of Territorial Advances in Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv
In addition to the drone interceptions, Russia's Ministry of Defense also claimed to have secured new territorial gains in Ukraine. On January 28, 2026, TASS reported that Russian forces had seized the Ukrainian settlement of Novoyakivlivka in the Zaporizhzhia region and Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi in the Kharkiv region. This followed an earlier claim on January 27, where the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces had taken control of the village of Novomykolaivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Ukrainian Denials and Independent Assessments
These territorial claims have been met with skepticism and direct denials from Ukrainian officials. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, dismissed the claim regarding the capture of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi as a 'lie'. Furthermore, an open intelligence map provided by the Ukrainian volunteer organization DeepState did not indicate the presence of Russian troops in the area of Novoyakivlivka.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) provided an assessment of Russian claims of advances throughout January 2026. While Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov claimed the seizure of 17 settlements and over 500 square kilometers since January 1, ISW's tracking indicated actual advances of approximately 265.45 square kilometers between January 1 and 27. ISW has also noted that the Russian military command 'continues to present demonstrable lies and exaggerations about Russian battlefield gains' to influence perceptions and pressure Ukraine and its allies.
Broader Context of Recent Claims
Throughout January 2026, Russia has made various claims of advances across different sectors. These include:
- The town of Novoboikivske, east of Stepnohirsk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast (claimed January 12)
- The town of Krasnohirske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast (reported January 15)
- Dobropillia and Varvarivka, north of Huliaipole (confirmed/assessed January 16)
- Pavlivka near Stepnohirsk and Kruhle in Kharkiv Oblast (claimed January 16)
- Zakitne near Siversk and Olenokostyantynivka near Huliaipole (claimed January 16)
- Pryvillia, south of Rai-Oleksandrivka, Donetsk Oblast (claimed January 17)
- Ozerne, near Lyman and Novyi Donbas, east of Dobropillia (claimed January 18)
- Symynivka near Vovchansk (claimed January 23)
- Novoselivka, Vorone, Sosnivka, and Orestopil, southeast of Oleksandrivka, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (claimed January 23)
5 Comments
Africa
Ukrainian officials are quick to deny Russian advances, which is understandable in wartime, but ISW's data also shows some smaller, albeit disputed, Russian movements. The scale, however, is far from what Moscow reports.
Bermudez
Ukraine will push them back. These supposed advances are temporary at best.
Coccinella
While Russia claims significant drone interceptions, the independent assessments from ISW suggest their territorial claims are heavily exaggerated. It's hard to get a clear picture with so much conflicting information.
Habibi
ISW already debunked these claims. Don't fall for this obvious disinformation.
ZmeeLove
105 drones down? That's a serious blow to Ukraine's air capabilities. Impressive!