Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 326

Here is the situation as it stands on Sunday, January 15, 2023:

Fighting

• Russia has unleashed a wave of attacks across Ukraine, hitting energy infrastructure and destroying a nine-storey apartment building in Dnipro, east-central Ukraine, officials said.
• The death toll from the attack on the Dnipro apartment building has risen to 14. Rescuers searched for survivors through the night, with 38 rescued after the attack that injured at least 64, the regional governor said early on Sunday.
• Ukrainian forces are fighting to retain control of Soledar in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the regional governor said, contradicting Russian claims that Moscow’s forces had captured the small town.
• Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russian mercenary group, Wagner, boasted of his forces’ prowess amid a simmering rivalry with the defence ministry over who should get credit for leading Russia’s assault on Soledar.
• Moldovan President Maia Sandu, denouncing “Russia’s brutal war”, said missile debris was found in her country near Ukraine’s western border after the latest wave of Russian attacks.

Arms, diplomacy

• The UK will send 14 of its Challenger 2 main battle tanks and artillery support to Ukraine, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office said, disregarding criticism from the Russian embassy.
• Russia cancelled a scheduled prisoner exchange at the last minute, the Ukrainian body dealing with prisoners said, after Russian Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said Russian soldiers had allegedly reported instances of extortion while in Ukrainian captivity.
• Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the G7 summit he will host in May should demonstrate a strong will to uphold the international order and rule of law after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Kishida of shameful subservience to the United States and suggested he should ritually disembowel himself.

Economy

• Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko said the coming days would be “difficult” on the energy front after a fierce missile attack by Russia on Saturday hit critical infrastructure in several regions.