Navalny
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is "deeply concerned" about the detention of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, seeing it as "a continuation of the Kremlin's shameful practice of attacking human rights and suppressing the freedom of speech".
By arresting Navalny Moscow has "crossed all the red lines", ex-President Petro Poroshenko has said on Facebook. "Despite the fact that our approaches with Navalny on the Crimea issue are diametrically opposed, I subscribe to the world's demands for respect for democratic values and his immediate release, as well as of hundreds of political prisoners and hostages of the Kremlin, including Ukrainian citizens, "he said.
Donbas
The Russian occupying troops fired with 82-mm mortars near Bohdanivka on 18 January, the Joint Forces Operation HQ has said.
The security subgroup of the trilateral contact group has reached an agreement to resume gas supply to Maryinka. The local gas distribution station was damaged by separatist shelling in July 2014. In September 2020, the Joint Forces Operation HQ said that separatists had been blocking the repairs.
An armoured unit of a motorized infantry brigade held a drill in the Joint Forces Operation area. It practised deployment to a designated area, seizure of a firing position and repelling of an enemy attack.
Coronavirus
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has acknowledged a gradual increase in the coronavirus infection rate. Some 13,555 people were admitted to hospital last week. He said that quarantine restrictions in Ukraine would be extended at least until April.
On the morning of 18 January, the Ukrainian Health Ministry reported 3,034 new Covid-19 cases (amid 13,247 tests), 5,236 recoveries and 67 fatalities.
Ukraine International Airlines has said that it has prepared its Boeing 737 and Boeing 767 aircraft to transport a Covid-19 vaccine not only for in Ukraine but globally too.
Crimea
The first summit of the Crimean Platform initiative with the participation of foreign leaders is planned to be held on 23 August, according to a deputy head of the presidential office, Ihor Zhovkva.
Hungary
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó will visit Ukraine on 27 January, Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar has told Radio Liberty. Szijjártó will meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and the two may sign a memorandum on prospects for the development of bilateral relations.
Incident
Two people died and two were hurt in a fire which broke out in a hotel located in a three-storied building in 10/12 Posmitnyy Street, Odesa.
The bodies of three sailors from the Arvin ship which drowned off the Turkish coast have been recovered as of the 18 January morning, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said. Six other members (five Ukrainians and one Russian) have been rescued.