Bill on referendum
Parliament has passed the president's bill on referendum which introduces a procedure for people's rule and describes the issues which may be addressed at a referendum. The bill has drawn much criticism across the opposition spectrum.
Exclusive: Sources told LB.ua that members of the pro-presidential Servant of the People faction were ordered to support the bill or risk expulsion.
Donbas
A Ukrainian serviceman was heavily wounded as a result of separatist shelling near Popasna, the Ukrainian delegation to the trilateral contact group on Donbas has said.
Hungary
The Hungarian embassy in Ukraine has received an email containing threats of physical violence in case Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó visits Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has tweeted. He said that this was an act of provocation ahead of his counterpart's visit and drew attention to numerous grammatical mistakes in the text of the email.
USA
Two days after Joe Biden's inauguration as US president, new proceedings were opened against him and former Ukrainian President Poroshenko, Poroshenko's lawyer Ihor Holovan said at a briefing. "On 22 January, two days after the inauguration of the president of the United States, two new criminal proceedings were registered concerning alleged interference in the activities of former Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Shokin by fifth President of Ukraine Poroshenko and the incumbent President of the United States Biden," he explained. Holovan suggested that one of the MPs recently designated by US sanctions was behind the case.
Security
Exclusive: The parliamentary committees for national security and law enforcement want to hear a report by Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Ivan Bakanov and other senior representatives of the service regarding the recent high-profile detention of SBU employees, MP Iryna Vereshchuk has told LB.ua. No date for this has been set yet.
Survey
A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology has found that 74% of Ukrainians believe that things are moving in the wrong direction in the country.
Parliament
Yaroslav Zheleznyak has replaced Serhiy Rakhmanin as head of the Voice faction in parliament.
Coronavirus
On the morning of 26 January, Ukraine reported 2,779 new Covid-19 cases, 12,538 recoveries and 133 deaths.