Russia
Russia is "very likely" to invade Ukraine and might only be deterred by "enormous sanctions", the chair of the US House intelligence committee said, according to The Guardian. Adam Schiff also said an invasion could backfire on Moscow, by drawing more countries into the Nato military alliance.
Donbas
Jun Sgt Stanislav Bohuslavskyy, a member of the 25th detached airborne brigade, was killed in action near Avdiyivka in Donetsk Region on 31 December 2021.
Ihor Tychyna from Korosten, who was wounded by a Russian sniper in Donbas on 27 December, died in Kharkiv on 1 January, Suspilne has reported, quoting local authorities. He was a member of the 95th air assault brigade.
Stepan Bandera March
The annual traditional torch procession in honour of Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera's birthday was held in Kyiv on 1 January.
Around 1,000 activists took part in it (according to the police, there were 600-800 people, Interfax-Ukraine said).
The participants in the march held posters, in particular "Nothing can stop the idea whose time has come" and "Our father is Bandera, Ukraine is mother, let us respect them with love with dignity".
Israeli embassy's reaction
The Israeli embassy in Ukraine has condemned the march honouring Stepan Bandera.
"Israel condemns the nationalist march in honour of Bandera. The glorification of those who supported Nazi ideology desecrates the memory of Holocaust victims in Ukraine," it tweeted.
Territorial defence
On 1 January 2022, the law of Ukraine on the foundations of national resistance came into force. According to it, the Territorial Defence Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will play a leading role in organising and carrying out the tasks of territorial defence.
By decree of 1 January 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Yuriy Halushkin, an experienced combat general, as commander of the territorial defence forces of the AFU.
State Bureau of Investigation
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Oleksiy Sukhachov as head of the State Bureau of Investigation. He has been the bureau's acting head since August 2020.
Law
As of 1 January, a law banning Russian vessels from accessing Ukraine's inland waters came into force in Ukraine. This applies to both passenger and cargo ships, the amended law "On inland water transport", which was published by parliament, says.
It was adopted in 2020. Separate articles in the document clarify that permission to use inland waters does not apply to ships under the flag of the aggressor state or ships whose owners or shareholders or ultimate beneficiaries of the owners are citizens of the aggressor state. The prohibition also applies to sub-sanctioned persons.
New Year speech
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed Ukrainians in a televised Near Year speech broadcast in the last minutes of 2021.
He mentioned that this year the state celebrated the 30th anniversary of its independence. He also mentioned the people who have been building Ukraine over the years of independence - "extraordinary people and citizens".
He mentioned teachers, construction workers, people with disabilities, students and athletes.
Recalling Ukraine's sports achievements this year, he joked that the national team lost to England so as not to spoil relations with a strategic partner.
He also said that "we frightened the oligarchs" with the law, while the oligarchs tried to torture Ukrainians with starvation and crises. Zelenskyy recalled that this year Ukraine had a record harvest.
The president's video featured, among others, servicemen, medics and athletes.