Poroshenko's case
Kyiv's Pecherskyy district court has released ex-President Petro Poroshenko on own recognizance in the case concerning coal supplies from separatist-held territories in Donbas in 2014.
Poroshenko, who is suspected of high treason, will not be able to leave Kyiv, will have to hand in his foreign passport and report to court, prosecutors or investigators at first call until 19 March 2022.
The leader of the opposition European Solidarity party said that he would appeal the court decision. According to him, it has nothing to do with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit.
One police officer and one activist were hurt during a scuffle which broke out outside the court as it was selecting a measure of restraint for Poroshenko, police have said.
Zelenskyy urges Ukrainians not to panic
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recorded a video address in which he urged Ukrainians not to panic over the Russian military buildup near Ukraine's border.
He noted that the risk of Russia's all-out invasion had been here since 2014.
He stressed that Ukraine is constantly strengthening its defence capabilities.
"We know everything, we are ready for everything, but we are doing everything so that we do not need it in the end. We are doing everything to resolve it through diplomacy, we are doing everything for peace in Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy meets Blinken
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who came to Kyiv today.
"Our meeting reiterates the strong support from the United States for our independence and sovereignty and reaffirms the fundamental principle that no decision on Ukraine can be made without Ukraine," he said, as quoted by the Ukrainian presidential office.
Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to President Joseph Biden for the United States' help and unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of existing security challenges.
He and Blinken exchanged views on the security situation at Ukrainian border and further diplomatic steps.
"We want to intensify the work of all negotiation formats and pave the way for the Normandy Summit," Zelenskyy said.
Extra US assistance
The United States will allocate an additional $300m to Ukraine in 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said at a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv.
"We will continue support that includes defence and security assistance. Such support is being provided by both US parties. This was evident during the visit of the senators' delegation yesterday and also during the visit of the House delegation in December. This is a signal from the US Congress that we continue and will continue to support Ukraine in 2022 and will allocate additional $300m," Blinken said.
Normandy preparations
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, hopes that a meeting of the Normandy quartet at the level of political advisers will take place before the end of January.
He said this at a briefing after a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"A meeting of the Normandy political advisers is being prepared, and I think it will take place before the end of this month," Yermak said.
Media office reports attack
The head of the GORDON website, Dmytro Gordon, has said that his editorial office in Kyiv's Shchekavytska Street was fired on today.
In his words, the website's staff found the traces of a shot on one of the windows, after which they called the police.
The journalist attributed the incident to his professional activities.
Serviceman's death
A contract serviceman was found dead in Luhansk Region on 18 January. According to the preliminary version, a 23-year-old native of Novohryhorivka Druha village in Kirovohrad Region had committed suicide,the press service of the Specialized Military and Defence Prosecutor's Office of the Joint Forces.
Crime
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has blocked an interregional criminal group operating on the territory of penal colonies in Rivne and Lutsk, coordinated by "thieves in law" from Russia.
According to the investigation, the malefactors in Rivne were led by a crime boss serving a sentence in a local penal colony.
He set up a criminal organization with a clear hierarchy in the penal colony, which supplied and sold drugs to inmates. Its members included convicts as well as residents of Rivne, Volyn, Kyiv and Donetsk regions.
Coronavirus
Members of the Cabinet of Ministers, led by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, were administer Covid-19 booster shots today. On this occasion, the government members came to the meeting wearing T-shirts with the inscription "Vaccination saves lives". The vaccination was broadcast live on state television.