Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov reports that as of Friday evening 30 thousand Starlink terminals have already been deployed in Ukraine. “30 thousand Starlink terminals are already in Ukraine. The 24/7 Mincifra team is working to provide even more terminals. International partners are helping with this. After all, Starlinks have become part of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Thanks to them Ukrainians remain in touch where the usual network does not work during a power outage, “- Fedorov wrote in a telegram.
He specified that the last batch – 8 thousand terminals – Ukraine was helped to purchase by Poland.
“Hundreds of Starlinks from this batch are already working in the Points of Inconsistency across the country. Another part has been handed over to power engineers and medics. Yesterday I stopped by to protest the satellite Internet in one of the POPs from the State Emergency Service in Irpin”, – said the Minister.
He thanked Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Secretary of State for Digitalization Janusz Cieszynski for providing terminals to Ukraine.
“Special thanks to the National Telecommunications Institute and Orlen. Thanks to you millions of Ukrainians stay in touch!” – Fedorov concluded.
Gold prices are actively rising on Monday thanks to a weaker U.S. dollar and may end trading above $1900 an ounce for the first time since last April.
Quotes for February gold contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) rose 0.9% to $1915.7 per troy ounce by 6:30 p.m. Ksk.
Silver for March delivery rose 1% to $24.25 an ounce.
The ICE-calculated index showing the U.S. dollar’s performance against six major world currencies rose slightly Friday, but the day before the indicator fell 1 percent after data showed the December inflation rate in the U.S. slowed to 6.5 percent from 7.1 percent in November.
“The inflation data confirmed that inflation is still declining, though still well above the 2% target,” wrote Kinesis Money market analyst Rupert Rawling. – The U.S. central bank will probably still raise rates at its meeting later this month, but the hike is likely to be only 25 basis points.”
However, he warned that there are concerns that gold has risen too much and may soon need a correction, so “investors should be cautious in trying to jump on that departing gold wagon.”
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Sunday signed a decree enacting a decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to impose personal sanctions against 198 Russian propagandists and talk show participants on Russian channels, as well as other figures in the Russian media sphere.
The corresponding document #23/2023 was published on the website of the head of state.
“To enact the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated January 15, 2023 “On the application and amendment of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions),” the decree reads.
The decision of the National Security and Defense Council is attached to the decree. It contains a list of 198 people of Russian culture and the media sphere, against whom personal sanctions are imposed.
The list includes, among others, Russian blogger, translator and publicist Dmitry Puchkov (Goblin), politician Sergei Stankevich, general producer of Russian propaganda television channel “Zvezda,” Boris Yanovsky, TV presenter Yana Rudkovskaya, actor and TV presenter Boris Korchevnikov, Russian music critic and journalist Sergei Sosedov, sociologist Yevgeny Kopatko, political scientist Rostislav Ishchenko, Rodion Miroshnik, publicist and propagandist Vladimir Kornilov, sports journalist Dmitry Guberniev, film director Andrei Konchalovsky, and other propagandists from Russian central TV channels, as well as so-called Russian “war correspondents.
Diana Panchenko, a former Ukrainian TV anchorwoman who now shoots propaganda clips for Russian television in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, was also put on the list.
A full package of personal sanctions for a period of 10 years is being imposed against those on the list.
“This decree shall enter into force on the day of its publication,” the document signed by the president reads.
As of 11:00 a.m., the energy infrastructure is resuming after Russia’s 12th missile strike, with repair work continuing at all facilities damaged by shelling, NEC Ukrenergo said
According to its daily social media update, thermal power plants whose units the Russians tried to target have stopped or reduced their electricity production due to enemy damage, resulting in an increased deficit in the energy system.
“This forced a slight reduction in consumption limits, proportional to all regions. Restrictions are in effect throughout the day,” Ukrenergo noted in its Telegram Channel.
They warned that if the limits are exceeded, emergency shutdowns will be applied, which means that for consumers, the timing of outages may increase.
Ukrenergo pointed out that clarifications on the situation in a particular region or locality could be obtained from the website of the local distribution network operator (oblenergos).
As reported, the operators of the electricity distribution system notified that on Sunday, January 15, “Ukrenergo” has kept the round-the-clock limits of energy consumption for regional electricity distribution companies (oblenergos), returned from January 14, and lowered them by about 19% at night and by 11% during the day.
As Poltavaoblenergo reported on Facebook, in particular, it was given a night limit (from 00:00 to 7:00) of 358 MW of power in the region, and from 7:00 to 24:00 – 430 MW, while on January 14, the limits were 442 MW and 485 MW respectively.
For its part, Prykarpattyaoblenergo notified that it also again received the night limit from 00:00 to 7:00 – 182.6 MW, while the daytime limit for the rest of the day is 262.89 MW. On January 14, Ukrenergo brought the company the limits of 225.2 MW and 296.48 MW, respectively.
Earlier, Ukrenergo noted that the weekend and warming gave hope for easing the limits, but due to another massive Russian missile strike on Saturday, they had to increase them on the contrary.
According to DTEK, Russian invaders shelled two of the company’s thermal power plants, one of which stopped producing electricity.
They noted that no one was injured, but as a result of the attack, which was the 26th for the company, the TPP equipment was damaged – the occupiers hit the turbine room of the power unit of one of the affected TPPs, destroying one of the power units. Other power units were also damaged.
Overall, the 12th massive missile attack on Ukraine’s energy sector on January 14 recorded hits in five regions: Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Lviv and Kharkiv, Ukrenergo reported.
London-based Chelsea FC and Donetsk-based FC Shakhtar have agreed the transfer of 22-year-old Ukrainian footballer Mykhailo Mudryk for 100 million euros, the press service of FC Shakhtar said.
“President of FC Shakhtar Rinat Akhmetov and co-owner of Chelsea FC Behdad Eghbali discussed the transfer of Mikhail Mudrik to Chelsea,” the official tweet of FC Shakhtar on Twitter microblog confirmed.
It is noted that “the parties are very close to the transfer of the player to Chelsea FC.
According to Sky News, Chelsea have agreed with Shakhtar Donetsk to buy winger Mikhail Mudrik for £88.5 million (€100 million).
According to Sky News, Mudrik has been offered to sign for seven and a half years.
“Chelsea will pay €70 million (£62 million) upfront and €30 million (£26.5 million) in additional payments, which include Champions League, Premier League and other individual performance-related terms,” it said.
Thai authorities will not impose a vaccination certificate requirement for foreign tourists to enter the country, announced January 7, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Monday.
The certificate requirement was supposed to take effect Monday and remain in effect until at least the end of January. However, Charnvirakul told reporters that proof of vaccination would not be required because all countries in the world sufficiently immunize their citizens. Under the new government decision, unvaccinated tourists will be able to enter Thailand without restrictions.
Thailand’s civil aviation authority said Saturday that starting Monday, Jan. 9, all arriving foreigners will have to prove they have been vaccinated or have had coronavirus within the past six months. This announcement was made on the eve of the opening of the borders by China, which since Jan. 8 has abolished PCR tests and quarantine for those entering.
