Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, January 17, 2026
Institute for the Study of War • • world
Key Points:
- US and Ukrainian officials held peace negotiations in Miami on January 17, with key Ukrainian and US representatives discussing a potential peace agreement; the outcome remains unclear.
- European countries are intensifying efforts to crack down on Russian-affiliated shadow fleet oil tankers, with Germany denying entry to the tanker Arcusat and Italy seizing a Tuvalu-flagged ship carrying Russian ferrous material.
- NATO jets intercepted a Russian Be-200 aircraft near the Baltic Sea on January 16, continuing a pattern of Russian flights close to NATO airspace aimed at testing NATO responses.
- Russian forces continued offensive operations in eastern Ukraine, particularly in Kharkiv, Donetsk, and surrounding oblasts, with ongoing attacks but no confirmed significant advances; Ukrainian forces reported
