Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) foiled an assassination plot ordered by Russian special services against Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) commander Denys Kapustin during a month-long special operation concluded and reported on January 1, 2026, according to STERNENKO, with half a million dollars allocated by Russia redirected to GUR special units. The operation, detailed in a report by the commander of GUR's 'Timur Special Unit' to Lieutenant General Kyryl Budanov, identified the Russian services that ordered the killing—considering Kapustin a personal enemy of Vladimir Putin—and the intended executors, as stated by STERNENKO over the past hour. In a separate frontline update shared by @Playfra0 on X during the 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM UTC window on January 1, 2026, the Lyman Forest sector has stabilized in Ukraine's favor amid winter conditions, with Russian infiltration attempts near Lyman and into Maslyakivka district repelled by Ukrainian drones and clearing groups. Russian forces abandoned most southern positions in Torske and attempted to infiltrate Maslyakivka via forest routes and clearings but were detected and struck by Ukrainian FPV drones before entering, reducing penetration frequency and rendering the area a soft Ukrainian-controlled zone, per the @Playfra0 analysis.
