06:20 Zelensky threatens Russia with urgent message

In his New Year's address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia about the power of "domestic" weapons production. Ukraine will have at least "one million" additional drones in its arsenal by 2024, Selensky said on Sunday. In addition, there would be F-16 fighter jets supplied by Western partners. "Our pilots have already mastered the F-16 fighter jets and we will definitely see them in our skies," said Zelensky, whose televised address was accompanied by images of Ukrainian artillery and fighter jets. Moscow's armed forces would see "what our true wrath looks like", he assured.

05:59 Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of attacks on New Year's Day
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of attacks early on New Year's morning. According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia flew attacks on the regions of Mykolaiv, Odessa and Dnipro. At least one person was killed in the Russian airstrike on Odessa, the governor of the Odessa region, Oleh Kiper, announced via Telegram. Although the Ukrainian air defense fended off the drone attack, falling debris caused several fires in residential buildings in various parts of the city and injured several people. At the same time, Russia spoke of "heavy shelling" by Ukrainian forces in the center of Donetsk. Four people were killed in the shelling, wrote Denis Pushilin, the head of the expanded Donetsk region appointed by Russia, on Telegram. 14 people were injured.

23:30 Selensky: A better tomorrow will not come by itself
At the turn of the year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calls on Ukrainians to shape the new year according to their own ideas and not to lose sight of the future of their homeland. "We Ukrainians know better than anyone that a better tomorrow does not come by itself, because we defend each of our tomorrows with our own hands," he says in his video address, in which his wife Olena also appeared alongside him. "That's why our new year will be exactly what we want it to be and how we will shape it." Selenskyj points out that a new year is also associated with energetic action - he addresses the people directly: "Not only the New Year's miracle, but also the year-round miracle is all of you: determined, responsible, caring and efficient." At the same time, he reminded the Ukrainians that the country was still under attack from Russia and wished them strength and confidence. "Life and strength for the people who are defending a free and secure future - not just their own, but that of the whole world."

22:45 Putin critic Duntsova sends hopeful New Year's greetings
Journalist Ekaterina Duntsova, who has been suspended from the presidential election , also addresses Russians in a New Year's message. "The heart of each of us is full of hope that things will get better in the New Year. (...) And those who are dear to us are with us, not somewhere far away, risking their lives while performing tasks whose goals cannot really be explained to us," Duntsova notes. "New Year is when we live in peace. With ourselves and our neighbors," she says. Finally, she calls for unity: "Only together can we bring the future back to our country!"

22:16 Medvedev calls on Russians to fight neo-fascism at New Year
In a video address published on Telegram, Dmitry Medvedev congratulates Russians on the New Year. The deputy secretary of the Russian Security Council and former Russian president also says that his "thoughts are with those on the front". He calls on Russians to "make 2024 the year of the final defeat of neo-fascism". He also repeats Putin's claim that Russia invaded Ukraine to fight "neo-Nazis".

21:55 Pope prays for "the martyred Ukrainian people"
Pope Francis emphasizes the importance of gratitude and hope during the solemn service on New Year's Eve with a view to the new year. The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church delivers the sermon at the vespers service with the traditional hymn of praise "Te Deum" in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Following the Angelus prayer, he calls for prayers for all countries suffering from war: "Let us not stop praying for the peoples suffering from wars: for the martyred Ukrainian people, for the Palestinian and Israeli people, for the Sudanese people and for many others." The Pope refuses to take sides in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. He called for an end to the fighting, but blamed "several empires" for Russia's war. "At the end of the year, let us dare to ask: How many people have lost their lives in armed conflicts? How many dead? And how much destruction, how much suffering, how much poverty?" he preaches.

21:27 BBC report: Russia sentences student to four years in prison for treason
BBC News Russian Service reports that a court in the North Caucasus has sentenced 18-year-old Kevin Lik to four years in prison for treason. According to the report, this is the first time that a schoolboy has been convicted of "espionage". According to the BBC, the court report accuses Lik of "conducting visual observations" and photographing the "deployment sites" of the Russian military unit in Maikop from December 23, 2021 to February 8, 2023. Lik allegedly sent these photos to the email account of a "representative of a foreign state". Addresses and photos of Maikop military units can be found on the Internet, BBC emphasizes. According to the BBC, the age of the convicted man and his academic achievements are said to be mitigating circumstances. Lik is said to have won the German Language Olympiad in Adygeya four times and was also a medal winner at the 2021 History Olympiad.

20:50 Navalny sends New Year's greetings from the Arctic Circle
Imprisoned Kremlin opponent Alexei Navalny sends "Arctic hugs and polar greetings" from the remote "Polar Wolf" prison camp in the far north of Russia. The 47-year-old sent the personal New Year greeting to his subscribers on social media. Navalny writes there that he misses his family, his parents and his brother very much. "I even miss the opportunity to insult those who send stupid, identical congratulations and pictures to the entire list of recipients on WhatsApp on New Year's Eve. It used to make me angry, but now I think: this is so sweet," the opposition figure's message reads. Navalny's post is illustrated with an image created with the help of artificial intelligence. The picture shows Navalny with his wife, daughter and son.

You can read about all previous developments here.