21:42 Video to show the work of Ukrainian air defense

The commander of the Ukrainian air force, Mykola Oleshchuk, has released a video showing the air defense at work. Last night, the air force intercepted a total of 87 of the 90 kamikaze drones shot down by the Russian military. According to Kiev, this was a record number.

21:01 Report: Dwindling US aid could become a problem for Kiev in winter
According to a report, the Ukrainian air defense could find itself in the position of not being able to fend off all Russian missile attacks this winter. As the British "Telegraph" reports, the drying up of US aid could lead to the Ukrainian military having to decide which cities to defend from air strikes. Last week, the US government sent the last military package for the time being, amounting to 250 million US dollars (around 225 million euros), to Kiev. It is unclear how the aid will continue.

20:24 Ukraine can almost completely fend off Russian drone attack
Ukraine is able to almost completely fend off the drone attack launched by the Russian military. According to the Ukrainian air force, nine of the ten kamikaze drones were destroyed. A Kh-59 missile was also intercepted. There had already been a large wave of Russian attacks during the night (see entry 07:32).

19:53 Norway allows arms industry to sell directly to Ukraine
Norway allows its companies to sell weapons and other items needed for defense directly to Ukraine. The government in Oslo explains that the aid to Ukraine is also important for the security of Norway and Europe. "We must be prepared for the possibility that the illegal war of aggression may last longer," it continues. Norwegian companies can apply for a license to sell weapons to Ukraine, for example. However, export licenses would only be issued on a case-by-case basis.

19:04 Zelenskyi advisor: Russia is actually "longdead"
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mychajlo Podoljak sees Russia's threats of further attacks against Ukraine as pure boasting. Because Russia has actually been "dead for a long time". But the Kremlin is not yet aware of this fact, says the member of President Volodomyr Zelensky's advisory staff. "Sometimes, when a person dies, he doesn't know it, but he is dead. And this is exactly the case with Russia - it is already dead, but it does not yet fully understand this," Podoljak is further quoted as saying by the Unian agency. Starting a war with Ukraine was the "fatal decision of an uneducated being with the surname Putin", says Podoljak about the Russian president's war planning almost two years ago. "Roughly speaking, Russia's reputation is being ruined, Russia's historical weight is being ruined, Russia's influence, its participation in international institutions, its economic participation in the modern world is being ruined," Podoljak says.

18:24 Two dead after Russian drone attack
According to Ukrainian authorities, two people died in a Russian drone attack in the Sumy region. The regional military administration and the police reported that the drone hit a two-storey residential building. So far, three people have been rescued from the rubble.

17:49 Belgorod shelling: Russia corrects the number of victims upwards
Russia has corrected the number of victims upwards to 25 after the Ukrainian missile attack on the border town of Belgorod. According to the local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a four-year-old girl is said to have died of her injuries in hospital. Ukraine shelled the city on Saturday after Russia launched its strongest wave of attacks since the beginning of the war on Friday. According to Ukrainian reports, 45 people were killed.

17:15 Reisner: Current Russian attacks have three intentions
According to Colonel Markus Reisner, Russia is entering the new year of war with a high level of confidence. The fighting in Ukraine is now approaching a "culmination point", as he explains. Meanwhile, the latest wave of Russian attacks is pursuing three targets simultaneously and Ukraine is facing a dilemma.

16:53 Drones and explosions: Kiev's air defenses in action again
The Russian military has launched another wave of attacks using combat drones against the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The population was called upon to seek shelter in the afternoon, according to Ukrainian media reports. Shortly afterwards, explosions could be heard around the city as the air defenses went into action. Shortly beforehand, Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced new attacks against Ukrainian cities. Russia had launched 90 so-called kamikaze drones at targets in Ukraine on New Year's Eve. According to the Ukrainian air defense, 87 of these drones were destroyed.

16:17 Russian shelling in Kherson: one dead and two injured
According to the authorities, one woman was killed and two others injured by Russian shelling in the Ukrainian region of Kherson. According to the Ukrainian rescue services, one woman was killed and another injured during shelling in the village of Veletenske. According to the local military administration, the village of Komyshany also came under fire. Residential buildings were also hit, and a woman was inside one of them. She reportedly suffered a head injury.

15:31 Russia launches next drone attack on Ukraine
Following the overnight wave of attacks, Russia has apparently fired drones at Ukraine again. According to the regional military administration in Kiev, drones have been spotted in the area of the capital and air defenses have also been deployed. The Ukrainian air force also reported several Russian drones approaching Ukraine. According to information from Kiev, Russia overran Ukraine with 90 combat drones during the night, 87 of which were repelled.

14:49 After "act of terror": Putin announces further attacks against Ukraine
A few days after the shelling of the Russian border region of Belgorod, which left more than 20 dead, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has announced further attacks against neighboring Ukraine. "Surely you have noticed that literally the next day such attacks were carried out," he said at a meeting with injured Russian soldiers in a Moscow military hospital. "And today, as far as I know, some are being carried out and we will do so tomorrow as well." In his first reaction to the shelling of Belgorod last Saturday, Putin also spoke of an "act of terrorism" by the Ukrainian army. However, in his speech, which was broadcast by state media, Putin does not mention that this attack was preceded by the heaviest wave of Russian attacks against Ukraine since the start of the war.

Kremlin leader Putin visits a military hospital in Moscow.

14:10 EU import ban on Russian diamonds comes intoforce
Diamonds and diamond jewelry from Russia may no longer be imported into the European Union from the start of the new year. This is in accordance with sanctions adopted in December due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The measure is intended to deprive the state leadership in Moscow of an important source of income and thus also limit its ability to finance the war against Ukraine. The EU Commission recently estimated Russia's revenue from the sale of diamonds at around four billion euros per year. In the period from March 1 to September 1, an indirect import ban on Russian diamonds processed in third countries other than Russia will also be gradually introduced.

13:40 War "looks like a stalemate, but probably isn't"
Russia celebrates its most important holiday at the turn of the year. But in many places, little is as usual, reports ntv correspondent Rainer Munz from Moscow. In Ukraine, meanwhile, it is becoming clear that the war will probably not end in 2024 either.

12:53 Ex-KGB spy: Putin will not detonate nuclear weapons
Former KGB spy Sergei Zhirnov warns against Russian President Vladimir Putin. "The main plan has not changed: the destruction of Ukraine as an independent state," he tells the German newspaper Bild. Perhaps Putin does not believe that he can completely conquer the whole of Ukraine. But he wants to force Ukraine to accept the loss of 20 percent of its territory. The conquered part should be transferred to the Russian protectorate. "Putin also dreams of taking revenge on the Ukrainian people, punishing his opponents and establishing the rule of the Russian Federation in the country," says Zhirnov, who has also met Putin in person. The West is afraid of Russia's defeat out of concern that Putin will then detonate nuclear weapons, Zhirnov continues. "But Putin won't do that. He only scares the West."

12:12 After drone defense: Museum for controversial hero burns
Falling debris from a Russian drone causes a museum in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv to catch fire. This was reported by the "Kyiv Independent", citing local authorities. No injuries were reported in the attack. The museum is dedicated to Roman Shukhevych, a controversial nationalist, politician and commander of the Ukrainian insurgent army. President Viktor Yushchenko posthumously awarded him the "Hero of Ukraine" medal, but the title was revoked in 2011.

11:25 Odessa residents sing patriotic song during Russian attacks on New Year's Day
Russia attacked large parts of Ukraine on New Year's Eve with a record number of 90 drones. The southern city of Odessa in particular was attacked with a number of drones. A video circulating on social media shows residents of the city singing a patriotic song during the attacks. Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko shares a video of a woman filming her neighboring houses from her balcony, from which loud singing emanates.

10:26 Rescue workers recover another body from under the rubble in Kiev
Bodies are still being recovered from under rubble in Kiev after heavy air strikes on Friday. Ukrainian emergency services found another body under a destroyed building on New Year's Day. This brings the death toll to a total of 28 people.

09:49 Stoltenberg sees Sweden joining NATO in the near future
According to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO will complete the long-planned accession of Sweden in the new year. He is confident that the country will be included as the 32nd member of the alliance at the alliance summit in July, said Stoltenberg. Sweden had fulfilled its promises to Turkey. Talks are currently underway between the USA and Turkey on the F-16 fighter jet deal additionally demanded by the government in Ankara.

08:44 Images show destruction after massive Russian drone attacks
Although Ukrainian forces were able to shoot down most of the Russian drones, falling debris has caused extensive damage in parts of Ukraine. In Odessa, several residential buildings were damaged by the crash of several drones, the Ukrainian state emergency service reported on Telegram. One person was killed and three others were hospitalized. "99 rescuers and 26 units of the fire and rescue service were deployed to deal with the consequences of the night terror", it said. They also shared several pictures of firefighters extinguishing fires in destroyed buildings caused by the attacks. Russian forces also carried out airstrikes on a museum and a university in the city of Lviv in western Ukraine. Photos show the destroyed buildings and a large fire.

08:08 Kiev cites high number of Russian casualties at the turn of the year
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense puts the number of Russian losses in the past 24 hours at 780, including the destruction of a number of pieces of equipment such as artillery and armoured vehicles. The figures cannot be independently verified.

07:32 Ukraine shoots down record number of Russian drones in just one night
According to Kiev, Russia shot down a record number of 90 combat drones in Ukraine on New Year's Eve. The Ukrainian air force chief Mykola Oleshchuk announced on Telegram that 87 of these could have been repelled across the country. That is almost twice as many unmanned aerial vehicles as on New Year's Eve a year ago, when a total of 45 were shot down.

07:15 Germans have no hope of the war ending in 2024
A clear majority of Germans do not expect the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to end in 2024. According to a survey conducted by the opinion research institute Yougov on behalf of Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 70 percent of respondents believe it is unlikely that Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been ongoing for almost two years, will end before the end of the year. Only 15 percent rate such a scenario as likely. The hope for an end to the war in Gaza is somewhat higher, but here too a majority of 52% do not expect this to happen. Only 32% consider an end to the war in 2024 to be likely, with 16% not specifying.

06:42 Five dead after Russian attacks in Donetsk and Odessa
According to local authorities, five people have been killed in attacks on several areas in Ukraine. In the city of Donetsk in the east of the country, four people were killed and 13 others injured, as the Russian-appointed administrator, Denis Pushilin, announced on the online service Telegram. According to local governor Oleg Kiper, one person was killed in a Russian drone attack in the south-western region of Odessa. Three other people were injured. Several buildings were hit by parts of "downed drones", Kiper explained on Telegram. Fires had broken out in residential buildings in various parts of the city.

06:20 Zelenskyi 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.

At the same time, Selensky emphasized Ukraine's strength. "The most important result of the year, its greatest achievement: Ukraine has become stronger. Ukrainians have become stronger," Zelensky said in the 20-minute video message from his office in Kiev. "When we survived the hardest winter in history at the beginning of 2023 ... without exaggeration. When we proved that Ukrainians are tougher than cold and darkness. Stronger than power cuts and the threat of blackouts." Ukrainians are stronger "than all blockades and vetoes, than all disbelief and skepticism". Regarding the question of whether the Ukrainian army had sufficient troop strength, he called on those who "still hesitate to make a courageous decision next year to defend their own country, to work for it and to help it".

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 his personal New Year's greetings 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.