At least 18 dead in massive Russian wave of attacks on Ukraine
Air force spokesman Yuri Ignat told the AFP news agency that these were the "most massive attacks" on Ukraine apart from the first days of the war in February 2022. The air force stated that Russia had shot down 158 drones and missiles, 114 of which were destroyed.
According to the Ukrainian authorities, schools, shopping centers and residential buildings were attacked in six cities across the country. According to Selenskyj, Kinschal hypersonic missiles, S-300 missiles, cruise missiles and drones were used.
In the capital Kiev, where the air defenses were "actively working" according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, AFP reporters heard several powerful explosions in the early hours of the morning. In the northern district of Podil, a 3000 square meter hangar was in flames. In addition, a subway station used as an air raid shelter and several residential buildings were damaged. According to Klitschko, three people were killed in the attack on a warehouse.
According to the Ministry of Health, a maternity ward in Dnipro in the south-east of the country was "severely damaged", but there were no deaths or injuries. In addition, a shopping center in the heart of the city was hit and caught fire. Massive damage, deaths and injuries were also reported in the cities of Kharkiv in the north-east, Lviv in the west and Odessa in the south of the country.
In its daily situation report, the Russian army only stated that it had carried out "50 group attacks and one massive attack" between December 23 and 29. "All targets" had been hit. It also stated that the attacks were aimed at military facilities.
The massive Russian attacks were sharply criticized internationally. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, spoke in the online service X of a "hate-filled wave of attacks on residential areas in Ukraine". The attacks were "another unacceptable example of the terrible reality" facing the Ukrainian people, she said.
The attacks showed that the Russian president "will stop at nothing", explained UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The Foreign Ministry in Paris condemned this "strategy of terror". EU foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell spoke on X of "another cowardly and indiscriminate attack". He emphasized that the EU would stand by Ukraine "as long as necessary".
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk expressed his "shock". He called on Moscow to "stop its attacks on Ukraine immediately" and to respect all rules of international law.
Ukraine is doing everything it can to strengthen its air defenses, explained Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, in online networks. "But the world must see that we need more help and resources to stop this terror."
The US ambassador in Kiev, Bridget Brink, emphasized that the attacks showed that Ukraine "needs money now". On Wednesday, Washington released the last military aid for Ukraine for the time being, amounting to 250 million dollars (a good 226 million euros). Further US aid has so far been blocked by some Republicans in the House of Representatives.
The USA has so far been Ukraine's most important supporter in the war against Russia. Ukrainian President Selensky had warned that any changes in US policy with regard to support for his country could have a major impact on the course of the war.
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Source: www.stern.de
