At least 30 dead in massive Russian attacks on Ukraine
According to Ukrainian authorities, the attacks with rockets, drones and cruise missiles were directed against at least six regions of the country, including Kharkiv in the north-east, Lviv in the west, Dnipro in the east and Odessa in the south. Among others, schools, a maternity clinic, shopping centers and residential buildings were attacked. Important infrastructure as well as military and civilian industrial facilities were also hit, according to the General Staff. According to the report, Russia used 158 drones and missiles. 88 missiles and 27 drones were destroyed.
This was a "record number" of missiles, said air force spokesman Yuri Ignat. Apart from the first days of the war in February 2022, these were the "most massive attacks" on Ukraine to date. Russia attempted to overwhelm the air defenses over Ukraine's major cities by launching a wave of Shahed combat drones, which were followed by missiles.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko stated on Telegram that 30 people had been killed and more than 160 injured in the attacks. 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.
According to the Polish army, a Russian missile flew through the airspace of Nato member Poland on Friday morning. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on X that Nato was "in solidarity" with Poland and remained "vigilant".
The chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, stated in online networks that Ukraine was doing everything it could to strengthen its air defenses. "But the world must see that we need more help and resources to stop this terror."
Shortly afterwards, the UK announced the delivery of around 200 air defense missiles to Kiev. The attacks showed that the Russian president "will stop at nothing", explained UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
US President Joe Biden called on Congress in Washington to overcome its division and approve new aid for Ukraine. Congress must "act immediately", Biden demanded.
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.
According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, at least seven people were killed in the attacks in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. In the northern district of Podil, a 3,000 square meter hangar was engulfed in flames. In addition, a subway station near the Artyom weapons factory, which was used as an air raid shelter, and several residential buildings were damaged.
According to the Ministry of Health, a maternity clinic in Dnipro was "severely damaged"; twelve women giving birth, four newborns and the staff were able to escape to safety in time. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, six people died in attacks on a shopping center, private homes and administrative buildings.
After around 20 attacks on Kharkiv, the governor of the city, Oleg Synegubov, reported three dead and eleven injured. According to Governor Yuri Malashko, seven people died in Zaporizhzhya and four people were killed in the Odessa region. The western Ukrainian city of Lviv was not spared from attacks this time either; according to the Ministry of the Interior, one person was killed there and 15 others were injured.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell spoke on X of "another cowardly and indiscriminate attack". He emphasized that the EU would stand by Ukraine "as long as necessary". The Foreign Ministry in Paris condemned the "strategy of terror".
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.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk called on Moscow to "immediately cease its attacks on Ukraine" and to respect all rules of international law.
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Source: www.stern.de
