Ukraine hit by massive wave of Russian attacks at the turn of the year
Regarding the Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, the air force went on to say that they had been carried out from four directions and had particularly hit the cities of Odessa in the south-west and Lviv in the far west. According to information from Kiev, at least two people were killed on New Year's Day. Governor Maksym Kosyzky reported from the Lviv region that the air defense had intercepted several Russian drones.
According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia also fired four S-300 surface-to-air missiles at the north-eastern region of Kharkiv. In addition, the southern Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia were attacked with four anti-radar missiles.
According to the regional head of administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, a woman was killed in Kherson. According to the local governor Oleh Kiper, at least one person was killed by Russian fire in the south-western region of Odessa. Eight other people were injured.
Four people died in the Russian-occupied eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, according to the head of administration appointed by Russia, Denis Pushilin. A further 13 people were injured. On Sunday evening, Pushilin had spoken of "massive bombardments" in several districts of the city, in which seven people were injured.
Russian authorities also reported bombardments and drone attacks on the Belgorod region near the border. However, no one was injured.
The fighting between Kiev and Moscow has intensified in recent days. On Friday, Ukraine was hit by one of the heaviest waves of Russian attacks since the start of the war, in which 39 people were killed according to Ukrainian reports. In a subsequent Ukrainian attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod on Saturday, 24 people were killed.
New Year's Day was declared a day of mourning in Kiev to commemorate the 19 people who were killed in the capital alone on Friday.
On Saturday, two ZDF employees from a team led by reporter Alica Jung were also injured in a Russian missile attack on a hotel in Kharkiv in north-eastern Ukraine, which was mainly used by journalists. A Ukrainian translator was hit by debris and suffered serious injuries, ZDF announced on Sunday. A security guard escaped with minor injuries. According to ZDF, they were hit in the "Kharkiv Palace" hotel, which is mainly used by journalists because it has a bunker.
In his New Year's address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi referred to what he sees as the growing strength of his army. Ukraine will have at least "one million" additional drones in its arsenal by 2024, said Zelenskyi on New Year's Eve. In addition, there would be F-16 fighter jets supplied by Western partners. Russia's armed forces would see "what our true wrath looks like", he assured.
In his New Year's address, Kremlin leader Putin assured that his country would "never" back down. Russia had "fiercely defended" its interests in 2023, he said. He assured that Russia, which was going through a "historic phase", would be "even stronger" next year. On New Year's Day, he also announced during a visit to a military hospital that Russia would "intensify" its attacks on "military facilities" in Ukraine in light of the Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod. He emphasized: "No crime against civilians will go unpunished."
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- The Russian drone attacks on Ukraine at the turn of the year were reported to have originated from four directions, targeting cities like Odessa and Lviv specifically.
- The Lwiw region, under the leadership of Governor Maksym Kosyzky, intercepted several Russian drones according to information from Kiev.
- In the south-western region of Odessa, at least one person was reportedly killed due to Russian fire, as stated by the local governor Oleh Kiper.
- According to Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional head of administration in Kherson, a woman lost her life in the region as a result of the massive Russian attacks.
- The Ukrainian air force pointed out that Russia fired four S-300 surface-to-air missiles at the north-eastern region of Kharkiv.
- Additionally, Russian forces launched four anti-radar missiles at the southern Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, as per reports.
- Belgorod, a region near the border, faced bombardments and drone attacks from Russia, although no casualties were reported.
- In recent days, the conflict between Kiev and Moscow has become more intense, resulting in one of the heaviest waves of Russian attacks on Ukraine since the war began.
- New Year's Day was declared a day of mourning in Kiev to honor the 19 individuals who lost their lives in the capital during the attacks.
- Two ZDF employees suffered injuries in a Russian missile attack on a hotel in Kharkiv, which predominantly caters to journalists.
- In his New Year's address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi indicated that Ukraine's military strength was growing, with plans to have over a million drones and F-16 fighter jets by 2024.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his New Year's address, assured that Russia would continue to fiercely defend its interests and would become even stronger in the coming year, while also vowing to intensify attacks on military facilities in Ukraine.
Source: www.stern.de
