Russian airstrikes hit the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv Sunday, injuring at least 28 people and damaging residential buildings, hotels, a kindergarten and administrative buildings.
In the central Ukrainian region of Kirovohrad, another Russian attack Sunday damaged power lines and a non-residential building, the region's governor reported.
"The Kirovohrad region is again under enemy fire," Andriy Raikovych wrote on the Telegram messaging app, adding that air defenses had been engaged.
On the last day of the year, Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 21 of 49 Russian drones.
In a statement, Russia said it struck the former Kharkiv Palace Hotel and the headquarters of the Ukrainian Security Service for the Kharkiv region, in retaliation for Ukraine’s airstrikes on the Russian city of Belgorod Saturday.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, wrote on Telegram that the number of dead in the area has risen to 24 people with 108 injured and scores of apartment buildings damaged.
Russia requested a meeting Saturday of the U.N. Security Council on what it called Ukraine's indiscriminate attacks on Belgorod, and alleged Ukraine had used cluster bombs. It provided no additional information, and The Associated Press was not able to verify its claims.
“We unequivocally condemn all attacks on cities, town and villages, in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation,” said Khaled Khiari, assistant secretary-general in the U.N. Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, are unacceptable and must end now,” he said Saturday.
The Security Council also met Friday at the request of Ukraine and three dozen other U.N. member states. Council members condemned Russia’s barrage on Kharkiv civilians and infrastructure.
On Friday, Russia launched its biggest air assault since February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said Russia killed at least 41 civilians, wounded at least 160 and left an unknown number buried in the rubble across Ukraine in a barrage that included 158 missile and drone attacks.
After Russia’s massive bombardment on Ukraine Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is "fighting for its life."
Putin New Year address
In a prerecorded New Year’s address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Russia’s “united society,” and stressed that Russia will never back down in its war on Ukraine.
Putin’s video address, under four minutes long, was significantly shorter than the New Year's speech he gave last year, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.
The first to see it were residents of the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Chukotka region in Russia’s Far East, some nine hours ahead of Moscow.
“What united us and unites us is the fate of the Fatherland, a deep understanding of the highest significance of the historical stage through which Russia is passing,” the president said while praising Russian citizens’ “solidarity, mercy and fortitude.”
He also lauded Russia’s armed forces involved in what the Kremlin has coined its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“We are proud of you; you are heroes. You feel the support of the entire people,” Putin said.
Zelenskyy address
In his video address Sunday, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy said he awarded nearly 700 warriors and medics for service to their country.
He also thanked everyone who works tirelessly on Ukraine’s defense.
“Everyone who uses the new year to complete another fundraiser for the guys on the front line. I thank everyone who works and will work at our defense enterprises seven days a week. And everyone who will continue to communicate with Ukraine's partners on January 1, tomorrow, without wasting time, so that next year our country will have as many capabilities as possible to fight the Russian evil,” he said.
President Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukraine is "preparing to produce more weapons next year."
Russian casualties in Ukraine
The British defense ministry said Saturday in its daily intelligence update on Ukraine that the daily number of Russian casualties in Ukraine, dead and wounded, has risen by almost 300% per day, compared with 2022. The increase in the number of casualties was reported to the British ministry by Ukraine.
The increase, the British ministry said, can be attributed to "the degradation of Russia's forces and its transition to a lower quality, high quantity mass army since the 'partial mobilization' of reservists in September 2022."
It would likely take Russia five to 10 years to rebuild its highly trained military units, the report said.
If casualties continue at the same rate, the British ministry said, Russia will have more than half a million personnel killed and wounded by 2025, after three years of war.
In comparison, the Soviet Union suffered 70,000 casualties in the nine-year Soviet Afghan War, the ministry said.
Some material for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
