KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – At least four people were killed in attacks by Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles on two of Ukraine's largest cities Tuesday morning, as the civil war nears its second anniversary and Kremlin forces step up military action. was killed and nearly 100 injured, officials said. Increase artillery bombardment of urban areas in winter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on his Telegram channel that a hypersonic Kinzhal missile traveling at 10 times the speed of sound crashed into a city block, killing four civilians and injuring 92 others in the capital Kiev and northeast of Kharkov. It was announced that.
Zelenskyy said on X (formerly Twitter) that Russia had launched around 100 missiles of various types. He claimed that at least 70 missiles were shot down, almost all in the Kiev region, and said that Western-supplied air defense systems such as Patriot and NASAMS had saved hundreds of lives.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had launched missile and drone attacks on military industrial facilities in and around Kiev. A warehouse storing missiles and ammunition supplied by Ukraine's Western allies was also targeted.
“The purpose of the strike has been achieved and all goals have been achieved,” he said without giving details. Neither side's claims could be independently verified.
A fire and burnt out car is seen after a missile attack in Kiev on January 2, 2024, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by: Genya SAVILOV/AFP) (Photo by: GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images)
President Zelenskyy said that since Sunday, Russian forces have launched around 170 Shahed drones and “dozens of missiles of various types” in an onslaught against targets in Ukraine. Most of the attacks were said to have targeted civilian areas.
The Kh-47M2 Kinzhal is an air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile. The Russian military rarely uses such expensive missiles against Ukraine due to limited stockpiles.
The attack created a desolate morning scene in the capital, with most cafes and restaurants remaining closed. Many people chose to stay indoors or seek refuge in evacuation centers as violent explosions rocked the city from early morning.
Air raid sirens sounded for nearly four hours, and the city's subway stations, which had been used as evacuation centers, were crowded.
People in pajamas under coats brought sleeping bags, mats and pets to a subway station as loud explosions echoed above the city after Ukraine's air force issued a warning about incoming hypersonic missiles. . At one of the central stations, called the Golden Gate, hundreds of people filled a spacious underground area while trains continued to run.
“Today was probably the scariest day because there were so many explosions,” said resident Miroslava Shcherva.
Russia launches record number of drone attacks across Ukrainehttps://t.co/pfwqDYZD7g
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 1, 2024
The barrage expands on a Russian offensive against Ukraine that began on Friday, making it the largest single attack on Ukraine since the start of the war, leaving at least 41 civilians dead.
The next day, the Russian border city of Belgorod was shelled, killing more than 20 people. Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack and has hit back repeatedly since then.
The attack on Belgorod was one of the deadliest on Russian soil since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than 22 months ago. Russian officials said the death toll as of Monday was 25, including five children.
Cities in Russia's west have been subject to regular drone attacks since May, but Ukrainian authorities have never admitted responsibility for the attacks on Russian territory or the annexed Crimea peninsula.
“They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty in the country. He said no crime against people will go unpunished.
Top Shot – This photo taken on January 2, 2024 in the center of Kharkiv shows a residential building damaged by a missile attack during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Photo credit: SERGEY BOBOK/AFP) (Photo credit: SERGEY BOBOK/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia launched about 90 Shahid-class drones across Ukraine on Monday.
President Putin accused Western countries of trying to use Ukraine to “put Russia in its place.” While vowing retaliation, he insisted that Russia would only target Ukraine's military infrastructure. However, Ukraine reports civilian casualties from daily Russian attacks that hit apartment buildings, shopping centers and residential areas in small communities.
In other developments, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that one of its military jets accidentally released ammunition over the Russian village of Petropavlovka, southwest of Voronezh, causing no injuries but destroying six houses. announced that it had been damaged. The ministry said a committee has been set up to investigate the cause of the accident and assess the damage. It did not say what type of ammunition the jets dropped.
In April, ammunition accidentally released by a Russian fighter jet caused a powerful explosion in the border city of Belgorod, damaging several cars and slightly injuring two people.
Air raid sirens sounded Tuesday in Belgorod, near the border with Ukraine. Russia's Ministry of Defense announced that its air defense systems shot down four missiles fired by Ukraine's Vilkha multiple rocket launcher.
Russia launches new drone attack on Ukraine after announcing retaliation for Belgorod attackhttps://t.co/ubHEls1jpf
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 31, 2023
