Ukraine: 18 dead, hotel damaged in Donetsk attack
Russian drone attack in Odessa… One person killed and fires spread throughout the city
Zelensky says: “Ukraine has become stronger,” and Putin says: “We will strengthen our attacks.” Russia and Ukraine, which exchanged large-scale airstrikes late last year, continued their fierce battle on New Year’s Day.
According to foreign media such as Reuters, on the 1st (local time), the Ukrainian army shelled the center of Donetsk, Ukraine, which is controlled by Russia, 10 minutes after midnight that day.
Denis Pushilin, a pro-Russian leader in the region, said on Telegram that four people were killed and 14 wounded in the attack.
At the same time, the Ukrainian army said it had launched 15 multiple rocket launchers and that the shelling could resume at any time.
It was reported that the five-star Donbas Palace Hotel was also bombed that day.
Russia also carried out airstrikes in Ukraine.
Russian forces have attacked the port of Odessa in southern Ukraine with a drone, killing at least one person.
Ukraine’s air defense system shot down the drone, but debris fell and a fire broke out in a house and other buildings, killing a 15-year-old boy and wounding seven others, Odessa Governor Ole Kiefer said via Telegram.
Russian forces also launched new nighttime airstrikes in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, and eastern Dnipro, the Ukrainian military said.
Earlier, the night before, Russia had attacked the center of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine with a drone, damaging homes, offices and cafes.
On the 29th, Russia mobilized 122 missiles and 36 drones to carry out the largest air strike since the start of the war on Ukraine, including Kharkiv.
In response, Ukraine launched a missile attack on Belgorod in western Russia on the 30th.
Russia said 24 people, including three children, were killed and more than 100 injured in the attack in Belgorod in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that, in retaliation for the Belgorod attack, it launched an airstrike on a drone production plant in the Kharkiv region and attacked a Ukrainian air base with aircraft equipped with Stormshadow missiles with weapons long range high precision.
The presidents of both countries were confident of victory as they raced to welcome the new year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed in his New Year’s video speech that “Ukraine has become stronger” as the war with Russia approaches its second year.
“At the beginning of 2023, we have overcome the harshest winter in history,” he said. “We have proven that we are stronger than the cold and darkness, stronger than the threat of blackouts and power outages.”
President Zelensky also highlighted plans to increase domestic weapons production, including the production of at least 1 million drones this year, saying the Russian military “will feel anger towards domestic (Ukrainian) production” in the new year.
Regarding the F-16 fighter plane for which Western support has been requested, he said: “Our pilots are already experienced with the F-16 and we will definitely see it in the sky.”
He urged: “Those who still hesitate must make a courageous choice to protect their homeland.”
As the war with Russia drags on, the Ukrainian government is making efforts to recruit troops, including pushing for a bill to lower the conscription age from 27 to 25.
As the first move of the new year, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Moscow’s Vishnevsky Military Hospital and spoke to soldiers who participated in the special military operation, criticizing Ukraine’s Belgorod attack as a “terrorist attack against civilians”.
“Ukraine wants to threaten with terrorism and create uncertainty, but Russia will only increase its attacks on military targets in Ukraine,” Putin said, threatening to further intensify new attacks.
He then expressed confidence, saying: “Ukraine is running out of Western-backed military equipment, but we will increase production.”
He also said: “We have no intention of fighting forever,” adding: “We also want to end the conflict as quickly as possible.
However, we will only put an end to this on our own terms,” he stressed.
However, it does not specifically mention what conditions must be met.
/yunhap news
2024-01-01 13:57:46
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