“Those who order such attacks and those who carry them out will not be forgiven, to put it mildly,” the Ukrainian president said. Speaking in Russian, he declared that Russia is not at war with NATO “as your propagandists lie”. The war is also not for something historical. “It (the war) is for a person who stays in power until the end of his life,” he said, referring directly to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. “And what’s left of all of you, citizens of Russia, is none of his business.”
Putin wants to show that he has the military behind him and is ahead. “But he’s just hiding,” Zelenskyy said. “He hides behind the military, behind rockets, behind the walls of his residences and palaces, he hides behind you and burns your country and your future.” No one will ever forgive Russia for terror, Zelensky said. “Nobody in the world will forgive you for that. Ukraine will never forgive you.”
Russia’s army invaded Ukraine on February 24 under the pretext of wanting to “denazify and demilitarize” the neighboring country. Tens of thousands of people have died in the war so far. In Russia, the official language of the invasion is “military special operation”, and public use of the term “war” is even punishable under criminal law – most recently, however, Putin himself spoke of war.
Explosions in Kyiv on New Year’s Day
On New Year’s Eve, Russia again attacked several cities in Ukraine. Dozens of cruise missiles and missiles fell on Ukrainian cities. Around half a dozen explosions – presumably triggered by anti-aircraft defense – could be heard in Kyiv, according to a dpa reporter from the center of the capital.
On the last day of the year there was again an air alert everywhere. The authorities called on people to seek shelter in bunkers. Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko spoke of at least one fatality and several injuries.
A journalist from Japan was among the injured, Klitschko said. A hotel, which is usually used by journalists, was also badly damaged in the attacks. The deputy chief of the presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, published pictures of the destroyed hotel. It was an attack by murderers and terrorists, he said.
Explosions in Kyiv
Air raid alerts have been sounded in Ukraine and there are reports of explosions in Kyiv and other areas, including a western Ukrainian area that has been attacked by drones. British intelligence has warned of a possible intensification of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Authorities are urging citizens to seek shelter, and power has been shut off in several areas as a precaution. There are fatalities and injuries.
Explosions were also reported from the western Ukrainian regions of Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr and from the southern Ukrainian region of Mykolayiv. One person killed in the attacks was also reported from the Zaporizhia region. According to Tymoshenko, the western Ukrainian region of Khmelnytskyi was attacked with drones. There were two injuries there. As a precaution, power has been shut off in several areas to reduce damage from power supply hits.
Warning from London
Shortly before the attacks began, the British secret service warned that Russian rocket attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure could be intensified over the turn of the year. This emerged from the daily intelligence update from the Ministry of Defense in London on the Ukraine war. The beatings have so far been carried out at intervals of seven to ten days.
“Russia will almost certainly continue this pattern to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses,” the statement said. But there is “a realistic possibility” that Russia will strike again in the coming days “to break the morale of the Ukrainian population over the New Year period,” it said.
Ukraine: Russian “Terror”
Russia launched drone and missile attacks on Ukraine on Thursday. Since mid-October, Russia has carried out eleven major attacks, primarily on objects in the Ukrainian energy system. Due to the severe destruction of the infrastructure, there are power outages in many places, affecting millions of people.
The Ukrainian government accuses Russia of “terror” – with the aim of plunging the country into darkness and cold. Kyiv accuses Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin of trying to drive people away and destabilizing the EU.
Russia admits difficulties
He countered on Saturday during his New Year’s speech. According to Putin, Russia is “morally” and “historically” on the right side of the conflict. Russia is also fighting in Ukraine to “protect our people in our own historical territories, in the new territories of the Russian Federation,” he added, referring to the Ukrainian territories declared annexed by Moscow.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in a New Year’s message to soldiers, said Russia’s victory in Ukraine was “inevitable”. “For the coming year, I would like to wish everyone good health, steadfastness, reliable and devoted comrades. Our victory is inevitable like the New Year,” he said.
At the same time, Shoigu admitted that Russia’s soldiers had to contend with “serious tests” in the year that was drawing to a close. And the new year begins in a “difficult military-political situation”.
Addressing enemy soldiers
Ukraine apparently expects a new mobilization in Russia in the new year. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov warned of this in a video in Russian. “I know for a fact that you have one week to make a choice,” Reznikov said in the video posted on YouTube. Then the borders would be closed so that no one could leave the country.
There is a choice between evading military service or dying in Ukraine or becoming a “cripple”. The New Year celebrations are a good occasion to reflect and realize that the Kremlin has lost the war, Resnikov said. There is nothing worth fighting for.
Hundreds of thousands of Russians left the country in the fall to avoid the partial mobilization ordered by Kremlin chief Putin. Putin recently said that no new mobilization was necessary.
Air defense should be expanded
Because of the numerous rocket attacks in recent times, Zelenskyy announced on Friday a further expansion of the air defense system. “In the new year, Ukraine’s air defense will become even stronger, even more effective,” said Zelenskyy. Ukraine’s air defense could become the strongest in Europe, he added, referring to the announced Patriot battery from the United States. “This will be a guarantee of security not only for our country but for the entire continent.”
The Ukrainian army, which already uses a number of foreign anti-aircraft systems, is awaiting deployment of the Patriot battery promised by the US government. Ukrainian soldiers are currently being trained on the system.
