Volodymyr Zelenskiy vows to unleash ‘wrath’ on Russian forces in 2024
Good morning. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has vowed to unleash “wrath” against Russian forces in 2024, saying Ukraine has become stronger as the war moves toward its third year.
But Zelenskiy’s slick 20-minute new year’s address, delivered from his Kyiv office, made almost no direct reference to the situation on the 600 mile (1,000km) frontline or the limited success of a counteroffensive launched in June.
Nor did he refer to the political and diplomatic difficulties in securing continued military and other aid from both the US Congress and the European Union.
Zelenskiy said the war had taught Ukrainians to withstand Russian attacks and adapt to hardships, including blackouts, the operation of industry and threats to shipping its exports.
You can read the full report here:
Key events
Russia launches ‘record number’ of attack drones, Ukraine claims
Russia launched a “record number” of attack drones in the hours leading into New Year’s Day, Ukraine’s Air Force said this morning.
In an update on messaging platform Telegram, it said 87 out of 90 drones had been successfully shot down.
“On New Year’s Eve 2024, the enemy used a record number of ‘Shahed’ type attack UAVs,” it said.
“The attack was carried out in waves from four directions.”
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of New Year’s Day attacks.
Five people have been killed in attacks on Ukraine’s southern Odesa region and the occupied eastern city of Donetsk, local authorities have said as the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv escalates.
“As of 02:00 (2300 GMT), there were preliminary 13 wounded and four dead,” Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed head of Donetsk, said on Telegram.
He described the attack as “massive shelling from multiple launch rocket systems”.
In Odesa, the governor Oleg Kiper said one person died in a Russian drone attack, and three others were wounded.
Several buildings were hit and damaged by “downed drones”, he said on Telegram. “Fires broke out in residential buildings in different areas of the city.”
Ukraine’s military has said that an overnight Russian drone attack on Odesa targeted port infrastructure, and that a fire had broken out in one of the port terminals as a result of a strike.
“The enemy’s clear priority remains the port infrastructure of Odesa. A large number of drones were directed from the sea to the coastal zone,” Ukraine’s southern military command said on Telegram.
It said the fire was promptly extinguished and that there were no casualties.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy vows to unleash ‘wrath’ on Russian forces in 2024
Good morning. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has vowed to unleash “wrath” against Russian forces in 2024, saying Ukraine has become stronger as the war moves toward its third year.
But Zelenskiy’s slick 20-minute new year’s address, delivered from his Kyiv office, made almost no direct reference to the situation on the 600 mile (1,000km) frontline or the limited success of a counteroffensive launched in June.
Nor did he refer to the political and diplomatic difficulties in securing continued military and other aid from both the US Congress and the European Union.
Zelenskiy said the war had taught Ukrainians to withstand Russian attacks and adapt to hardships, including blackouts, the operation of industry and threats to shipping its exports.
You can read the full report here:
