Five drones were recorded in a late night raid on Kyiv – Kyiv City Military Administration
The Kyiv City Military Administration has just posted preliminary information about the attack.
It said on Telegram that five of Shahed's drones entered Kyiv airspace and all were destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses, but a barrage of ammunition from one of the drones hit the administration building in Holosiiv, partially destroying the building and breaking the windows of a nearby residential building. The US ambassador in Kyiv, Bridget A Brink, has posted a New Year's video message to the people of Ukraine, in which she promises that US support for the country is "on hold".
Posted under a tweet that read "The United States will continue to support Ukraine as a partner and friend in 2023, and I wish you a peaceful New Year", in the video clip Brink said:
During the darkest days of the year, Russia continues to try to extinguish the light of Ukraine. Despite the Kremlin's brutality, its atrocities, and its attempts to deprive you of warmth and comfort, your courage and perseverance are burning.
The Ukrainian spirit continues to inspire the world in pursuit of a better future. You have repeatedly shown that you will not be stopped by the Kremlin's atrocities. This, among many other things, drives our undying belief that Ukraine will win.
The American people see everything you are willing to sacrifice in the struggle for your freedom and your country. Your determination strengthens our resolve, and as the New Year approaches, I want to assure you that our commitment to Ukraine is very strong. We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as partners and friends in 2023. And I wish you a peaceful and victorious New Year. Dmytro Zhivytskyi, the governor of the Sumy region, which is in northeastern Ukraine and borders Russia, had posted on Telegram to say that overnight three settlements in the area were shelled by the Russians. He said details about the consequences were being clarified.
Reuters was quick to say that Ukraine's air force had reported early Friday that Russia launched 16 so-called kamikaze drones overnight, and that Ukraine's air defenses destroyed all of them. It added that drones had been dispatched from the southeast and north.
Earlier, the Kyiv city military administration informed residents that five Shahed drones entered Kyiv's airspace, and debris from one of them hit the administrative building in Holosiiv.
Here's the full story of Thursday's Russian missile barrage:
Russia launched a massive missile strike across Ukraine early on Thursday, as Moscow rejected Ukraine's peace plan and continued its attacks on the country's infrastructure.
Targets from Lviv in the west to Kharkiv in the east were hit early Thursday. The Ukrainian army command said Russia launched 69 missiles from land, sea and air, 54 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.
Ukraine's defense ministry wrote on Twitter that the attack was "one of the most massive missile strikes since the start of the full-scale invasion". The Guardian's editorial independence has never been more important. No one sets our agenda, or edits our editors, so we can deliver high-impact, trustworthy journalism every day. Free from commercial or political influence, we can report world events without fear and challenge those in power.
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