A barrage of Russian missiles struck Ukraine on Saturday and early Sunday as the war-torn country marked the New Year. Most of the targets were civilian, including in the capital Kyiv.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the Russian missile strikes killed at least one and injured at least 28 across Ukraine, according to Yahoo News.
General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Russia launched over 20 missiles, 12 of whom were intercepted by Ukrainian air-defence systems.
He tweeted, "The terrorist state Russia launched a massive missile attack at civilian facilities of Ukraine: more than 20 air-based cruise missiles...Ukraine's air defence assets shot down 12 cruise missiles. We’ll win!"
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Russia has targeted Ukrainian civilian and critical public infrastructure throughout the war, which has destroyed entire neighbourhood and led to civilian casualties. It has also deliberately targeted critical infrastructure, such as power stations, which cause power and water outages across Ukraine, plunging Ukrainians into hardships.
CNN reported around 30 per cent of Kyiv was without power on Saturday, the New Year's Eve, amid Russian strikes.
Kyiv Mayor Klitschko said the outage was because of "emergency shutdowns" but added that Ukrainians had heating and water.
"The municipal 'life support system' of the capital is operating normally. Currently, 30 per cent of consumers are without electricity. Due to emergency shutdowns,” said Klitschko, as per CNN.
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Following the latest barrage, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A Brink said it's "beyond belief" and that "Ukraine will prevail".
Russia hits schools, houses in Ukraine
The blasts also came at an unusually quickened rhythm, one that alarmed officials just 36 hours after Russia launched a barrage of missiles on Thursday to damage energy infrastructure facilities.
Missiles struck multi-story residential buildings of Kyiv's Solomianskyi district. Mayor Klitschko said two schools were damaged, including a kindergarten.
Various residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged in Kyiv on Saturday afternoon. A top official in the president's office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, published photos and video of a partially collapsed six-story hotel in Kyiv. Mayor Klitschko said a Japanese journalist was among those injured in the capital.In Zaporizhzhia region, as a result of a missile attack, two houses were destroyed, and around eight damaged. Four people were also wounded, among them a pregnant woman and a 14-year-old girl, said regional Gov. Oleksandr Starukh.
When we win, we will hug: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the occasion of the New Year said it's not known what the new year 2023 would bring but the country is ready for everything and that it would continue to fight.
Zelenskyy's translated message read, "We do not know for sure what the new year, 2023, will bring us. But ready for anything. New acquisitions? We will be happy. New beats? We will be steadfast. Continuation of the struggle? We will fight. And when we win, we will hug. Glory to Ukraine!"
In a tweet in English, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska said Ukrainians "will persevere and be even stronger" after the strikes.
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"On New Year‘s Eve, cities should be covered by wave of celebration, joy and hope. Ukrainian cities are again covered by missile wave from Russia. Ruining lives of others is a disgusting habit of our neighbors. But we will persevere and be even stronger – in spite of everything," said Zelenska.
(With AP inputs)
