Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has accused Russia of “following the devil” in its decision to wage war in order to ensure that Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, will continue in power “till the end of his life.”
In order to convey a message to the Kremlin and the people of Russia during Moscow’s launch of a series of deadly strikes that swept several regions of Ukraine in the days leading up to the New Year, Zelensky switched from speaking Ukrainian to speaking Russian during his nightly address on Saturday.
According to Zelensky, Russia’s propagandists are spreading false information about the nature of the conflict it is currently engaged in, which is a war with NATO. “It has nothing to do with stuff from the past.” The purpose of this is to ensure that one individual holds onto power until the very end of his life.
He continued by saying, “And what will be with all of you, citizens of Russia, is not anything that concerns him.”
Zelensky is quoted as saying that the “Russian leader is hiding behind the army, behind missiles, and behind the walls of his mansions and palaces,” in addition to sheltering behind his people. “While you look the other way, he torches both your country and your future.” Zelensky highlighted that no one will ever forgive them for their acts of terror.
According to Zelensky, “the majority of the Russian missiles were shot down by air defense forces.”
“There would have been a different number of victims if it hadn’t been for the air defense.”He emphasized how much larger it was. “And this is another proof for the world that support for Ukraine must be strengthened,” the author writes. “This is a critical moment for Ukraine.”
Earlier, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, stated that Moscow intends to bring about darkness and leave the country “in the dark for the New Year.”
According to statements made by Shmyhal on Telegram, Moscow has the intention to “intimidate, leave us in the dark for the new year, and cause as much damage to civilian infrastructure as possible.”
There have been assaults on civilian infrastructure in many parts of our country. Damage was done to residential structures as well as a hotel, a shop, and a venue for festivals. “There are both injured and deceased,” he wrote.
“The Russians want to scare us, keep us in the dark for the New Year, and wreak as much damage as they possibly can to civilian infrastructure.”
In the past few weeks, Russian shelling has targeted essential infrastructure across Ukraine, which has resulted in a significant portion of the country being unable to access heat and power during the severe winter season.
According to statements made by Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Telegram, out of the twenty people who were injured in the city of Kyiv, fourteen were taken to the hospital, and six others received medical attention on the scene.
According to the mayor, the explosions caused significant damage to a number of educational institutions located in the city.
In the aftermath of the strikes in Kyiv, air raid sirens were sounded. Later, Kyiv’s air defences were successful in repelling 45 Iranian drones.
According to a statement released by the Ukrainian Air Force, which is part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, “during the night of January 1, 2023, the Russian invaders assaulted Ukraine with Iranian-made kamikaze drones, Shahed-131/136.”
“As a result of combat work by the air defence of the Air Force in collaboration with the anti-aircraft defence of other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, 45 attack UAVs were destroyed,” said the statement. 13 in the year 2022, and 32 in the year 2023.
They were unsuccessful in their attempt to ruin the celebration for the Ukrainians.
Although emergency personnel were dispatched to the location, initial reports indicate that no one was injured in the incident.
At least six people were killed as a result of Russian airstrikes in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv districts located further east.
According to a statement made by the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, on Telegram, three people were killed and three others were injured in the Donetsk area.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, there was one individual who was injured. In the region of Kharkiv, there were a total of three casualties: two fatalities and one injury. In the region of Kherson, two people were injured, while in the region of Chernihiv, one person was killed.
According to a statement released by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Saturday, Russia had fired five missiles and conducted 29 air attacks the previous day.
Twenty-six of the adversary’s airstrikes were directed at civilian facilities. In particular, the occupants made use of ten Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), but all of them were intercepted and destroyed. In addition, the adversary carried out 80 attacks with multiple rocket launchers, and residential settlements were also struck, according to the most recent operational update provided by the General Staff.
It was said that Russia “continues to conduct offensive actions at the Lyman and Bakhmut directions and is striving to improve the tactical situation at the Kupiansk and Avdiivka directions,” according to the document.
In the direction of Bakhmut, in the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Russian soldiers opened fire on multiple towns and villages, including Lyman.
We Are Determined to Keep On
According to Klitschko, due to the emergency shutdowns, thirty percent of the city’s population was left without power.
“The ‘life support system’ of the capital city’s municipal government is functioning normally.” At this time, thirty percent of customers do not have access to electricity. “As a result of unplanned shutdowns,” he explained on Telegram.
“The people who live in Kyiv have access to water and heat,” he continued.
In addition, according to Klitschko’s report, the limits were put in place so that the open portion of the red metro line in the city could be inspected “for the presence of remnants of missile debris.”
He stated that specialists were on their way to the location in question. “We will keep you updated with any new information on the restart of traffic on the red line.”
CNN spoke with locals in Kyiv to find out how they intended to ring in the New Year in their city.
“I truly want to win beginning in 2023, and I also want to have more positive experiences and brand new feelings.” I think about it all the time. I, too, wish to see more open borders and travel more. In addition, I consider my personal and professional development because I believe that one should never be stagnant.Alyona Bogulska, a financier with 29 years of experience, said that she had an obligation to advance her career and work for the good of the country.
In Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, on the eve of the New Year, emergency medical personnel and police officers worked in close proximity to homes that had been partially damaged by a Russian airstrike.
“This year, it’s a symbol, not that it’s a minor triumph, but a symbol that we survived the year,” said Tatiana Tkachuk, a pharmacy employee who is 43 years old. “It’s not a minor victory, but it’s a sign that we made it through the year.”
“And I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributes to Ukraine.” We have a large number of new buddies. And regrettably, we had to go through awful things in order to learn that we have a lot of good things in order to fully appreciate how fortunate we are. But there are so many people working hard to make miracles happen for Ukraine.
In response to the strikes, Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, stated that the nation “will persevere.”
“On the eve of the New Year, the streets of cities should be filled with waves of festivity, joy, and hope.” “Ukrainian cities are once again under attack by a Russian rocket wave,” Zelenska tweeted.
Destroying the lives of others is an abhorrent practice that many of our neighbours engage in. Nevertheless, we will not give up and will become even stronger in spite of everything that has happened.