Afternoon summary
Volodymyr Zelenskiy vows to unleash ‘wrath’ on Russian forces in 2024. But the Ukrainian president’s new year’s address made almost no direct reference to the situation on the frontline or the limited success of a counteroffensive launched in June.
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.
Ukraine claims Russia has launched a ‘record number’ of attack drones. Ukraine’s Air Force said 87 out of 90 drones had successfully been shot down in the hours leading into New Year’s Day.
Vladimir Putin calls Ukrainian strikes on Belgorod ‘terrorist act’ that will ‘not go unpunished’. Russia’s president said it would continue to strike “sensitive” military targets in Ukraine.
The death toll following Ukrainian strikes on Belgorod has risen to 25, according to region’s governor. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Monday a four-year-old girl died from injuries sustained in the attack.
The death toll as a result of the attack on the Russian border city of Belgorod on 30 December has increased to 25, according to the region’s governor.
Vyacheslav Gladkov said a child had died in hospital from injuries sustained in the attack.
“Today in the local children’s hospital a four-year-old girl, who was in a serious condition with severe injuries to the chest and internal organs, died,” Gladkov said.
Her death brought the number of child victims of the attack to five.
“This is an irreparable loss for all of us,” Gladkov said.
He said a total of 109 people were wounded, 45 of which are still in medical facilities.
Updated
