“We have never seen so many missiles on our monitors at the same time.” These include ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and strategic bombers. And it is the spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuri Ihnat, who uses these words to describe the massive Russian attack on Ukraine in the early hours of the morning. Among the most powerful since the conflict began almost two years ago and with a range of targets that leave no doubt about the intent to strike and destroy.
At the end of the day the death toll was 30 while the number of wounded is about 160. In Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv. But also Dnipro and Odessa. And again Zaporizhzhia, where there are at least eight deaths, the highest number in a single affected location. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky He speaks of around 110 rockets, “most of which were shot down,” he says, and explains that the Russian attacks targeted “a maternity ward, schools, a shopping center, multi-story residential and private houses, a commercial warehouse and a parking lot.”
He promises a befitting response and then thanks the soldiers, announcing that he has visited Adviika, the city in eastern Ukraine that has long been under constant attack by Russian forces, “one of the most difficult areas on the front line.” (he calls them the “warriors”) thanks to whom Ukraine “survived” in 2023. Again the images of buildings in flames and destruction reaching as far as Kiev, again – almost two years later – the capital's citizens ran to take refuge in the subway tunnels.
Confirmation of a worrying detail comes from neighboring Poland: “Everything indicates that a Russian missile has entered Polish airspace. We spotted him on radar. Then it flew “immediately towards Ukraine,” said the Chief of Staff of the Polish Army, General Wieslaw Kukula, while the operational command of the Polish Armed Forces had previously spoken of an “unidentified air object” that had penetrated from the border What emerges from this lawsuit is unavoidable: the specter of “encroachments” often hovers over the Ukraine conflict, a fear that has already become concrete in the past during the 22 months of war on Ukrainian territory between Russia and a NATO ally, Poland has become Exactly. And then the alliance immediately reacts with a telephone conversation between Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Polish President Andrzej Duda: “NATO stands in solidarity with our valued ally, it is monitoring the situation and we will stay in touch as quickly as possible.” The facts become checked. “NATO remains vigilant,” reports Stoltenberg.
The reactions from the western capitals are also not long in coming, with the rush to reaffirm support for Kiev: from Brussels, where the EU High Representative Josep Borrell reminds us of this “The EU remains committed to providing additional military equipment to support Ukraine in 2024 in resistance to the Russian invasion”. And from London immediately announced that it would send around 200 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine in a short period of time in Ukraine. US President Joe Biden's warning is now a real call to the US Congress, because continuing support for Kiev risks ending or reducing it, which would force the commander-in-chief to review promises made to Zelensky. This latest massive attack, he said at the time, “reminds the world that Putin’s goals remain unchanged after nearly two years of devastating war. He wants to wipe out Ukraine and subjugate its people. It must be stopped.” Then the explicit warning to the Capitol to approve new aid for Kiev: Congress “must act without further delay. The stakes couldn't be higher. Not only did Putin try to destroy Ukraine, he also threatened some of our NATO allies.”
Learn more 
ANSA Agency Putin to Xi: “The war in Ukraine will last at least five years” – Europe – Ansa.it Kiev: “The Russians are advancing, December the worst month of the year” (ANSA)
Kiev: “Severe Russian attack, we need more support”
“Massive terrorist attack, rockets are flying over our cities again and civilians are being targeted. Ukraine needs support. We will be even stronger, we are doing everything we can to strengthen our air shield. But the world must understand that we need more support and strength to stop this terror.” This was written by Ukrainian presidential adviser Andry Yermak on Telegram after the heavy wave of Russian attacks overnight on many Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kiev .
US Ambassador in Kiev: “Ukraine needs money now”
The US ambassador to Kiev said after the serious and deadly Russian attack this morning that Ukraine “needs funds now” to deal with the bombing of the Kremlin. “Ukraine needs money now to continue fighting to free itself from this horror in 2024,” Bridget Brink wrote on X.
EU: “Russian attack on Ukraine cowardly and indiscriminate”
“Overnight, Russia launched one of the largest attacks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine against its cities and people. This was another cowardly and indiscriminate attack on schools, a subway station and a hospital, which resulted in the death of at least 16 people and several injured.” EU High Representative Josep Borrell writes this on X and reiterates that “the EU stands by Ukraine for as long as necessary.”
Moscow: All targets in Ukraine hit
“All targets were hit” in Russian attacks in Ukraine this week, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. And he added that Russia had carried out more than 50 attacks, including a “major” one in Ukraine between December 23 and 29 against military infrastructure sites, ammunition depots and places where Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries were stationed.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA