Russia launched the most massive air attack on Ukraine

Ukrainian defenders shot down 114 of 158 enemy missiles and drones. Due to the hits and fallen debris, there is destruction in different Ukrainian regions. At least 39 people were killed and 159 more were injured, according to the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

As a result of the massive Russian attack on December 29, damage to critical and social infrastructure has been reported in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Lviv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Information as of January 9, 2024, 13.30 Kyiv time:

Russian shellings hit the Sviatoshynskyi, Podilskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi districts of Kyiv. Civil infrastructure, vehicles, and warehouse facilities were damaged. 21 people were killed, and 32 were injured. Update: The death toll has risen to 32 victims with another 30 people were injured.

As of January 9, during the dismantling of destroyed building structures in a warehouse in the Shevchenkivskyi district, the body of another killed citizen was discovered. The number of victims due to the Russian missile attack on Kyiv has increased to 33 people, reported Kyiv City Military Administration. 

Russian forces also launched missile strikes on Lviv. A residential building and other civilian infrastructure were damaged by the blast wave. One person died, and 30 were injured.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian forces targeted a shopping center, resulting in 6 deaths and 30 injured civilians. In addition, the enemy hit a maternity hospital. Emergency service workers have rescued four patients from the rubble.

In the Odesa region, Russian forces hit a 17-storey and a 3-storey residential buildings, causing destruction and casualties among civilians. In total, 4 people were killed, and 15 more were injured in the region.

In the Kharkiv region, an enterprise came under enemy shelling. Three employees were killed and thirteen more people were injured in the region. In the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian troops launched missile strikes on infrastructure objects. Nine people were killed and thirteen more injured.

“So much red on our monitors, and red means enemy targets. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen so many enemy targets, in every region, in every direction. Initially, [Russian – ed.] occupiers used Shaheds drones to conduct reconnaissance battles. Then they launched missiles of various types”, stated Yurii Ihnat, Spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during the massive air attack on December 29, Russian forces used 36 Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones, 90 cruise missiles Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55, 8 cruise missiles Kh-22/Kh-32, 14 ballistic missiles S-300/S-400/Iskander-M, 5 aeroballistic missiles X-47M2 “Kyndzhal”, 4 anti-radar missiles X-31P, and one X-59 missile. As a result of the air combat, Ukrainian forces successfully destroyed 87 cruise missiles and 27 drones.

“We will definitely respond to the terrorists for their attacks. And we will fight to ensure the security of our country, every city, and all our people. Russian terrorism must be defeated – and that’s exactly what will happen,” commented President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the massive terrorist act of Russia.

As the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine reported, following the enemy’s massive air attack, there are also power outages in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Kharkiv regions due to damage to power transmission lines and the grids.