Russia batters Ukraine as war strategy shifts in the new year

Around New Year's Eve, Ukrainians across the country experienced some of the biggest aerial attacks since the start of the war. Russia launched 500 missiles and drones in five days, killing dozens of people, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday.

On the morning of Dec. 29, Russia hit Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Lviv and Zaporizhzhia and other cities across the country. Almost 160 people were injured and 39 were killed, according to Zelenskyy. Overall, nearly 120 cities and villages were damaged. Air Force Cmdr. Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on his official Telegram channel that the country was hit by “the most massive aerial attack” since the start of the war. Russia launched 122 missiles and 36 Shahed drones, plus hypersonic, cruise and ballistic missiles, including the X-22 type, none of which were intercepted.
 

Residential buildings, warehouses, and metro stations were damaged in Ukraine's capital city, according to Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration.

In Dnipro, a maternity hospital and a shopping center were struck, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Polish authorities said Friday that a Russian missile had entered the country’s airspace for several minutes, The Associated Press reported.

According to Forbes magazine, the attack cost Russia at least $700 million to $750 million.
 

Russia launched another series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight Dec. 29 to Dec. 30, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.

On Dec. 30, at least 28 people were injured in a strike on residential buildings and the Palace Hotel in Kharkiv, said Oleksandr Filchakov, chief prosecutor for the region. The city then was hit by drones on Dec. 31.

On Jan. 2, Russia launched missiles and drones at Kyiv and Kharkiv. In Kyiv, air raid alerts sounded for six hours. Five people were killed and 129 were injured in the attacks, according to a post by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service on Facebook. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said in a Telegram post that almost 260,000 Kyiv residents were left without electricity.

Western military aid remains crucial for Ukraine, especially air defense systems and missiles, the Institute for the Study of War said in an assessment. The most recent shipment of U.S. support - $250 million worth - was approved on Dec. 27, but further packages would need approval from Congress.