Because the struggle enters its 677th day, these are the primary developments.
Right here is the scenario on Monday, January 1, 2024.
Preventing
- Russia launched a brand new wave of drone and missile assaults throughout Ukraine, with no less than 28 individuals injured after six missiles hit the northeastern metropolis of Kharkiv. Russia stated the assault on Ukraine’s second greatest metropolis was “retaliation” for a lethal Ukrainian air raid on the Russian city of Belgorod not removed from the border. Moscow focused a resort housing army commanders and “overseas mercenaries” in addition to the headquarters of the Ukrainian Safety Service for the area. Kharkiv metropolis officers stated the missiles struck residential buildings, lodges and medical services, whereas drones hit residential buildings.
- Ukraine’s Air Power stated it had destroyed 21 of 49 Iranian-made Shahed drones Russia fired in its newest assault. Most have been aimed on the entrance line and components of the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia areas, it stated.
- Individually, Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov stated that three individuals have been killed when Russian forces shelled a village close to the entrance line.
- Within the southern Ukrainian metropolis of Kherson, in the meantime, Russian shelling killed a 14-year-old boy and left a 9-year-old boy in hospital in essential situation, in response to regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Politics and diplomacy
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck an optimistic notice as he sought to rally the nation in his New 12 months tackle. The 20-minute video message from his Kyiv workplace made nearly no direct reference to the scenario on the 1,000km (600-mile) entrance line or the restricted success of a counteroffensive launched in June. Nor did it check with the political and diplomatic challenges dealing with Kyiv because it seeks to safe continued army and different help from its allies. As an alternative, Zelenskyy burdened the energy and unity of the Ukrainian individuals within the face of Russia’s aggression and referenced successes against the Russian Navy within the Black Sea. He promised that Ukraine would wreak “wrath” on Russian forces in 2024.
- In his New 12 months’s tackle, Russian President Vladimir Putin made solely passing reference to the invasion, praising Russia’s troopers on the entrance line as “heroes” in a struggle for “fact and justice”. He additionally known as for unity amongst Russians within the face of “tough duties” and lauded Russian residents’ “solidarity, mercy and fortitude.” The four-minute pre-recorded video was aired simply earlier than midnight in every of Russia’s 11 time zones.