Russia's biggest air attack of war kills 31 in Ukraine
Dec 30, 2023
Moscow [Russia], December 30: Russia unleashed its biggest air attack of the war on Ukraine, killing 31 civilians, wounding more than 160 others and hitting cities and infrastructure across the country, officials said.
NATO member Poland said a Russian missile appeared to have flown into its airspace for some 40 km before returning to Ukraine under three minutes later. There was no immediate comment from Moscow and NATO said it remained "vigilant".
The Ukrainian foreign ministry said the vast end-of-year air assault showed there should be "no talk of a truce" with the Kremlin at a time when uncertainty hangs over the future of Western support for Kyiv.
In the capital Kyiv at least nine people were killed and 30 confirmed wounded after a warehouse, residential buildings and another uninhabited property were hit, officials said.
Kyiv resident Mariia told Reuters she had been awoken by a "horrible sound" and taken shelter in her bathroom.
The air force said it shot down 87 cruise missiles and 27 drones out of a total of 158 aerial "targets" fired by Russia. Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said it was the "most massive air attack of this war" and involved 18 strategic bombers.
Army chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said critical infrastructure and industrial and military facilities had been targeted.
Ukraine has been warning for weeks that Russia could be stockpiling missiles to launch major air attacks on the energy system like it did last winter.
In a roundup of Russian military activities this week, the Russian defence ministry said its forces had performed one "massive" strike on Ukraine since Dec. 23, but provided no specifics.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
