Less than an hour after the transition to 2023, an explosion sounded over Kyiv. The mayor of the Ukrainian capital said the air defense system was “working” to protect the city from Russian attacks.
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Russian rockets fell on two districts of Kyiv around 30 minutes past midnight, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said by telegram, adding that no new casualties were immediately identified.
Previously, other Russian attacks had left at least one dead and around 30 wounded, which hasn’t stopped President Zelenskyy from promising his country will fight to “victory.”
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in his vows that he had “moral correctness” on his side.
In the Ukrainian capital, AFP journalists heard at least 11 explosions in the early afternoon as residents prepared for New Year’s celebrations.
According to the Kyiv administration, these bombings caused at least one death and 22 wounded. According to AFP, they ripped open the facade of the four-star Alfavito Hotel in the city center and scattered debris on the street.
Nearby sidewalks were covered in glass from blown windows, including those in the National Palace of Arts.
Filmmaker Yaroslav Mutenko, 23, who lives in the area, said he was showering before going to a New Year’s Eve party when he heard an explosion.
Recent Russian strikes have not affected his desire to attend these celebrations.
“Our enemies, the Russians, can destroy our calm, but they cannot destroy our spirit. This year it’s important to have people around,” he explained.
“Ukraine will not forgive,” Mr. Zelenskyy replied, promising that “those who order such strikes and those who carry them out will not be pardoned.”