As the war enters its 677th day, these are the main events.
Here is the situation on Monday, January 1, 2024.
Struggle
- Russia launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, and at least 28 people were injured after six missiles hit the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Russia said the attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city was “retaliation” for a deadly Ukrainian airstrike on the Russian city of Belgorod, not far from the border. Moscow targeted a hotel housing military commanders and “foreign mercenaries,” as well as the Ukrainian Security Service headquarters for the region. Kharkiv city officials said the missiles hit residential buildings, hotels and medical facilities, while the drones hit residential buildings.
- The Ukrainian Air Force said it had destroyed 21 of the 49 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia fired in its latest attack. Most were aimed at the front line and parts of the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia regions, he said.
- Separately, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said three people were killed when Russian forces shelled a village near the front line.
- Meanwhile, in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed a 14-year-old boy and left a 9-year-old boy in hospital in critical condition, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Politics and diplomacy
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck an optimistic note as he sought to unite the country in his New Year’s speech. The 20-minute video message from his Kiev office made almost no direct reference to the situation on the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line or the limited success of a counteroffensive launched in June. He also did not address the political and diplomatic challenges kyiv faces as it seeks to ensure continuity of military and other aid from its allies. Instead, Zelenskyy highlighted the strength and unity of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression and referenced successes against the Russian Navy in the Black Sea. He promised that Ukraine would provoke “anger” against Russian forces in 2024.
- In his New Year’s address, Russian President Vladimir Putin made only passing reference to the invasion and praised Russian soldiers on the front lines as “heroes” in a fight for “truth and justice.” He also called for unity among Russians in the face of “difficult tasks” and praised the “solidarity, mercy and fortitude” of Russian citizens. The four-minute pre-recorded video aired shortly before midnight in each of Russia’s 11 time zones.
