Ukraine struck by second major missile attack in three days


Neil Murphy
  • English
  • Arabic

Russia carried out a second round of missile attacks on Ukraine in three days on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, with explosions reported across the country.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least one person was killed and eight were wounded after a series of explosions in the capital.

He said one of the wounded was a Japanese journalist who had been taken to hospital.

A hotel to the south of Kyiv city centre was hit and a residential building in another district was damaged, according to the city administration.

Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of Kyiv region, warned shortly before of a possible missile attack and said air defences prepared to respond.

“The terrorist country launched several waves of missiles. They are wishing us a happy New Year. But we will persevere,” Mr Kuleba wrote on Telegram in a post after explosions shook the capital.

Other cities across Ukraine also came under fire. In the southern region of Mykolaiv, governor Vitaliy Kim said on television that six people had been wounded.

In a separate post on Telegram, Mr Kim claimed Russia had targeted civilians with the strikes, which Moscow has always denied.

  • A building burned from a strike as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Bakhmut. Reuters
    A building burned from a strike as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Bakhmut. Reuters
  • Antonina, a refugee from Bakhmut in Donetsk region, with dogs she rescued in Izyum, Kharkiv. AFP
    Antonina, a refugee from Bakhmut in Donetsk region, with dogs she rescued in Izyum, Kharkiv. AFP
  • A resident gives her neighbours hot food brought by volunteers in Izyum. AFP
    A resident gives her neighbours hot food brought by volunteers in Izyum. AFP
  • A Ukrainian soldier salutes as he works to build a bunker with sand in Bakhmut. Reuters
    A Ukrainian soldier salutes as he works to build a bunker with sand in Bakhmut. Reuters
  • Volodymyr Kovalov, 77, carries tree branches attached to his bike as he collects wood for heating and cooking in Kherson region. AFP
    Volodymyr Kovalov, 77, carries tree branches attached to his bike as he collects wood for heating and cooking in Kherson region. AFP
  • A local resident takes pictures of a destroyed monastery in Dolyna, eastern Ukraine. AFP
    A local resident takes pictures of a destroyed monastery in Dolyna, eastern Ukraine. AFP
  • A decoy dummy made with the clothes of a Russian soldier at the entrance of a destroyed cinema in Kamyanka, eastern Ukraine. AFP
    A decoy dummy made with the clothes of a Russian soldier at the entrance of a destroyed cinema in Kamyanka, eastern Ukraine. AFP
  • Destroyed houses in the city of Kamyanka. AFP
    Destroyed houses in the city of Kamyanka. AFP
  • Caesar, 50, a Russian who joined the Freedom of Russia Legion to fight on the side of Ukraine, stands in front of a destroyed monastery in Dolyna. AFP
    Caesar, 50, a Russian who joined the Freedom of Russia Legion to fight on the side of Ukraine, stands in front of a destroyed monastery in Dolyna. AFP
  • An employee stands next to a shelter at a stainless pipes plant in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region. AFP
    An employee stands next to a shelter at a stainless pipes plant in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region. AFP
  • Ivan and Iryna Kalinin before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Iryna, who was pregnant, was killed in a Russian air strike on Mariupol's maternity hospital. Ivan returned to the occupied city to rebury his wife and baby. AP
    Ivan and Iryna Kalinin before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Iryna, who was pregnant, was killed in a Russian air strike on Mariupol's maternity hospital. Ivan returned to the occupied city to rebury his wife and baby. AP
  • Natalia, 67, sits inside her house that was damaged in a Russian military strike, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Reuters
    Natalia, 67, sits inside her house that was damaged in a Russian military strike, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. Reuters
  • Ukrainian soldiers ride in a military vehicle in Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk enclave. AP
    Ukrainian soldiers ride in a military vehicle in Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk enclave. AP
  • Smoke billows from a building on fire after a Russian attack in Bakhmut. AP
    Smoke billows from a building on fire after a Russian attack in Bakhmut. AP
  • Sasha and her grandfather stand outside their home in Bakhmut. AP
    Sasha and her grandfather stand outside their home in Bakhmut. AP
  • Ukrainian soldiers set up a barricade in Bakhmut. AP
    Ukrainian soldiers set up a barricade in Bakhmut. AP
  • Nastya carries her cat as her mother Anna says goodbye to neighbours with whom they lived for months in a basement during Russian attacks in Soledar, a city in the Donetsk enclave of Ukraine. AP
    Nastya carries her cat as her mother Anna says goodbye to neighbours with whom they lived for months in a basement during Russian attacks in Soledar, a city in the Donetsk enclave of Ukraine. AP
  • Anna and Nastya in the basement during a Russian attack nearby. AP
    Anna and Nastya in the basement during a Russian attack nearby. AP
  • A Ukrainian soldier is wheeled on a stretcher at a hospital in the Donetsk enclave. AP
    A Ukrainian soldier is wheeled on a stretcher at a hospital in the Donetsk enclave. AP
  • A woman looks a building damaged by Russian shelling in Kherson. AFP
    A woman looks a building damaged by Russian shelling in Kherson. AFP
  • Oleksandra Koshkina, 85, sits in a car as she returns to her village of Torske, in the Donetsk enclave. Reuters
    Oleksandra Koshkina, 85, sits in a car as she returns to her village of Torske, in the Donetsk enclave. Reuters
  • A resident of Bakhmut walks along an empty street. Reuters
    A resident of Bakhmut walks along an empty street. Reuters
  • A street market in Bakhmut. Reuters
    A street market in Bakhmut. Reuters
  • A Ukrainian soldier poses for a picture in the Donetsk enclave. Reuters
    A Ukrainian soldier poses for a picture in the Donetsk enclave. Reuters
  • Officials tend to a patient on a plane carrying Ukrainian Jewish refugees as they wait to disembark at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. AFP
    Officials tend to a patient on a plane carrying Ukrainian Jewish refugees as they wait to disembark at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. AFP

“According to today's tendencies, the occupiers are striking not just critical [infrastructure] … in many cities [they are targeting] simply residential areas, hotels, garages, roads,” Mr Kim said.

In the western city of Khmelnytskyi, two people were wounded in a drone attack, Ukrainian presidential aide Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.

The official also reported a strike in the southern industrial city of Zaporizhzhia, which Mr Tymoshenko said had damaged residential buildings.

“With each new missile attack on civilian infrastructure, more Ukrainians are convinced of the need to fight until the complete collapse of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's regime,” Ukraine's Defence Ministry wrote on Telegram.

Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Updated: December 31, 2022, 4:27 PM