Feared Russian hypersonic missile shot down over Kyiv

The US-supplied Patriot air defence system shot down a ‘record’ ten hypersonic missiles fired at Ukraine from Russia on Tuesday morning.

Kinzhal hypersonic missiles are part of an arsenal of weapons Vladimir Putin claimed were indestructible because of the speed at which they travel.

Kyiv earlier said that Russia fired 99 missiles of different types at Ukraine in its large-scale attack on Tuesday morning, and that its air force shot down 72 of them.

“Today, the Ukrainian air force downed 10 out of 10 Russian ‘Kinzhal’... aeroballistic missiles with the help of the Patriot AD system,” the Ukrainian army’s commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said on social media.

“This is a record. If the missiles hit their targets, the consequences would be catastrophic.”

He thanked Ukraine’s Western allies for supplying the weapons and urged them to accelerate weapons deliveries.

06:54 PM GMT

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06:54 PM GMT

Today’s headlines

• Russian strikes on Kyiv and the north-eastern city of Kharkiv killed five people and injured over 120 others

• An errant Russian missile accidentally struck a village in the Voronezh region during the country’s attacks on Ukraine, damaging six houses

• Approximately 250,000 people were left without power in Kyiv and the surrounding region after the Russian strikes

• Ukraine claimed to have shot down 72 of the 99 missiles launched by Russia, including all 10 of the hypersonic Kinzhal missiles with the US-supplied Patriot air defence system

• One person was killed and five others injured after Ukraine launched ‘revenge strikes’ on the Russian city of Belgorod

• Moscow was accused of ‘deliberately’ targeting residential areas by Ukrainian defence minister, Rustem Umerov

• The leaders of Latvia and Lithuania demanded the West send more anti-air weapons to Ukraine to stop further Russian air raids

• Turkey refused to allow minehunter ships sent by Britain to Ukraine to pass through Turkish waters to the Black Sea

• Rishi Sunak and Volodymyr Zelensky discussed ‘further defence cooperation’ over the phone and the UK Prime Minister vowed the country would stand ‘steadfastly’ with Ukraine

06:41 PM GMT

In pictures: The aftermath in Kyiv

06:28 PM GMT

Russia hacked surveillance cameras to identify targets in Kyiv

Russia hacked two surveillance cameras in Kyiv and used them to record the city’s air defences at work and to locate critical infrastructure during this morning’s attack.

After hacking the cameras, Russian special services obtained remote access to control the cameras, change the viewing angles, and to connect them to Youtube.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it has now dismantled the cameras in the Ukrainian capital. One of the devices was located on the balcony of an apartment building and reportedly used by residents to monitor the surrounding area.

The other camera was installed by residents in one of Kyiv’s residential complexes to monitor its parking lot.

SBU cyber specialists discovered Russia had been using the cameras to capture the surrounding territory, including critical infrastructure facilities, and to assist Russian strikes on targets in Kyiv.

In December, an investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty found that Russia’s intelligence services may have been receiving video footage from thousands of Ukrainian surveillance cameras installed with a Russian software program.

05:46 PM GMT

Russian strikes fail to pose threat to Ukrainian energy systems

The CEO of Ukraine’s national energy company has claimed that today’s attacks failed to pose a critical threat to the country’s power systems, despite causing some damage to the grid.

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, CEO of Ukrenergo, said: “We have promptly fixed the operation of the necessary equipment within just a few hours, and most consumers in Kyiv and the surrounding areas have uninterrupted power supply.

“The city’s water supply systems have also been resumed.”

He acknowledged that there had been some interruptions in power supply. However, he stressed that the attack had failed to pose a critical threat to the country’s infrastructure.

“I have recently visited one of the affected power facilities myself,” Mr Kudrytskyi said.

“The equipment is already in operation, and I think that if any of the consumers in Kyiv Oblast and the city of Kyiv still do not have the power supply, it will be a matter of just a few hours before it is resumed.”

05:35 PM GMT

UK will continue to stand by Ukraine 'for as long as it takes'

Rishi Sunak told Voldymyr Zelensky the UK would continue to stand “steadfastly” by Ukraine throughout 2024 and into the future.

During a telephone call today, the Prime Minister offered his condolences to Zelensky and set out ongoing UK work to provide military and diplomatic support to Ukraine. This includes through continued deliveries of aid, support for the President’s peace plan, and a long-term security framework.

The leaders discussed recent developments in the conflict, “including progress in the Black Sea and the success of the Ukrainian air defence, bolstered by UK-supplied ground-to-air missiles”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

05:26 PM GMT

Putin wants to 'annihilate' Ukraine, says German Foreign Minister

“With every rocket, Putin shows that he wants to annihilate Ukraine,” Annalena Baerbock wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

The Foreign Minister added that Germany would “stand by the people in Ukraine for as long they need us” and that “everyday life without fear and terror is possible”.

05:02 PM GMT

Ukraine and UK discuss 'further defence cooperation'

President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken on the telephone with Rishi Sunak today about further defence cooperation.

On X (formerly Twitter) the Ukrainian president said: “I am grateful to the United Kingdom for its substantial and comprehensive aid in bolstering Ukraine’s air defense, particularly with radars, advanced anti-drone systems, and missiles.

We discussed our further defense cooperation, with a particular emphasis on air defense and long-range capabilities.”

The two leaders also spoke about the the bilateral agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine following the G7 Vilnius Declaration and agreed it should be finalised quickly.

Zelensky also reported that the two discussed the fourth Peace Formula meeting of advisors in Davos, the preparation of the leaders’ Global Peace Summit, and their joint work on specific Peace Formula points.

04:33 PM GMT

Charles Michel: Today's attacks show Russia is not interested in peace talks

The President of the European Council has claimed that Russia’s recent attacks prove Moscow is not interested in peace talks.

On X (formerly Twitter) Charles Michel said: “For anybody believing the rumours that Russia is genuinely interested in peace talks, the record number of drones fired in the last 24 hours at Ukraine show the true intention of Moscow.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky replied to the president’s post, thanking him for “stating exactly what we all think and feel”.

He said he was grateful for the EU’s continual support for Ukraine and that “European unity is stronger than Russian terror”.

04:19 PM GMT

Fires continue to rage in Kyiv

Emergency workers in the Ukrainian capital are continuing to tackle blazes at two locations in the Podilskyi district.

Efforts are also underway to remove the unsafe structures of a residential building in the city of Kharkiv.

Five people were killed and 127 others have been injured by the Russian strikes this morning, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service confirmed.

It is the second large-scale attack on Ukraine and the capital in particular in the last 5 days. More than 500 rescuers and 111 pieces of equipment are currently in operation across the country.

03:45 PM GMT

Pictured: Children forced to sleep in corridor during air raid alerts

Children at the Trendets football camp in Vynnyky near Lviv were forced to sleep in a corridor due to air raid alerts in the early hours of the morning.

Dmytro Povoroznyuk, the camp’s founder, said: “And so every night for the last week.

“Children are already getting used to sleeping in the corridors and in the bathrooms because of the ‘liberators’.”

03:39 PM GMT

Two civilians killed in Russian attack

Russian forces have struck a residential area in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, killing two people.

A woman, 55, and a man, 38, sustained fatal injuries and one other civilian was injured.

Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, urged people to evacuate and stressed the danger of remaining in the area.

Chasiv Yar is a frontline city in eastern Ukraine. Before the war, it had a population of around 12,000. Most people have moved out of the city, though some remain.

03:06 PM GMT

Power supply 'completely restored' in Kyiv

Electricity has been restored to approximately 260,000 residents in Kyiv, the DTEK press service said.

Over quarter of a million people were left without power in the Ukrainian capital and the surrounding regions following the Russian strikes this morning.

02:50 PM GMT

In pictures: Aftermath of missile strikes in Kyiv

02:29 PM GMT

Ukraine launches 'revenge strikes' on Belgorod

Ukraine launched what appear to be retaliatory strikes on Russia’s border city of Belgorod after a wave of missile and drone attacks left five Ukrainians dead and scores injured.

Nine surface-to-air missiles were shot down over Belgorod in two attacks on Tuesday morning which killed one and wounded five others, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier warned that Ukraine would respond to Russian attacks on the capital, Kyiv, and northeastern Kharkiv, saying Moscow would “answer for every life taken away”.

“The terrorist state must feel the repercussions of its actions,” he said hours after Russia conducted its third major air raid in the last four days.

Belgorod, which sits just 20 miles from the Ukrainian border, was the site of an unprecedented strike by Kyiv’s forces on Saturday which Russian officials said killed 25 people.

President Vladimir Putin vowed to intensify air strikes on Ukraine in response and launched 99 missiles and 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones on Kyiv and Kharkiv on Tuesday morning.

02:14 PM GMT

Ukraine's chief prosecutor: Russian attacks are 'terrorist war crimes'

Russia’s attacks on Ukraine this mroning were “barbaric war crimes” and a “blatant act of terrorism”, Ukraine’s prosecutor general has said.

Andriy Kostin wrote on X: “Prosecutors and investigators are documenting these barbaric war crimes.

“Residential buildings, gas pipelines, and energy facilities in the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, as well as the capital, have been damaged.

“Russia’s war on civilians is a blatant act of terrorism.

“This is a stark reminder to the world: only decisive action can stop terrorists from repeating their atrocities.”

02:02 PM GMT

Baltic leaders demand more aid for Ukraine

The leaders of Latvia and Lithuania have demanded the West send more anti-air weapons to Ukraine to stop further Russian air raids.

“Ukrainians do wonders with the air defence the West has provided, but they need more,” Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda wrote on X. “Air defence systems to Ukraine NOW!”

Edgar Rinkevics, the president of Latvia, added: “Another set of brutal Russian air strikes against Kyiv this morning, innocent civilians again being victims of the Russian terrorism.

“Ukrainian air defence works well but Ukraine must get more help. New Year’s celebrations are over and the West must get serious and act now.”

01:57 PM GMT

Turkey to block UK minehunter ships sent to Ukraine

Turkey has refused to allow minehunter ships sent by Britain to Ukraine to pass through Turkish waters to the Black Sea.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the transfer of the two Royal Navy ships to the Ukrainian Navy would violate an international pact that restricts ships passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles in wartime.

Nato member Turkey triggered the 1936 Montreux Convention when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which blocks any warring party’s military ships.

The Turkish presidency said it has implemented the pact impartially and meticulously with a view to preventing escalation in the Black Sea.

01:50 PM GMT

Ukraine drops off 10 most at-risk countries list

Ukraine has dropped out of the top 10 countries at risk of worsening humanitarian crises in 2024, according to a watchlist from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), reports Foreign Reporter Maighna Nanu.

The IRC’s emergency watchlist compiles the 20 countries most at risk of experiencing new or worsening humanitarian crises. Ukraine, which was 10th on the IRC’s 2023 watchlist, has fallen to the unranked second half of the list.

David Miliband, chair of the IRC, told the Telegraph: “People will be surprised that Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan dropped out of the top 10.

“That’s pretty significant. And things haven’t got that much better in those countries, but they’ve got much worse elsewhere.”

The former Labour Foreign Secretary said: “Ukraine has dropped out of the top 10 not because things have gotten better in Ukraine – and self-evidently they haven’t – but things have got much worse elsewhere.

He added: “Humanitarian needs are still grave in Ukraine, it’s not that Ukraine has got better, it’s that elsewhere got much worse.”

01:42 PM GMT

In pictures: Clean up operations in Kyiv

01:37 PM GMT

Moscow deliberately targeting residential areas, says Ukraine

Ukraine’s defence minister has accused Moscow of “deliberately” targeting residential areas after Russia hit the country with almost 100 missiles, killing at least five people.

“The terrorist state is deliberately targeting critical infrastructure and residential neighbourhoods,” Rustem Umerov said on social media.

Mr Umerov described the barrage of missiles as a “very dangerous attack that killed and injured innocent people”.

01:29 PM GMT

EU ambassador to Ukraine calls for more aid

The EU ambassador has called for more support in response to the Russian shelling of Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Katarína Mathernová said on X: “Ukraine has fallen victim to another savage Russian attack today.

“Capital Kyiv & Kharkiv pummelled by Russian missiles & drones. Civilians injured & killed, infrastructure destroyed.

“Ukraine needs more support now to save lives. Russia will be held accountable.”

01:20 PM GMT

Lioness injured during shelling at Kyiv Animal Rescue Centre

The Russian bombardment of Kyiv has injured the lioness Yuna at the Kyiv Animal Rescue Centre, according to Ukrainian online newspaper Strana.

The lioness reportedly suffered a serious concussion, and lost coordination after a rocket fragment landed 300 metres from her enclosure.

In another video that has emerged on social media, emergency services can be seen rescuing animals from the badly damaged Solomianskyi district of Kyiv.

Pet parrots, a cat and a dog were returned to tearful residents.

01:10 PM GMT

Pictured: Aftermath of Russian strike on Kharkiv

12:45 PM GMT

One dead and five now injured in Belgorod

One person is dead and five others are injured after Ukrainian missiles struck the Russian city of Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has said.

The dead civilian is said to have been killed when a missile exploded near their car and the five wounded civilians were hit by shrapnel.

12:20 PM GMT

Woman injured in Zaporizhzhia

Russia’s air raids this morning injured a 75-year-old woman at an apartment block in the Zaporizhzhia city of Orikhiv, governor Yurii Malashko has said.

It means civilians were injured by the Russian attacks in four Ukrainian cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Fastiv and Orikhiv.

11:50 AM GMT

Third missile siren sounds in Belgorod

Air raid sirens are sounding in the Russian city of Belgorod for a third time today.

Nine Ukrainian surface-to-air missiles were earlier shot down over the city in two attacks which left two civilians wounded, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

The city appears to be the main target for Kyiv’s retaliatory attacks.

11:17 AM GMT

Death toll has risen to five

The death toll from this morning’s missile and drone attacks has now risen to five.

Two people are now confirmed dead after a fire at an apartment block in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district which injured 49 others, mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.

Interior minister Ihor Klymenko has said two people were killed in a fire at a residential building in the city of Fastiv, 40 miles south-west of Kyiv.

In the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, near the Russian border, a 91-year-old pensioner was killed and more than 40 other people were injured by “at least four strikes” that damaged multi-storey buildings and other civilian infrastructure, local authorities said.

11:04 AM GMT

Feared Russian Kinzhal missile splash-lands in river

A Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile has been filmed falling into a river in Kyiv after being intercepted by anti-air defences.

10:55 AM GMT

West must send more weapons to Ukraine, urges Kuleba

Dmytro Kuleba has urged the West to deliver more weapons and give Russia’s frozen assets to Ukraine after the third major drone and missile attack on Ukrainian cities in the last four days.

“Here are the five steps that can be taken right now,” he wrote on X.

“1. Expedite the delivery of additional air defence systems and ammunition to Ukraine;

“2. Provide Ukraine with combat drones of all types;

“3. Provide Ukraine with long-range missiles of 300 km+ range;

“4. Approve the use of frozen Russian assets for assisting Ukraine;

“5. Isolate Russian diplomats in relevant capitals and international organisations.”

10:33 AM GMT

All 'military-industrial' targets 'destroyed', Russia boasts

Russia “destroyed” all of its “military-industrial” targets in the strikes on Ukraine this morning, its defence ministry has said.

It claimed to have only hit military targets even though it attacked apartment blocks and a car dealership.

“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a group strike with long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex that were carrying out orders for the production of missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and the repair of weapons and military equipment in Kyiv and its suburbs, as well as storage sites for missiles, ammunition and aerial weapons supplied to the Kyiv regime by Western countries,” it said.

“The goal of the strike has been achieved. All facilities have been destroyed.”

10:25 AM GMT

Scrambled Polish fighters return to base

The four Polish F-16 fighter jets which were scrambled as Russian launched missile and drone attacks on Ukraine have now returned to base.

“Due to the reduced level of threat, the operations of Polish and allied aircraft on duty in our airspace have been ended,” the Polish army’s operational command said on X.

10:13 AM GMT

Attacks follow Putin's vow of revenge

Vladimir Putin vowed on Monday to intensify air strikes after 25 civilians were killed in a Ukrainian attack on Belgorod on Saturday, warning the incident would “not go unpunished”.

The assault on Tuesday came after Russia launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the outset of the war on Friday, killing at least 39 people.

Following that attack, Moscow’s forces on Monday launched a “record” high 90 drones at targets across the country.

09:55 AM GMT

Zelenska: Russia is not tired of killing

Ukraine needs “the strength of arms” because Russia is “not tired of killing”, Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska has said.

“Massive attack on Kyiv and Kharkiv resulted in injured and dead civilians, burning residential buildings,” she wrote on X.

“Speaking of war fatigue, it is worth remembering that enemy is not tired of killing. Only force will stop him.

“Ukraine has the strength of spirit but needs the strength of arms.”

09:36 AM GMT

Pictured: Russian village where missile landed

09:33 AM GMT

Ukraine shot down 72 of 99 missiles, army says

Ukrainian anti-air defences shot down 72 of the 99 missiles launched by Russia this morning, Gen Valery Zaluzhny has said.

The army’s commander-in-chief said it destroyed 10 of 10 hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, 59 of 70 Kh-101, Kh-55 and Kh-555 cruise missiles and three of three Kalibr cruise missiles.

Four Kh-31P anti-radar missiles and 12 Iskander ballistic missiles were not shot down.

The Ukrainian air force earlier said that all 35 drones launched by Russia were destroyed.

09:14 AM GMT

Four dead and 92 injured, Zelensky says

Four people are dead and 92 others were injured in Russia’s missile and drone attacks in the early hours, Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

“Since December 31, Russian monsters have already fired 170 ‘Shahed’ drones and dozens of missiles of various types,” he said. “The absolute majority of them targeted civilian infrastructure.

“I am grateful to all of our partners who are helping us strengthen our air shield.

“Every day and night, this helps save hundreds of lives that would have been lost if we didn’t have ‘Patriots’ and other defense systems.”

He shared a video on X showing footage and photographs of the damage.

09:03 AM GMT

Pictured: Kyiv after the strikes

08:54 AM GMT

Russia confirms accidental strike on own village

The Russian defence ministry has confirmed that an aeroplane accidentally fired a missile on a village in the Voronezh region during its attacks on Ukraine.

The RIA Novosti state news agency quoted the ministry as saying an “abnormal discharge of aircraft ammunition” damaged six houses but caused no casualties in Petropavlovka.

Footage shared by the prominent Telegram channel Baza showed charred debris strewn across streets.

Alexander Gusev, the region’s governor, said an “emergency release of ammunition” damaged seven houses and forced the residents of several streets to be taken to emergency accommodation.

RIA Novosti said an investigation was underway.

08:49 AM GMT

Quarter of a million without power in Kyiv

Approximately 250,000 people have been left without power in Kyiv and the surrounding region after the Russian strikes, the Ukrenergo energy company said.

08:38 AM GMT

Death toll rises to four

The death toll has risen to two after Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.

One elderly woman has now died in Kyiv and 27 others were injured, mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.

Regional authorities reported two others as having died in the Kyiv region.

In Kharkiv, a 91-year-old woman died and 44 others were wounded, said governor Oleh Sinehubov.

08:28 AM GMT

Errant missile 'strikes Russian village'

An errant Russian missile has struck a village 93 miles from the Ukrainian border, a major Telegram channel has claimed.

Baza posted footage which it said was from Petropavlovka in Voronezh, where a missile is reported to have struck at 8.38am local time (5.38am GMT).

Russian forces were launching missiles on Ukraine at that time. There has been no official comment from local or national authorities and it is not known if there were any casualties.

08:07 AM GMT

In pictures: Attack damage

08:00 AM GMT

Ukrainian MP's home struck in attack

A Ukrainian MP suffered minor injuries and her home was damaged when it was struck in Russia’s missile and drone attacks.

Kira Rudik, leader of the liberal Holos opposition party, said her home was “partially in rubble” as she shared photos of the damage on X.

“I have no windows on one side anymore,” she said. “I have minor injuries but I am alive. The fires are everywhere. Russia you will pay.”

07:52 AM GMT

Zelensky: Russia winning only a ‘feeling’

Volodymyr Zelensky has said the idea that Russia is winning the war in Ukraine is only a “feeling” and that Moscow was suffering heavy battlefield losses.

In an interview with The Economist, the Ukrainian president said his country’s priorities in 2024 included hitting Russia in Crimea and protecting key cities on the eastern front.

He also warned Russia would attack other countries if it won the war.

“Putin feels weakness like an animal, because he is an animal,” Mr Zelensky said. “He senses blood, he senses his strength.”

07:43 AM GMT

Watch: Fire engulfs Tesla dealer in Kyiv

A fire has engulfed a Tesla dealer in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district after Russia’s missile and drone attacks.

07:42 AM GMT

Russia's 'evil' will be answered for, vows Zelensky advisor

Andriy Yermark, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed that Russia’s “evil” attacks overnight “will have to be answered for”.

“The Russians again hit civilians and residential buildings,” he wrote on Telegram. “Every evil will have to be answered for.”

07:41 AM GMT

Injured toll rises to 41 in Kharkiv

The number of people wounded in Russian attacks on the north-eastern city of Kharkiv has risen to 41, governor Oleh Synehubov said.

One woman was killed in circumstances that have not been disclosed.

In Kyiv, at least 20 people have been injured after the strikes sparked a fire at an apartment block. There are no reports of deaths at present.

07:34 AM GMT

Poland scrambles fighter jets amid Russian air strikes on Ukraine

Poland has scrambled four F-16 fighter jets to defend its airspace amid the ongoing Russian drone and missile attacks.

07:29 AM GMT

Putin ‘ringing in new year with missiles’

Vladimir Putin is “ringing in 2024” with relentless missile attacks, the US ambassador to Ukraine has said.

“Putin is ringing in 2024 by launching missiles at Kyiv and around the country as millions of Ukrainians again take shelter in freezing temps [temperatures],” Bridget A. Brink said on X.

“Loud explosions in Kyiv this morning. It’s urgent and critical that we support Ukraine now – to stop Putin here.”

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