Putin “celebrates” the New Yr by killing folks in missile strikes

As Ukraine heads into 2023, nonetheless combating for its freedom, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin Ukraine’s Overseas Minister Dmitry Kuleba mentioned it had launched a brand new spherical of “huge missile assaults” on Saturday, focusing on residential areas as a substitute of infrastructure.

“This time, Russia’s huge missile assault is intentionally focusing on residential areas, even our power infrastructure. Battle legal Putin ‘celebrates’ New Yr by killing folks,” Kuleba wrote on Saturday morning. “Russia must be kicked out of its UN Safety Council seat, which it has at all times occupied illegally.”

One of many residents of Kyiv advised Newsweek that he feared for his life when he heard the air sirens going up within the metropolis.

“It was very loud and scary,” Darina Antonyuk mentioned. “The explosions began earlier than I reached the bomb shelter, I began working, then it turned out that the rockets hit very near my home.”

The Ministry of Protection of Russia introduced on Thursday it can “by no means” run out of rockets After launching a number of assaults on Jap Europe.

The Moscow Instances reported that the ministry’s bulletins had been in response to Western intelligence claims that Putin was combating his struggle in opposition to Ukraine.

Putin’s troops have struggled to realize vital victories in Ukraine all year long. Within the fall, Ukraine launched its personal counteroffensive, recapturing 1000’s of sq. kilometers of beforehand occupied territory. Consultants see the struggle as an publicity of the navy weaknesses of a Russian chief reminiscent of himself an apparent wrestle to take care of well-trained, motivated troops.

In the meantime, Ukrainian cities together with Kiev, Lviv and Odesa had been hit arduous by Russian missiles on Thursday as Putin’s navy struck infrastructure affecting the cities’ power grids. Russia has repeatedly focused Ukraine’s energy grid, inflicting widespread blackouts as winter approaches.

Protection Priorities Grand Technique Program Director Rajan Menon mentioned Newsweek “As with assaults on Ukraine’s infrastructure, Russian strikes on its residential areas, which Moscow will little question declare are literally navy targets, are designed to erode public morale and additional pressure Ukraine’s financial system earlier than a protracted winter begins.”

Menon continued. “The assaults will definitely enhance Ukraine’s financial difficulties, however they are going to strengthen Ukrainians’ morale and dedication to win. This was evident to me throughout my final go to to wartime Ukraine this month.”

Ukrainian authorities official Sergey Kislitsa additionally tweeted concerning the missile strikes on Saturday, saying: “On the final day of 2022, Moscow carried out one other missile assault on Ukraine, a civilian was killed and a Japanese journalist was injured. There isn’t a purgatory for struggle criminals. they are going straight to hell,” I mentioned on the day the invasion started, I recall now.”