Missiles on civilians and shelling of the UN mission instead of a "ceasefire": last night's highlights
Russian troops carried out new missile attacks on Ukrainian settlements and shelled the UN humanitarian mission despite the so—called “Christmas truce” declared by the Kremlin. Here is what you may have missed from the previous night.
Shells instead of “truce”
At night, the occupiers carried out missile strikes on Kharkiv Oblast: shells hitting was recorded in the town of Merefa. As a result, a 50-year-old man was wounded and later died in the hospital.
The outskirts of Zaporizhzhia were also under attack. There is no information about the victims and destruction yet. Probably, the details of this shelling will appear in the morning.
The occupiers also launched seven missiles at Kramatorsk and two more at Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Oblast. As a result, civilian infrastructure, in particular the building of an educational institution, was damaged. There were no casualties.
In addition, in Sumy Oblast, Russian troops dropped two explosives from a drone into the yard of a local resident, and also shelled one of the communities with mortars.
Even the UN mission was shelled
Despite the so-called Christmas ceasefire declared by the Russian side, on January 7, the United Nations mission, which was delivering humanitarian aid to Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, came under fire from the occupiers.
The head of the Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Starukh said that a UN delegation, including the head of the humanitarian mission in Ukraine Denise Brown, visited Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Christmas. It was agreed with the Russian side that there would be no shelling, but Russia broke the promise.
How the Armed Forces are preparing for a possible offensive in Kyiv Oblast
The commander of the grouping of the Kyiv Defense Forces said that several defense lines had been built around the capital, and rubble and minefields had been arranged on the border with Belarus. Currently, according to him, Ukraine has enough forces and means to defend Kyiv Oblast and the capital.
He stressed that Ukraine has created a group on the border with Belarus, which is “ready to meet the enemy with dignity” in case of aggression, in particular, Kyiv Oblast has also prepared for a possible offensive.
Other news
- There is no such thing as “deep rear” for the Russian occupiers in the Tavria sector of the front (southern Ukraine), the commander said.
- Belarus adopted a law that practically allows digital piracy. The document allows the use of digital materials in Belarus without the consent of foreign copyright holders.
- U.S. police have taken a six-year-old boy into custody after he shot at an elementary school teacher in Newport News, Virginia.
- In South Sudan, six journalists have been detained for circulating footage showing 71-year-old President Salva Kiir urinating at an official event. Government officials have repeatedly denied that the head of state is ill.
- Ukrainians who have gone abroad and reached retirement age can apply for a pension remotely through the web portal of electronic services of the Pension Fund. The Ministry of Reintegration has published instructions on how to do this.