Confirmation of strike on occupied Makiyivka, forecast of prolonged drone attack on Ukraine: highlights of the day

Strike on occupied Makiyivka

The Russian Ministry of Defense has acknowledged that the Ukrainian military used the HIMARS rocket system to strike at the Russian military in occupied Makiyivka, Donetsk Oblast, on December 31. However, the Russian Federation claims 63 dead soldiers, while the Center for Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported 400 dead and about 300 wounded.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces also confirmed the attack and said that up to 10 units of enemy military equipment of various types were destroyed and damaged. At the same time, information about the number of dead is still being clarified.

Forecast of prolonged drone attack

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is planning a prolonged attack with Shahed kamikaze drones, which aims to deplete Ukraine's air defense and energy sector.

Zelenskyy noted that in the first two days of 2023 alone, the Defense Forces have already shot down more than 80 Iranian-made drones over Ukraine, and "in the near future this number may increase" because "these weeks the nights can be quite restless."

Situation with electricity supply

In the morning, Ukrenergo reported that the situation in the power system is fully controlled. Warm weather helps to reduce consumption both on holidays and on weekdays. Accordingly, the need for restrictions in the daytime has decreased.

However, due to the overnight attack, the situation with power supply in Kyiv and the central region has become more complicated, so emergency shutdowns are applied. Restoration works continue.

At the same time, excessive load on the power grids is being recorded in Kyiv Oblast. Power engineers continue to work in an enhanced mode in order not to return to emergency power outages.

Explosions in Crimea and Russia

An explosion occurred in Russia's Voronezh Oblast at night. Local authorities said that a drone launched from the territory of Ukraine was shot down on the approach to the city. Authorities say that there were no victims or destruction on the ground, and the situation is allegedly under control.

In the evening, explosions occurred in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol and Simferopol. The occupation authorities claim that Russian air defense allegedly shot down two drones in the sky.

Attack on priest in Vinnytsia

In Vinnytsia, a man cut the throat of a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) with a razor. The priest is currently in intensive care.

The police say that the attacker was out of control and threatened law enforcement officers with physical violence. To stop the man, the policeman shot him in the leg.

In other news

• The 24th Ukraine-EU Summit will be held on February 3 in Kyiv.
• One of the victims of the Russian attack on the capital on December 31 died in hospital. The 46-year-old man was in intensive care in serious condition.
• Over the past day, Russians shelled Kherson Oblast more than 70 times, and in the morning of January 2, the occupiers attacked the center of Beryslav, shelling the city market.
• Ukrainian intelligence stated that it knows about all places of storage and movement of Russian nuclear weapons.
• Law enforcement officers have charged the man who tried to steal the graffiti "Woman in a gas mask" by street artist Banksy in Hostomel. He faces up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property.
• The Armed Forces of Ukraine and other components of the Defense Forces liberated 40% of the territories occupied after February 24 and 28% of all territories seized by Russia.