A large fire broke out after Russia's attack on Kiev, Ukraine on January 2 (Photo: Reuters).
In a phone call on January 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that Russia had launched at least 500 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into Ukraine in the past five days.
Mr Zelensky briefed Mr Sunak on recent large-scale Russian attacks and expressed appreciation for Britain's "significant and comprehensive" efforts to strengthen Ukraine's air defences.
The two leaders also discussed defence cooperation, with particular emphasis on “air defence and long-range weapons capabilities” as well as progress on bilateral agreements on UK security commitments.
In an online speech on the evening of January 2, President Zelensky also confirmed that Russia had deployed nearly 300 missiles and more than 200 drones in attacks on Ukraine over the past three days. He said Russia's latest attacks were aimed at causing maximum destruction to Ukraine.
"The trajectory (of attack) was specially calculated by the enemy to cause as much damage as possible. No country has ever repelled similar attacks with combined drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles," Zelensky said.
Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian army Valery Zaluzhny said that Russia launched at least 99 missiles of various types at Ukraine on the night of January 1 and early morning of January 2. These included 10 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, 70 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, and 3 Kalibr cruise missiles.
Ukrainian military chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said gas pipelines had been damaged in Kiev’s Pecherskyi district, and electricity and water had been cut off in some districts. Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed that water and heating supplies in Kharkiv had been damaged by Russian raids.
"There is no reason to believe that the enemy will stop here. Therefore, we need more weapons systems and ammunition," Zaluzhnyi called.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it used long-range precision weapons and UAVs to attack Ukraine’s defense industrial infrastructure. In addition, the attack was also aimed at destroying missile and ammunition depots, including weapons provided by the West to Ukraine.
Ukraine confirmed that Russia attacked two of its largest cities in a fierce airstrike on January 2, killing at least five civilians.
According to Ukraine's Interior Ministry, 135 people were injured in the latest missile and drone attack, including 61 in and around Kharkiv and 17 in and around the capital Kiev.
A few days earlier, in an unprecedented airstrike on Ukraine on December 29, Russia used 158 missiles and UAVs to attack targets across Ukraine. The attack killed at least 31 people, injured more than 160, and destroyed a series of Ukrainian infrastructure.
Russia's attacks on Ukraine come after President Vladimir Putin warned Moscow would act in response to Kiev's repeated attacks on Russia's Belgorod border region.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Russian air defense forces in the Belgorod region shot down nine missiles launched from Ukraine on the evening of January 2, including Tochka-U tactical ballistic missiles.
Earlier, Ukrainian artillery attacked the town square of Belgorod city on December 30, injuring more than 100 civilians and killing 25 people, including children.
Over the past three days, Russia has accused Ukraine of launching several more attacks on the city of Belgorod and its surrounding area, using long-range missiles and drones. According to the regional governor, debris and ammunition killed one civilian and wounded two others.
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