Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:45 Ukraine’s main military goal in 2024 is “isolation of Crimea,” Zelensky said in an interview with The Economist. According to him, isolating Crimea and destroying Russia's military potential there is extremely important, "because this is a way to reduce the number of attacks from this region."
Zelensky also said that there is no alternative to increasing mobilization in Ukraine - “despite the fact that it is not popular in Ukraine.” “Mobilization is not only a matter of sending soldiers to the front. This concerns all of us. It is the mobilization of all efforts. This is the only way to protect our state and de-occupy our land,” the president explained.
In addition, he expressed confidence that the United States will still provide military assistance to Ukraine, but if this does not happen, there is a plan B: Kyiv will request licenses for the production of weapons of all types.
20:37 Norway has allowed the direct sale of weapons and defense products to Ukraine, the country's government reported. Norwegian companies will be allowed to export weapons to Ukrainian defense authorities after receiving special licenses. Norway now regularly provides military assistance to Ukraine from the government and through international cooperation mechanisms.
20:33 During the day, air defense destroyed nine out of ten Shahed-type attack UAVs with which Russia attacked from the northern direction, the Air Force command reported.
19:40 Canada will maintain assistance to Ukraine in 2024, both financial and military, Zelensky said following a telephone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Ukrainian president thanked Trudeau for his willingness to help strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian sky, in particular, for the supply of additional NASAMS systems and missiles for them. The parties also agreed that Ukraine and Canada will in the near future intensify bilateral dialogue to conclude an agreement on security guarantees.
Zelensky also said that the fourth meeting of World Formula advisers will take place in mid-January in Davos.
19:26 The death toll as a result of an enemy drone strike on a residential building in the Shostkinsky district of the Sumy region has increased to two, another person was injured, the National Police reported.
19:20 In the Kiev region, air defense forces destroyed enemy drones, debris fell in several settlements in two regions. Damage to four private houses and cars is known, but no people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Ruslan Kravchenko.
19:11 The Russian army attacked Kamyshany, Kherson region, one person was wounded, the OVA reported. Another person was injured as a result of the shelling of Tokarevka.
18:47 The UK and other European countries are working on a mechanism that will guarantee assistance to Ukraine in the war with Russia without the participation of the United States - if Donald Trump becomes the new president, The Times writes, citing a senior official in the British government.
According to the publication, British ministers are trying to increase production capacity across the continent to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine and contain Russia for at least another year, regardless of whether assistance from Washington continues. At the same time, British intelligence officials believe that Ukraine will not be able to win in 2024 because it has neither the manpower nor the weapons to break through on the battlefield.
17:50 In the Dniprovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region, air defense forces destroyed an X-59 guided aircraft missile, the Air Command reported.
17:36 The Russians attacked the Esman community of the Sumy region with drones. One drone hit a two-story apartment building. According to preliminary information, one person was killed, another is under the rubble, and the search and rescue operation continues, the prosecutor's office said.
17:29 Public accounts write that on New Year’s Eve the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked occupied Lysichansk. According to Russian telegram channels, Ukrainian forces launched a missile attack on the location of the Cossack volunteer detachment Kuban (BARS-16), which was based at the 94th school in Lisichansk.
15:14 The Russians fired at the village of Dvurechnaya, Kupyansky district, Kharkov region, one person was killed, the prosecutor’s office reported.
13:52 Putin said that Russia wants to end the war in Ukraine, but on its own terms. According to him, “Ukraine is not our enemy, but those who want to achieve strategic defeat are enemies.” Putin also called the shelling of Belgorod on December 30 a “terrorist attack” and said that the Russian Federation “can respond” to Ukraine, but Russia allegedly “hits military targets.”
13:25 The Russian army fired at a residential building in Veletensky, Belozersk community, Kherson region - one person was killed, one was wounded. Also, one person was injured as a result of shelling in the settlement of Novokairi, Milovsky community, the OVA reported. Over the past 24 hours, as a result of Russian shelling in the region, one child was killed, another 14 people were injured, including one child.
10:08 In Kiev, 28 people have already died as a result of the Russian missile attack on December 29, said the head of the KGVA Sergei Popko.
09:44 In Odessa, a 15-year-old teenager died during a night attack by drones, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OVA. Seven more people were injured, three of them were hospitalized. Air defense forces destroyed 28 drones over the region, but there were also hits. In Odessa and its suburbs, at least three high-rise apartment buildings, three private houses, and outbuildings were damaged as a result of falling debris. As a result of the hit, a fire broke out in one of the port terminals, which was promptly extinguished.
09:39 On the evening of December 31, the Russians struck Pokrovsk, Donetsk region. According to preliminary data, the Russian army fired seven S-300 missiles at the city, the prosecutor's office reported. As a result of the attack, two people were injured, including a nine-year-old child. 16 private houses, a gas pipeline, civilian vehicles and an ambulance were damaged.
09:30 In Dnieper, during a night attack, an enemy UAV hit one of the enterprises - a fire broke out, which rescuers promptly put out, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Lysak. In the Pyatikhatsky community of the Kamensky district, a drone caught on a power line, 1,500 families were left without electricity for some time. In addition, the Russians fired more than ten shells at Nikopol: a gymnasium, 13 private houses, gas pipelines and electrical networks were damaged. No people were hurt.
09:23 As a result of a strike on December 30, 2023, on military installations of the Russian Federation in Belgorod, senior lieutenant Mikhail Konopitsin, who was sent to the city in November to work as part of the military investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, was eliminated, Ukrainian military intelligence reported. Before this, Konopitsyn fought against Ukraine as the commander of an anti-tank missile platoon.
09:18 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of January 1:
- personnel - about 360,010 (+780) people,
- tanks - 5983 (+6),
- armored combat vehicles - 11,087 (+17),
- artillery systems - 8482 (+18),
- MLRS - 943 (+0),
- air defense systems - 625 (+2),
- aircraft - 329 (+0),
- helicopters - 324 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 6657 (+66),
- cruise missiles - 1709 (+0),
- ships/boats - 23 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 11,330 (+38),
- special equipment - 1277 (+9).
08:52 In the Nikolaev region this night, as a result of a Shahed UAV hit, a fire occurred at an infrastructure facility, which was promptly extinguished. No people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Vitaly Kim.
08:31 On New Year's Eve, air defense destroyed a record number of enemy Shahed attack UAVs - 87 out of 90 , the Air Force command reported. The drones attacked in waves from four directions: Cape Chauda, Balaklava, Kursk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. The enemy also attacked with four S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles in the Kharkov region, three Kh-31P anti-radar missiles and one Kh-59 from the occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Air defense operated in almost all regions.
07:49 Over the past 24 hours, 55 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled four enemy attacks in the areas of Stepnoy, Avdeevka and another 14 attacks near Pervomaisky, Nevelsky, Donetsk region.
In the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled 11 enemy attacks near Sinkovka and Petropavlovka, Kharkov region. In the Liman direction, the Russians carried out assault operations in the Makeevka area of the Lugansk region. In the Bakhmut direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled ten enemy attacks near Bogdanovka and Andreevka, Donetsk region; on Maryinsky - four attacks in the Novomikhailovka area of the Donetsk region; on Shakhtarsky - one attack near Urozhainy, Donetsk region; in Zaporozhye - five attacks near Rabotino and south of Novodarovka, Zaporozhye region. In the Kherson direction, the enemy carried out 13 unsuccessful assault operations on the positions of the Defense Forces, which continue to expand the bridgehead.
07:26 The search and rescue operation continues in Kiev after the Russian missile attack on December 29. The death toll rose to 27, 30 people were injured. A Day of Mourning has been officially declared in the capital today, said the head of the KGVA Sergei Popko.
06:58 At night, the Russians attacked the Lviv region with drones, said the head of the OVA, Maxim Kozitsky. In the Lviv microdistrict of Belogorshcha, as a result of falling debris, a fire started in the Roman Shukhevych Museum. According to preliminary information, no people were injured. Also, fragments of a drone fell in Dublyany, and the roof of the hostel caught fire.
Lvov Mayor Andrei Sadovyi said that the Shukhevych Museum was completely destroyed. He also noted that it was on the birthday of Stepan Bandera that the Russian army attacked two objects of national memory in Lviv: the university in Dublyany, where Bandera studied 100 years ago, as well as the Roman Shukhevych Museum in Belogorsch. “Symbolic and cynical. A war for our history,” added Sadovy.
03:59 The Russians attacked Odessa with attack drones, there were direct and fragmentation hits in residential buildings, fires started in different areas of the city, said Oleg Kiper, head of the OVA. One death and eight injuries are known, three of whom were hospitalized.
01:40 Donetsk public pages write about the attack on the Donbass Palace hotel in the city center. According to some reports, a “military correspondent” was killed and there were wounded journalists. The leader of the "DPR" Denis Pushilin announced four dead and 13 wounded.