War

One thousand forty-second day. Russia dealt a massive blow to Ukraine. Naval drone of the Ukrainian Armed Forces hit a Russian helicopter with a missile

Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. Our chronicle is published once a day, and in it we dwell in detail on several key stories that are affecting the course of the war right now. We also publish your letters in these materials, because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. Please share with us your opinion on whether the war will end in 2025 - and how it might end. Find the feedback form at the end of this article. You can read the previous day's review here .

Ukraine

The Russian armed forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine on the night of December 31. According to the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, since the evening of December 30, the Russian army has fired 21 missiles of various types and 40 Shahed-type drones and simulator drones. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian forces used:

• six ballistic missiles fired from the Iskander-M complex;
• one Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile fired from a MiG-31K fighter;
• six X-69 guided missiles launched from tactical aircraft;
• eight Kh-22 cruise missiles launched from Tu-22M3 aircraft.

The Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claims that air defense forces shot down one Kinzhal missile and five Kh-69 guided missiles. In addition, 16 Shahed-type attack drones were shot down, and 24 simulator drones fell without consequences.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that as a result of the Russian attack, there were ballistic missile hits in the Sumy and Kyiv regions.

In the Sumy region, according to local authorities, Russian troops launched a missile attack on the infrastructure of the Shostka city community. In total, the Russian Armed Forces used 13 missiles to strike the city of Shostka, said the head of the regional military administration, Vladimir Artyukh. According to him, due to damage to three boiler houses, 43 houses were left without heating. As the head of the Shostka community Nikolai Noga clarified , 12 multi-storey residential buildings, two educational institutions, a clinic, dormitories, and other social facilities were damaged.

An explosion occurred in the Kiev region near the city of Vasylkiv, Ukrayinska Pravda reported . According to the military administration of the Kiev region, missiles and drones were shot down in the region - a private house was damaged due to falling debris, and a local resident was injured.

In Kyiv, air defense forces also repelled an attack by Russian troops. In the Darnitsky district of the city, three private buildings and two cars were damaged , but no one was injured.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Russian military launched a group strike in Ukraine “on the infrastructure of a military airfield and an enterprise of the military-industrial complex that produces powder charges for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” The ministry said that the target of the strike was achieved and all objects were hit.

Russia

Ukrainian drones, both air and sea, attacked Russian regions, as well as annexed Crimea, on the night of December 31. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian air defense systems destroyed 68 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, including 25 in the Bryansk region, 17 in the Crimea, 11 in the Krasnodar region, 10 in the Smolensk region, two in the Tver region and one - in the Rostov, Kursk and Kaluga regions. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the Black Sea Fleet forces also destroyed eight unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In the Smolensk region, air defense forces shot down several drones in the Yartsevo district, said Governor Vasily Anokhin. According to him, debris from one of the drones fell on the territory of the oil depot. “As a result, a fuel spill occurred and fuel and lubricants started to catch fire,” the head of the region said. According to him, there is no threat to residential buildings.

In North Ossetia, air defense forces shot down a drone over the Shalkhi training ground, said the head of the region, Sergei Menyailo. According to him, no one was hurt and there was no destruction. Due to the attack, Vladikavkaz airport was temporarily closed to receive and dispatch aircraft. Temporary restrictions on the arrival and departure of flights were also introduced at the airports of Grozny and Makhachkala. In addition, the authorities limited the operation of Kazan airport. A few hours after the attack, all restrictions were lifted, the Federal Air Transport Agency reported.

Russian monitoring publics reported that the explosions occurred in the areas of Tuapse and Novorossiysk on the Black Sea coast, as well as in the Yeisk area on the coast of the Azov Sea.

The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine claims that the Magura V5 naval drone, equipped with missile weapons, hit an aerial target for the first time in history. The Main Intelligence Directorate stated that a naval drone attacked a Russian Mi-8 helicopter during a battle in the Black Sea near Cape Tarkhankut in western Crimea.

Ukrainian intelligence claims that the drone attacked the helicopter with R-73 SeaDragon missiles. The intelligence added that another Russian helicopter “received fire damage during the battle and was able to reach the home airfield.” Intelligence published a video of the attack on the Mi-8 helicopter.

War through the eyes of Meduza readers

Mara, Europe (on the possibility of ending the war in 2025). Is a just world possible in the current situation? What is a “just” world? It seems to me that this is some kind of childish concept. Alas, the world of adults is unfair. I’m not a politician and I don’t know whether they will end the war, but it seems to me that military action and the death of people must be stopped under any conditions. Territories are such a small thing compared to the lives of sons, brothers, husbands! The war has divided families; people cannot see their relatives for years for various reasons. Someone, including me, cannot come to their home and beloved city for objective reasons. I miss him very much. On New Year's Eve I will make only one wish - PEACE!!!