| 29 December 2023 Russian strikes on Ukraine | |
|---|---|
| Part of theRusso-Ukrainian war (2022-present) | |
.jpg) Aftermath of a missile strike on a shopping mall inDnipro | |
| Location | Regions across Ukraine |
| Date | 29 December 2023 Early morning |
Attack type | Airstrikes |
| Deaths | 58 |
| Injured | >160[1] |
| Perpetrators |  Russian Armed Forces |
In the early morning hours of 29 December 2023,Russia launched what was seen to be the largest wave of missiles and drones yet seen in theRusso-Ukrainian War, with hundreds of missiles and drones hitting the Ukrainian capitalKyiv and other cities across the country. At least 58 people were reported to have been killed in the attacks, while 160 others were injured.[2]
According to Ukrainian officials at least 122cruise andballistic missiles and 36 drones were launched, killing at least 58 people and injuring more than 160[1] in an overnight nationwide attack[3][4] that lasted up to 18 hours.[5] The Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have intercepted 87 missiles and 27 drones. NoKh-22s were intercepted.[6] Eighteen strategic bombers,[7] including nineTu-95MS aircraft fromOlenya airbase inMurmansk Oblast were also believed to have been used in carrying out the attacks, while some of the missiles were believed to have been launched fromKursk Oblast.[8] During the attackKh-101s were seen deploying decoy flares.[9]
The attack targeted cities across Ukraine, includingDnipro,Kharkiv,Konotop,Kyiv,Lviv,Odesa, andZaporizhzhia, in what was possibly the largest aerial attack of the Russian invasion thus far.[10][11] Ukrainian Air Force spokespersonYurii Ihnat said that[11] "we have never seen so many targets on our monitors at once." Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks destroyed or damaged over 100 private houses, along with 45 multi-story buildings, schools, two churches, hospitals, maternity wards, and numerous commercial and warehouse establishments.[3]
The Economist reported that a source in Ukraine's defence industry indicated Russia had mainly targeted defence facilities, including those for missile and drone production, saying "The attacks had strategic meaning for the enemy, with the aim of reducing our capacity to strike ... It's a battle to see who can destroy more of the enemy's long-range weapons."[12]
A spokesperson of theRussian Ministry of Defence said that "all the designated military targets have been hit".[13] At theUnited Nations Security Council, Russian ambassadorVasily Nebenzya attributed Ukrainian casualties to Ukrainian air defenses.[7]
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At least 33 people were reported to have died in Kyiv[14] while at least 35 others were injured.[15] At least ten people were trapped under a warehouse in thePodilskyi District.[16] Several apartment buildings, warehouses, an office building and a house were also struck.[3] The building of theLukianivska station of theKyiv Metro, which also serves as an air-raid shelter, was also damaged in an airstrike, but remained operational during the attack.[17] The station lies across the street from a factory belonging to the Artem company, which produces missile components. There was no information on the factory's condition. InBoyarka, debris from an intercepted drone set fire to a house.[5] At least 30 projectiles were shot down over the capital region.[18]
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In Dnipro, a shopping center and a maternity hospital were attacked. Seven people, including a child and a police officer, died in the city[19][20] while 30 others were injured.[3] A house, eight administrative buildings and 24 high-rise buildings were also destroyed or damaged.[18]
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In Odesa, falling drone debris caused a fire at a residential building, killing two people and injuring 15, including two children.[5] A total of five people died in the city.[21] while 27 others were injured. 21 residential buildings were also damaged.[3]
In Lviv, one person was killed and 30 others were injured, while three schools and a kindergarten were damaged by drones.[5] Thirteen residential buildings were also damaged.[22] The fatality was later identified as basketball playerViktor Kobzystyi [uk], who played for the national team in the 2001 and 2005European Basketball Championships and coached several basketball teams includingWBC Dynamo Kyiv.[23]
In Kharkiv, three people were killed[2] and 13 others were injured[24] in three waves of missile attacks[5] that damaged a warehouse, an industrial facility, a medical facility and a transport depot.[7]
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Nine people were killed in Zaporizhzhia[2] while 13 others were injured.[24] Several industrial facilities were targeted, while a house was destroyed and several multi-story buildings were damaged.[25]
InCherkasy Oblast, nine people, including a child were injured after a missile struck a residential area inSmila, damaging 51 houses.[26] InSumy Oblast, three people were injured while an apartment building and a vehicle service station were damaged[27] after a missile struck Konotop.[24]
According to GeneralWiesław Kukuła, Chief of General Staff of thePolish Army and thePolish Army's Operational Command, one of the missiles entered Polish airspace from Ukraine nearZamość for approximately three minutes before it "turned back" for Ukrainian airspace, adding that it had travelled about 40 kilometers over the country.[28][3] The governor ofLublin Voivodeship said that the projectile appeared on radars nearHrubieszów, which hosts aborder crossing with Ukraine.[29] Ordash later said that Russia would not provide an explanation over the incident until it received "concrete evidence" that the missile was theirs.[30]
About 200 police officers were deployed to the area where the missile flew over to retrieve possible debris.[28] while four Polish and AmericanF-16 fighter jets, as well as anair tanker were scrambled from Polish airbases due to activities of long-range Russian aircraft. The Polish foreign ministry also summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires Andrei Ordash over the incident.[31]
In his address that evening, Zelenskyy praised the country's air defenses for their efforts to stop the attacks and pledged to strengthen them.[3]
Days of mourning were declared in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Odesa for 30 December, while the mayor of Kyiv,Vitaly Klitschko, said that a day of mourning would be held in the city on 1 January 2024.[2]
In response to the entry of the Russian missile, Polish prime ministerDonald Tusk met with presidentAndrzej Duda and the country's defense and military leadership. Duda later said that there was “no threat at the moment” and nothing to suggest that ”anything bad” could happen in relation to the incident. US National Security AdvisorJake Sullivan spoke with the head of the PolishNational Security BureauJacek Siewiera, to express Washington's “solidarity with Poland”.[29]
An estimate byEkonomichna Pravda put the cost of the Russian attack at $1.273 billion.[32]
On 22 January 2025, theSecurity Service of Ukraine arrested a lawyer from Dnipro on suspicion of aiding airstrikes on the city.[33]
Ukrainian foreign ministerDmytro Kuleba said that the attacks were a wake-up call for those debating on continuing support for the country.[5]
At an emergency meeting of theUnited Nations Security Council, assistant secretary-general Mohammad Khiari called the attacks "appalling". UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres also said he condemned Russia's attacks “in the strongest terms” and called on them to end.[5]
U.S. presidentJoe Biden said that the attacks highlighted the need to stop Russian presidentVladimir Putin and urged theUnited States Congress to pass a proposed military aid package to Ukraine that had been stalled in the legislature. UK prime ministerRishi Sunak said that the attacks underscored Putin's aims to "eradicate freedom and democracy", and urged continued support for Ukraine "for as long as it takes".[5] The UK government said it was sending 200 air defence missiles to protect civilians and infrastructure.[34]
| Region | City | Weapon | Intercepted/Total | Strikes, Killed/Wounded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odesa Oblast | Odesa |  Shahed 136 | 27/36[35] | Confirmed to have hit a high-rise building[36] |
| Lviv Oblast | Lviv | Confirmed to have hit two critical infrastructure facilities[37] | ||
| Ukraine | 27 out of 36 drones shot down by air defense | |||
| Zaporizhzhia Oblast | Zaporizhzhia |  5В55/48Н6/9M723 | ?/14 | Strikes on industrial and residential buildings. Casualties: 7/13[38][39] |
| Kharkiv Oblast | Kharkiv | Strikes on industrial and residential buildings, medical facilities. Casualties: 3/13[40][41] | ||
| Lviv Oblast | Lviv |  Kh-101/X-101/Kh-47M2 Kinzhal | 87/108 | Strikes in front of educational institutions and residential buildings. Casualties: 1/15[42][43] |
| Kyiv | Rockets and rocket fragments confirmed to have fallen among residential buildings. Casualties: 32/30[44] | |||
| Sumy Oblast | Konotop | Damaged premises of a service station and residential buildings. Casualties: 0/3[45] | ||
| Odesa Oblast | Odesa | Confirmed to have hit a residential multi-story building and other buildings. Casualties: 2/25[46] | ||
| Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | Dnipro | Strikes on a shopping center and maternity hospital. Casualties: 4/10+[47] | ||
| Kharkiv Oblast | Kharkiv |  Kh-22 | Strike on a civilian building, simultaneously with shelling from S-300/S-400 missiles. Casualties: 3/13[41] | |
| Ukraine | Kh-59,Kh-31 | 87 X-101/X-555/X-55 missiles intercepted byUkrainian air defense[48] | ||
| Ukraine overall (excludingS-300 systems)[48] | 114/158 | Casualties: 38/160[1] | ||
| Claimed total interception rate: | 81 %[48] | |||
