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Russian drones have destroyed apartment buildings and the power grid in the south of the country. Ukraine city of Odessa in an overnight attack that injured six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said Wednesday.
The attack comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin expresses confidence in his country’s eventual victory in the nearly four-year-old war against its neighbor.
Four apartment buildings were damaged during the shelling of Odessa, according to the head of the regional military administration Oleh Kiper. Electricity provider DTEK said two of its energy facilities suffered significant damage. The company said 10 substations that distribute electricity in the Odessa region were damaged in December alone.
This year, Russia has stepped up its long-range attacks on urban areas in Ukraine. In recent months, as Russia’s invasion of its neighbor approaches its fourth anniversary in February, it has also intensified its targeting of energy infrastructure, seeking to deprive Ukrainians of heat and running water during the harsh winter months.
Between January and November, more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and more than 11,000 injured, the United Nations said earlier this month. This is 26 percent more than during the same period in 2024 and 70 percent more than in 2023, according to the press release.
The sustained Russian drone and missile attacks came amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.
US President Donald Trump received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and announced that a settlement was “closer than ever.” The Ukrainian leader is due to meet with European government leaders next week to support his efforts to secure acceptable terms.
Putin convinced of victory
Despite progress in peace negotiations, which he did not mention, Putin reaffirmed his confidence in Russia’s eventual success in its invasion of Ukraine as he delivered his traditional New Year’s address to the nation on Wednesday.
He particularly praised Russian troops deployed in Ukraine, describing them as heroes “fighting for their native land, truth and justice.”
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“We believe in you and in our victory,” Putin was quoted as saying by the official Russian news agency Tass.
Putin delivered his 3 1/2-minute recorded speech in a snow-covered Kremlin, a tradition broken only in 2022 — the year the invasion began — when the Russian leader delivered his speech surrounded by men and women in military fatigues.
Russia says Putin’s residence was attacked
Meanwhile, ongoing long-range attacks are fueling tensions.
Odessa’s nighttime strikes “are further evidence of the enemy’s terrorist tactics, which deliberately target civilian infrastructure,” said Kiper, the regional chief.
Moscow claimed Ukraine attempted to attack Putin’s residence in northwest Russia with 91 long-range drones on Sunday evening and Monday morning. Ukrainian officials deny the claim and say it is a ruse aimed at derailing progress in peace negotiations.
Major General Alexander Romanenkov of the Russian Air Force said Wednesday that the drones took off from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
In a briefing where no questions were allowed, he presented a map showing the drones’ flight routes before they were shot down by Russian air defenses over the Bryansk, Tver, Smolensk and Novgorod regions.
It was not possible to independently verify this information.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Wednesday called the Russian allegations a “deliberate distraction” from peace talks.
“No one should accept the baseless claims of the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilians since the start of the war,” Kallas posted on X.
Ukrainian arms fund receives billions
Zelensky said Wednesday that Romania and Croatia were the latest countries to join a fund that buys weapons from Ukraine from the United States. The financial agreement, known as Ukraine’s Priority Needs List, or PURL, pools contributions from NATO members except the United States to purchase American weapons, ammunition and equipment.
Since its creation in August, 24 countries now contribute to the fund, according to Zelenskyy. The fund has so far received $4.3 billion, including nearly $1.5 billion in December alone, he said on social media.
Ukraine’s air force said Wednesday that Russia fired 127 drones into the country overnight, with 101 intercepted by air defenses.
At the same time, the Russian Defense Ministry said 86 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over Russian regions, the Black Sea and the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.
The Ukrainian attack sparked a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, but the fire was quickly extinguished, local authorities said.
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