Missile attacks reported across Ukraine on New Year's Eve

By Ceyhun Alizade and Davit Kachkachishvili

ANKARA/KYIV (AA) - A number of missile attacks have been reported in various regions of Ukraine on New Year's Eve, according to officials on Saturday.

Air raid alerts were activated across all regions of Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv. Authorities warned people not to ignore the alerts and move to shelters.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that explosions were recorded in three districts of the Ukrainian capital.

"One of the explosions rang out between residential buildings in the Solomianskyi district of the capital. All services are going to the scene. Details will be given later," he added.

The mayor said blasts were also reported in the Pecherskyi and Holosiivskyi districts of the city, adding “There is destruction. Rescuers and medics are going to the scene.”

In a later statement on Telegram, Klitschko said that one civilian was killed and 20 others were injured in the attacks.

Kyiv Governor Oleksii Kuleba announced the threat of rocket fire in the region, adding that the air defense is working in the region.

“The danger continues. Stay in shelters. Don’t record or publish anything on social media,” he said.

Serhii Hamalii, head of the Khmelnytskyi regional military administration, said that four people were also injured as a result of an attack in the region.

- More attacks

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the President’s Office of Ukraine, said that Russian forces attacked the city of Khmelnytskyi using drones, wounding two people.

He also underlined that a hotel facility was damaged in Kyiv.

Explosions were also heard in the eastern Slavyansk and Kramatorsk cities.

A police station was reportedly hit by a missile in Liman, Donetsk region of Ukraine. One of the policemen was injured, while the building and five service cars were damaged.

Vitaliy Kim, head of the regional military administration in the embattled southern city of Mykolaiv, also reported rocket attacks in the region. He later said that at least two people were injured from the shelling with one of them in serious condition.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, head of the Sumy regional military administration, also said that missiles came toward the region.

Due to the threat of a missile strike in the Odesa region, temporary measures were introduced to limit electricity. According to Governor Maksym Marchenko, this step was necessary to reduce the load on the power system.

Marchenko said that unscheduled power outages are also possible in the region.

In addition to the Odesa region, emergency blackouts were introduced in Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd, and Sumy regions.

"We will liberate our land. We will win this war – I am sure of it. We will restore freedom and security to all Ukrainians, no matter where they live," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

*Dilara Hamit from Ankara contributed to the story