The new wave of Russian missiles which fell on the Ukrainian populations and infrastructure on Friday, December 29, provoked a UN Security Council meeting. At the same time, Great Britain is sending new military resources to Ukraine and the American government is urging Congress to release new support budgets. Moscow is currently refusing to justify the accusations of “violation” of the airspace of Poland – and therefore of NATO – which accuses it of having had a Russian cruise missile fly over its territory.
Information to remember
⇒ The UN Security Council condemned new “appalling attacks” which left at least 30 dead and 160 injured
⇒ Russia refuses to admit that one of its missiles penetrated Polish airspace
⇒ Britain sends around 200 additional defense missiles to Ukraine
UN condemns latest Russian strikes in Ukraine
The massive Russian strikes which killed at least 30 people and injured more than 160 in Ukraine on Friday, December 29, are “terrible attacks”, according to UN Deputy Secretary General Mohamed Khiari. But they are “only the latest in a series of increasingly frequent attacks by the Russian Federation”, he recalled during the emergency meeting of the Security Council which was taking place At New York.
This vast series of strikes on several cities, including the capital kyiv, hit schools, a maternity ward, as well as industrial, military and civilian installations, according to Ukrainian authorities. The head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kouleba, indicated on X (formerly Twitter) that his country had requested with more than thirty UN member countries this emergency meeting at the Ecuadorian presidency of the Security Council .
The strikes have sparked numerous international condemnations, including those from the United States, which deplore a “tragic loss of lives” and urge Congress to “act without further delay” to release a significant aid package to Ukraine. “Russia launched 158 drones and missiles against Ukraine, including 36 Shahad drones and 122 missiles… Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goal remains unchanged: he seeks to annihilate Ukraine and subjugate its people,” added the American representative to the UN.
Britain sends 200 defense missiles
Britain will send around 200 air defense missiles to Ukraine after the Russian strikes, the British defense minister announced on Friday. Grant Shapps posted on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on social media: “These widespread attacks on Ukrainian cities show that Putin will stop at nothing to achieve his goal of eradicating freedom and democracy.”
Poland denounces a “violation” of its airspace, Russia wants proof
Moscow will not give an explanation for the presence of a missile in Polish airspace until it provides “concrete evidence” that it was a Russian missile, Andrei Ordash said , Russian charge d’affaires in Poland. This Friday, December 29, Poland, a member of NATO, denounced a “violation” of its airspace “by a cruise missile” which would have penetrated its sky before leaving it, calling on Russia to “immediately stop such operation”. The same evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the charge d’affaires of the Russian Federation to Poland.
The latter compared this accusation to the incident in November 2022, when a missile killed two people in a Polish border village. “At the time, they also tried to blame the Russian side for this incident. It later turned out that the missile was fired by the Ukrainian army,” Ordash claimed. But this time, “we have radar confirmations, both at the national level and at the allied level,” said the Polish Chief of Staff. Following a large wave of strikes against Ukraine, Poland’s air defense system was put on alert overnight from Thursday to Friday, he said.
Russia: Ukrainian strike leaves one dead
A Ukrainian strike on a residential building killed one person in Belgorod and injured four others, according to Russian authorities. The governor of the region bordering the Ukrainian border also denounces the damage to the water supply system. In total, 32 drones were intercepted, notably in the Moscow region, but also Bryansk, Kursk and Orel, north of the Ukrainian border.
358,270 fewer Russian soldiers
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry says Russia has lost 358,270 military personnel (killed or injured) since the launch of its invasion, according to the British daily The Guardian.
During this attack, in which Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched about 110 missiles, Russia — according to Ukrainian figures not independently verified — also lost 88 cruise missiles, 29 vehicles and fuel tanks, 20 vehicles armored combat vehicles and 15 drones.