Kyiv said on Monday that it faced a “record” attack of 90 drones and missiles fired by Russia throughout Ukrainian territory on New Year’s Eve, which left at least one dead. 87 of the 90 drones launched by Russian forces were destroyed in mid-flight.
Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones over Ukraine in the first hours of the new year, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Monday, while Russia also reported Ukrainian attacks.
A 15-year-old boy was killed and seven people were injured after debris from one of 87 downed drones hit a residential building in the city of Odessa, the head of the region’s military administration said , Oleh Kiper. The debris also caused several small fires, notably in the city’s port.
In the western city of Lviv, Russian attacks severely damaged a museum dedicated to Roman Shukhevych, a controversial Ukrainian nationalist and military commander who fought for Ukraine’s independence during World War II. University buildings in the town of Dubliany were also damaged, but no casualties were reported.
On social media, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi called the strike “symbolic and cynical,” adding that “this is a war for our history.”
At the same time, four people were killed and 13 others injured following Ukrainian shelling on Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk, according to the Russian-installed head of the region, Denis Pushilin. Russian state media said a journalist was among the victims, but did not provide further details.
One person was also killed and another injured in a shelling on the Russian border town of Shebekino, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
The airstrikes follow a series of heavy aerial bombardments that began Friday, when Russia launched an 18-hour attack, which an air force official described as the largest air barrage.
At least 49 people were killed in the bombing, and Ukrainian rescuers reported Monday that they had recovered at least eight more bodies from beneath the rubble.