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LAST UPDATE | 16 Dec 2022
RUSSIAN FORCES HAVE launched at least 60 missile strikes across Ukraine with explosions reported in at least four cities.
At least two people were killed when a residential building was hit in central Ukraine while electricity and water services were interrupted in the two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv. Thousands rushed to subway stations to seek shelter deep underground.
The Kyiv city administration said Ukraine’s capital had withstood “one of the biggest rocket attacks” launched by Russian forces since they invaded Ukraine nearly 10 months ago.
The administration said Ukrainian air defence forces shot down 37 of “about 40” that entered the city’s air space. One person was injured.
Thudding blasts and gunfire from air-defence systems echoed across the country as authorities on social media reported explosions and missile strikes in Kyiv, the capital, southern Kryvyi Rih, south-eastern Zaporizhzhia and north-eastern Kharkiv.
Air raid alarms sounded across the country, warning of a new barrage of the Russian strikes that have occurred intermittently since mid-October.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Inhat told Ukrainian TV that more than 60 missiles had been fired but it was not immediately clear how many missiles the Ukrainian army managed to intercept. Officials reported success in downing some incoming projectiles.
Ihnat said Russian forces had fired cruise missiles from positions in the Black Sea and used bomber aircraft as part of an effort to “massively distract the attention of the anti-aircraft defence, keeping it in tension”.
At the site of one attempted strike in Kyiv, military commanders told The Associated Press that the city’s territorial defence mobile group had unexpectedly — almost unbelievably — shot down a cruise missile with a machine gun.
“Almost impossible to hit a missile with a machine gun, but it was done,” said a commander who goes by the call sign “Hera”.
Another commander, a military post chief named “Yevhen”, said the machine gunner who intercepted the missile “reacted quickly” and fired, and green sparks flew from the rocket as it began to spin and tumble to the ground.
A day earlier, Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that if the United States delivers sophisticated Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, such systems and any crews that accompany them would also be a legitimate target for the Russian military.
Analysts have said Russian strikes targeting energy infrastructure have been part of a new strategy to try to freeze Ukrainians into submission after recent battlefield losses by Russian forces.
Officials and experts say that has only strengthened the resolve of Ukrainians to face up to Russia’s invasion while Moscow tries to buy time for a possible offensive in coming months after the current battlefield stalemate.
In Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown, a Russian missile slammed into a residential building and destroyed its entrance. Two people were killed, and at least five others were injured — including two children — and rushed to hospitals, said regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko.
The south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia was struck by about 15 Russian missiles, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said. He did not specify the exact location of the strikes but said infrastructure had been damaged.
Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said on the Telegram social media app that the city is without electricity. Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported three strikes on the city’s critical infrastructure.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions in at least four districts, urging residents to go to shelters.
“The attack on the capital continues,” he wrote on Telegram. Subway services in the capital were suspended, he said, as city residents flocked inside its tunnels to seek shelter.
Ukrzaliznytsia, the national railway operator, said power was out in a number of stations in the eastern and central Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, due to damage to the energy infrastructure. But trains continued to run by switching from electric power to steam-engine power, which had been readied as a back-up.
In neighbouring Moldova, the state-owned energy company Moldelectrica reported disruptions to its electricity network as a result of Russia’s strikes on Ukraine, and warned of a “high risk” of power outages.
Moldova — whose Soviet-era systems remain interconnected with Ukraine’s — has already suffered two massive blackouts in recent months as Russia attacked Ukraine’s energy grid.
The previous such round of massive Russian air strikes across the country took place on 5 December. Ukrainian authorities have reported some successes in intercepting and downing incoming missiles, rockets and armed drones.
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This country badly needs a pro-business, pro-development and tax cutting agenda to counter balance the infantalised state of a large cohort of the Irish population that rely on the sugardaddy taxpayer as a child relies on its parents. I fear Leo may not be as effective as needed but he is at least a step in the right direction.
@Fred Jensen:
That’s the heart of the problem – it’s a too far right-wing direction.
@Fred Jensen:
We don’t have any right wing parties in this country. The choices range from centre left to loony far left.
@Fred Jensen: says a looney and extreme right winger.
@Fred Jensen: why are you speaking to yourself??
@Fred Jensen: there’s 7% unemployment rate. It’s merely 3% higher than the lowest it has ever been. The “infantilised” sector of the population as you put it need support and I have no quibble helping them out. Infinitely better than the American policy of donating food stamps to large swathes of the population who are burning the candle at both ends to try and make ends meet. All this while a vast sector of the wealth is concentrated about perfidious families like the Roth child’s and Trump’s.
@Fred Jensen: yep the banking sector is run by money lefties who expect handouts and 10 years later are even more inefficient – losing mortgage application, sending out the wrong offer 4 times. Delays etc. – well they certainly act like they’re operating in 1960s Russia.
Yep the looney left is alive and well. Zero competition and billions of handouts..
@saoirse janneau: 7% is 75% more than 4%.
@Fred Jensen: What you just said the country needs is exactly what the country has been feeding to its detriment. We need to impose more taxes on the well off businesses and the rich and the corporations.
@Fred Jensen: The comments here are beneath contempt. The same old looney left jibe from sick people who love to deny rights to those who entitled to them. Rights are Justice. Rights are what the people of Ireland have enshrined in the constitution. That includes a home an income and health. The far right like Varadkar and his Ilk will pay dearly for targeting the ordinary people with vilification. The people will remove them. Its that simple.
@Fred Jensen: That is a false manipulated unemployment figure based on massaged figures doctored for political reasons. The real figure is about 15 per cent.
@Nointerest Here: and who will be put in? And how will they make things better? Tax the rich? Shake the magic money tree? Launder fuel?
Fred Jensen, you must be a descendant of Trevelyan.
@Bilbo Baggins: there has been a 75% reduction in unemployment levels since last year. Down from 8.4% to 6.4%. I overestimated the unemployment figures by .6%. This was not the purpose of my comment. I merely wanted to highlight that a very small percentage of our population need social welfare assistance. Would prefer by far to help them than the banking sectors that overstretched their mark on futures in Anglo etc etc etc
@Fred Jensen and it never rains in this country either, correct? Why, also can you tell me is it ‘Loony’ to be a socialist???? Sounds loony to me that you would just slur certain politicians with that name merely because you disagree with their social based agenda!?
@Fred Jensen: They thought that in US, and look what they got, only saying.
@Fred Jensen: Don’t kid yourself. They are all puppets with the same agenda, its all a show to keep you distracted.
@Fred Jensen: yes why don’t you blame the less well off in our Country – while paying over all your hard earned money to the EU, IMF and all the lovely banker that go off scot free and all those who the state owes money to after the collapse of the Country. You are they kind of person Leo will love for his welfare cheat programme, I’d say you would shop your own mother. You would expect the most vulnerable in our society such as the disable to crawl to a job, however we are so lucky that we have more decent human beings in this Country than the likes of you.
@fredjenson
Fred, what can I say? Last week you were promoting “apartheid” between the haves and have nots. You say we don’t have right wing politics? What kind of reality do you actually live in? Please answer my questions this time. Snob.
The Tory Taoiseach :(
@Tír Eoghain Gael: just like your own prime minister so.
Was Leo against gay marriage a few years ago like Enda? Why was he in the closet so long?
Mr Veradker needs to remember that the public didn’t vote for him to be Taoiseach.
@Eamonn Sheen: Under our Constitution, that would be impossible~¡~
@Eamonn Sheen: Under our Constitution, that would be impossible~¡~
@Eamonn Sheen:
when did we ever vote for a Taoiseach?
The Dáil always votes for a Taoiseach
@Tweety and Paul: the Irish public haven’t been given the opportunity to give their verdict on FG with Varadkar as leader.
2017. The year Ireland got it’s first openly classist Taoiseach.
Just remember leo, you’re the Taoiseach for ALL citizens, including the ones you use to score tawdry political points with.
@The Risen: he’ll be delighted with the advice, jam m8…
Leo hated Enda for the last 7 years to the day & was one of the main FG frontbenchers who lead the heave against Enda. The fake praise to Enda is so disingenuous & himself & Simon had no backbone to get rid of Enda since the 2016 election.
A dark day for Ireland
@Eamon: Please explain?
@Eamon: want to give some insight there?? Troll!!
FFS ! All the fuss, pretence and nonsensical carry on in the Dail yesterday and more of the same today ! Humiliating stuff. More important things happening in the world.
ENJOY THE honeymoon leo it wont last long
One great thing to come out of this is that people in the comments section might finally shut up about Enda for five seconds!
Fred Jensen
38mins ago
This country badly needs a pro-business, pro-development and tax cutting agenda to counter balance the infantalised state of a large cohort of the Irish population that rely on the sugardaddy taxpayer as a child relies on its parents. I fear Leo may not be as effective as needed but he is at least a step in the right direction.
Some people are just plain Dumb , 60 billion we gave banks, Apple owes us 14 billion, the only way we could get more pro business is to start offering them hand jobs…. and this guy would rather we leave our poor sink or swim. some people are just really dumb..
@Dáithí Ó Raghallaigh: The person you quoted is obviously mentally challenged being so brainwashed.
@Dáithí Ó Raghallaigh: Fred is a long time FG troll. Don’t feed the trolls.
I definitely don’t envy that man. He’s taking over a country with a lot of problems and in the eyes of many he can do no right. Doubt he will last long.
Is he? Jaysus I hadn’t heard about this at all..
Ok, what the fudge is wrong with these gombeens going after Leo for his welfare cheats campaign ? Like i said before, how can anyone justify someone FRAUDENTLY claiming something they are NOT entitled to ???
@Declan Moran: How can someone harp on about something that has nothing to do with the problems we face. Its like swatting a fly while the country burns. Cop on and grow up. Change the record. No one believe the lies.
It turns my stomach to see what is happening in the Dail. It is sickening to see the elite pat each other on the back while the people of Ireland live in misery and poverty. The Capitalist exploitation of neo liberalism is destroying our people. The speeches in the Dail are a victory for the well off and the elite. Its a day of mourning for the ordinary man and woman of Ireland suffering under the greed of these politicians.
A sad for Ireland!
@Dante Marquinhos: hand on your hips, give it a push
@Dante Marquinhos:
Bashir?
As Scrooge said “I see a crutch in the corner with no owner” that will be Leo crutch as this will all end in tears. Too many people left behind and starving. Leo speech has no vision, no plan and certainly nothing different from the last leader. New leader same policy.
So Boyd Barrett thinks it’s wrong to target welfare cheats. It’s damn right. How can anyone justify paying fraudster ? As for whomever voted for this Coppinger muppet needs their heads checked
@Declan Moran: The problem is making it seem like welfare fraud is a rampant problem. I don’t remember it exactly, but there was something like 10 incidents of it last year.
@Éamonn Flynn: ok Eamonn, i take your point. Still it’s 10 cases too many. Someone else is losing out as a result of another claiming fraudulently.
#leo reiterates that he will be Taoiseach of “a republic of opportunity, where everybody has a FAIR chance”. Surely therefore, SURELY he means he’ll repeal #FEMPI & stop robbing our children for banks’ social welfare?
Maybe he means to return to his 2011 “not another red cent” promise and seek a write down of the Odious Depth illegally foisted upon our generations by his predecessors?
“Opportunity” and “Fair” surely cannot mean doing anything else.
@Tim Nelligan: *Debt. Feckonomics and autocorrect, eh? Bad mix…
Don’t expect any great change since he announced that Frances Fitzgerald is doing a good job . More of the same . I suspect that like Enda he’s just in it for the foto opportunities
Fred Jensen:
any chance you could stop talking BS , 60 billion we gave banks, 14 billion apple owes us, our farmers are on 23.000 a year, if you believe that your dumber than I thought, your problem is we look after our poor? Tax cuts…. how about just collecting taxes fairly , ie apple.
@Dáithí Ó Raghallaigh: then Apple leave followed by the rest of the multi nationals and we are back to being raped by priests.
The coronation of the blue queen has provided Richard Posner with stiff competition
Danny Healy Rae for Taoiseach.
Forget about Leo coming in……. Has Mr Nama Noonan departed yet??
One of the main problems our senior politicians have had is experience of this country, only. Few have ever worked abroad or were educated there – however, some of our public companies, like Bank of Ireland, are now looking further afield. Appointing the first female CEO, with a considerable international background. Varadkar never left Dublin!
@Paul Foot: think he might have a bit of the subcontinent experience in him.
@Paul Foot: Only experience outside the Pale – a 6 month course in Washington. And now capable of running a European country¡¿
@Paul Foot: the main problem with our politicians is the fact that they are teachers farmers and doctors and not actually politicians. Useless shower the lot of them.
There’s nothing wrong with being a party that represents people who get up early in the morning. There, I said it.
@Mrs parrott: Very true. But is that a good description for Mr Varadkar? Only time will tell. And people who get up early in the morning to do what? That’s the question.
RIP Ireland.
We now live in a country where our very own Taoiseach is not allowed to donate blood.
A lot more changes needed.
They are still Waffling!
How soon can we get rid of him?
These elected representatives are the worst I’ve seen giving speeches. They struggle with almost every fact in front of them. I guess it’s written by one of their staff, but how hard is it to familiarise yourself with information prior to a presentation.
Elect inept people and you’ll have an inept government.
same sh!t,different EU puppet
@Fred Jensen: it has come to my attention that you were speaking to Fred Jensen.
Can you please explain??????
Public don’t vote for the Taoiseach… Party on power elect a leader… That leader is usually Taoiseach
Yeah
Honestly I don’t mind this guy normally..but what a load of back slapping.. self congratulatory baloney. Just confirms that these people live in a Dail bubble. Speaking to each other rather than the electorate
What? Welfare cheats go camping?
Don’t you just love the journals inability to spell.
T
More slime from blueshit pond
@Brendan Keegan: clever
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