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A view of damage after rockets fired by Russian forces hit the center of Ukrainian capital Kyiv today Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

One person killed in Kyiv following Russian strikes on several regions, Ukraine officials say

AFP journalists in Kyiv heard at least 10 explosions in the early afternoon.

LAST UPDATE | 31 Dec 2022

RUSSIAN STRIKES HAVE targeted Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, just hours before New Year’s Eve celebrations while President Vladimir Putin told Russians that “historical rightness” was on their side.

As Russian regions in the Far East rang in 2023, the Russian leader delivered his midnight address – usually set against the backdrop of the Kremlin – standing among servicemen and women who fought in Ukraine.

At around the same time, explosions shook the Ukrainian capital where AFP journalists heard around 10 loud blasts in the early afternoon.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on social media that at least one person died as a result of the attacks and 20 others were injured.

An explosion tore open one corner of the four-star Hotel Alfavito in Kyiv, spilling rubble into the street, an AFP reporter saw.

Nearby sidewalks were covered in glass from blown-out windows in the area, including from Kyiv’s National Palace of Arts.

Filmmaker Yaroslav Mutenko, 23, lives in a nearby apartment complex and said he was in the shower preparing to go to a New Year’s Eve party when he heard a boom.

He said there had been similar explosions in the area during a previous attack in October, but nothing as loud as Saturday’s explosion.

As he watched rescue workers cordon off the street in front of the hotel, he told AFP he still planned to go to the party at a friend’s house.

“Our enemies the Russians can destroy our calm but they cannot destroy our spirit,” he said.

“Why do I go celebrate with friends? Because this year I understand that it is important to have people near.”

The attacks come as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine enters its 11th month, with Russian strikes systematically targeting energy infrastructure, leaving millions in the cold and dark in the middle of winter.

According to mayor Klitschko, 30% of Kyiv’s residents were left without electricity due to emergency power cuts after the strikes today.

Strikes were also reported in the southern city of Mykolaiv where a local official said six people were injured.

Mykolaiv mayor Oleksandr Sienkievych had said earlier that a fire broke out in one of the city’s districts and several residential buildings sustained damage as a result of the strikes.

Putin ‘celebrates’ New Year

In the west, at least seven people were wounded in the Khmelnytskyi region, governor Sergiy Gamaliy said, adding that part of the city of Khmelnytskyi was left without power.

According to Ukraine’s army, Russia launched 20 cruise missiles today, with 12 shot down.

“War criminal Putin ‘celebrates’ New Year by killing people,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin delivered his New Year’s speech from the headquarters of Russia’s southern military district, where he was on a visit earlier on Saturday and presented awards to servicemen.

Among the recipients of the awards was Russia’s commander in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, Russian news agencies said.

Footage released by Russian state TV showed Putin raising a glass of champagne with soldiers dressed in military uniform, some with awards pinned to their chest.

In his traditional New Year’s Eve address, broadcast by channels just before midnight, Putin told Russians that “moral, historical rightness is on our side”.

Putin said that this year was marked by “truly pivotal, fateful events” which became “the frontier that lays the foundation for our common future, for our true independence”.

“Today we are fighting for this, protecting our people in our own historical territories, in the new constituent entities of the Russian Federation,” he added, referring to four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed to have annexed.

Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a message to his servicemen that Russia’s victory in Ukraine was “inevitable”.

The defence ministry also announced the capture of the village of Dorozhnyanka in the southern Zaporizhzhia region – a rare gain claimed as Russia suffered a string of defeats on the ground in Ukraine.

The ministry also said that 82 Russian servicemen were freed as part of a prisoner exchange with Ukraine.

© – AFP 2022 

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    Mute Colin Treacy
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:09 AM

    Well done on a fabulous month of prizes. Many more happy years to you all on the Journal.

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    Mute Declan Carr
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:09 AM

    They were all great prizes, well done .

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    Mute Dan Higgins
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:05 AM

    Liked and shared hun xoxo

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    Mute noodlez
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:39 AM

    WOW incredible prize it would be a fantastic way to start 2016

    31
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    Mute catkins407
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    Oct 31st 2015, 9:49 AM

    Well I won natin! I like to think that it’s because I’m one of life’s great winners generally and don’t need fabulous prizes. This is my story and I’m sticking with it ok?

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:40 AM

    was on royal Caribbean a couple of weeks ago fantastic stuff altogether.

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    Mute Kathleen Henderson
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:17 AM

    Take me on A Sunday Holidays Royal Carrabean Cruise….please

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    Mute Brianog2
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:53 AM

    Happy Halloween everybody.

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    Mute Shane Freeney
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:42 AM

    Oh yes please !

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    Mute The Viking
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:26 AM

    Now that would be nice.. !!!!!

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:20 AM

    for the grand finale I hope one of your regular commenters win ! x

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Oct 31st 2015, 9:06 AM

    ha ha , I was talking about all regular commenters !

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    Mute Jonathan McKee
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    Oct 31st 2015, 10:31 AM

    great prizes all month and what a way to finish :-)

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    Mute Kevin Halpin
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:04 PM

    Never once twigged after entering a lot of these competitions that I was sending it to the wrong email address. Where’s that Delorean

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    Mute Little Diddy No
    Favourite Little Diddy No
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:09 PM

    Pick your time carefully if you win – extreme heatwaves hotter than ever in human history on this planet predicted for this area! http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/26/extreme-heatwaves-could-push-gulf-climate-beyond-human-endurance-study-shows

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    Mute Jack Mitchell
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:36 PM

    Amazing price. Good luck too everyone

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    Mute Teresa O'Meara
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    Oct 31st 2015, 7:43 PM

    Entered everyday… I have a feeling I didn’t win anything cos they were waiting to give me this hum dinger of a prize at the end!!!! One can hope!!!!

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    Mute Little Diddy No
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:07 PM

    Reminds me of this hysterical video of a New Zealand cruise ship caught in a massive storm! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj9gq6um3FE

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    Mute Anto Curran
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:37 AM

    *awaits waddlers copy and paste about neo – liberal holiday destinations*

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    Mute Lily
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    Oct 31st 2015, 10:33 AM

    Considering I get really bad motion sickness this would be my worst nightmare, fitting for the day that’s in it.

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    Mute Sandra Turner
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    Oct 31st 2015, 11:14 AM

    Hope you win Hun x

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    Mute Lily
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    Oct 31st 2015, 7:24 PM

    Not in, can’t win. :)

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    Mute Liam Brophy
    Favourite Liam Brophy
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    Oct 31st 2015, 10:16 AM

    deadly

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