Russia has flattened Ukrainian cities and killed thousands of civilians since Putin ordered his invasion in February, claiming Ukraine was an artificial state whose pro-Western outlook threatened Russia's security. Moscow has since claimed to have annexed around a fifth of Ukraine.
Ukraine has fought back with Western military support, driving Russian forces from more than half the territory they seized. In recent weeks, the front lines have been largely static, with thousands of soldiers dying in intense trench warfare.
Since October, Russia has launched mass missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, casting cities into darkness and cold as winter sets in. Moscow says the strikes aim to reduce Ukraine's ability to fight; Kyiv says they have no military purpose and are intended to hurt civilians, a war crime.
"The main thing is the fate of Russia," Putin said in a New Year's Eve address in front of a group of people dressed in military uniform instead of the normal backdrop of the Kremlin walls. "Defence of the fatherland is our sacred duty to our ancestors and descendants. Moral, historical righteousness is on our side."
Zelenskyy delivered his own address on Saturday in near darkness, in front of a fluttering Ukrainian flag. He described the year past as a national awakening.
"We were told: you have no other option but to surrender. We say: we have no other option than to win," he said.
"This year has struck our hearts. We've cried out all the tears. We've shouted all the prayers," Zelenskyy said. "We fight and will continue to fight. For the sake of the key word: 'victory'."
The latest air strikes damaged infrastructure in Sumy, in the northeast, Khmelnytskyi in the west as well as Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the southeast and south, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.
In Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia region, shelling killed one person and wounded three, regional governor Oleksandr Starukh said on Telegram.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvZGVmaWFudC11a3JhaW5pYW5zLWNoZWVyLW5ldy15ZWFyLWRyb25lcy1ibGFzdGVkLXNraWVzLTMxNzc3NDHSAQA?oc=5
2023-01-01 16:12:00Z
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