TRANSCRIPT
Another morning of air raid sirens and explosions across Kyiv.
Residential areas in both Kyiv and Kharkiv have suffered extensive damage from multiple missile attacks, with hundreds of thousands of people without power. The hours-long blitz, involving waves of drone and missile attacks, was reminiscent of the early days of Russia’s invasion.
Moscow claims it was targeting military infrastructure, but widespread damage has been done to civilian areas, as well as power and water supplies.
Two people were killed and forty-nine injured in the apartment building where Anatoll Kosynov lives.
"We were getting ready to have breakfast and go to work and then it blew up. Everything blew up. I sat down and started putting on my shoes, bent down and windows flew over my head."
With temperatures set to drop to minus 11 in the coming days, residents like Olena Ohiievych and her family are urgently trying to repair their homes.
"There are no windows left, no balcony. The balcony doors are shattered, the window glass and frame in every room have been torn out. We will install something, we plando something about all this."
In Kharkiv, a residential area near the centre of the city was hit. A 91 year old woman was among the dead and dozens more were injured.
This resident says she had a lucky escape:
"Everything shattered, all the doors, glass, windows. Thank God no one got hurt, that's the most important thing. We just couldn't find the cat... Dad went to look for the cat. I hope she's alive. The saddest part is that the little cat is not around."
Russia’s latest attack appears to be another attempt to ‘overwhelm’ Ukraine’s air defence systems.
Kyiv claims it shot down all 10 hypersonic missiles which were launched overnight.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for urgent military aid from western partners to replenish its supplies, with both American and European military aid held up.
"I thank everyone in the world who helps, Patriots, IRIS, NASAMS; every such system has at least saved hundreds of lives. Russia will answer for every life taken away. Glory to Ukraine."
The intensity of the conflict has increased over the New Year period. One week ago, Ukraine destroyed a Russian landing ship stationed in occupied Crimea. Then, on December 29, Russia launched its largest air attack of the war, killing 39 people.
Ukraine responded targeting the Russian city of Belgorod, killing 25 people.
Vladimir Putin promised retribution and so far, there have been three days of it. Russia’s defence ministry has released a video claiming to show the various strikes launched by its forces, declaring ‘all targets were hit’.
But so was the Russian village of Petropavlovka, with Moscow admitting one of its warplanes was responsible, accidentally releasing an unspecified munition over its own territory.
