Ukraine retaliates with drone swarm after ‘massive’ Russian strike kills 39

Russia's air defence reported shooting down 32 Ukrainian drones, including some near Moscow, marking one of the largest strikes on central Russia in recent months. Casualties were reported in the Belgorod region. This drone swarm occurred a day after Ukraine described a heavy Russian missile bombardment, the most intense in the 22-month war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Saturday that at least 39 people were killed, including many in the capital, Kyiv. Additionally, over 159 individuals were injured in various cities across Ukraine. This exchange of hostilities disrupted the relative calm that had been present in the skies over the past few weeks.

Belgium's prime minister pledged in a newspaper interview that Europe will support Ukraine for as long as necessary. His country is preparing to assume the EU's rotating presidency on January 1, which includes urgent work on the next €50 billion (US$55. 2 billion) aid package. Russia's defence ministry reported that the drones were destroyed over the Moscow, Bryansk, Orel, and Kursk regions. A man was seen walking next to a car destroyed during a Russian missile and drone strike in Kyiv on December 29.

Rockets were intercepted over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. The region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported that at least two children were killed and several others injured. Unverified videos on social media depicted scenes of panic around an ice rink and shopping centre. The governor of the Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, stated that air defences were operational overnight in the city of Bryansk, resulting in the destruction of two unmanned aerial vehicles. According to him, there were no injuries.