A building in Donetsk was attacked on January 1 (Photo: TASS).
The separatist government of Donetsk, Donbass region, eastern Ukraine said that in the early morning of January 1, the Ukrainian army launched a large-scale artillery attack on the city of Donetsk.
According to a local resident, the attack happened just after the new year 2024. Images posted on social media showed a series of explosions in Donetsk, with several buildings and cars on fire.
The head of the Donetsk separatist administration, Denis Pushilin, said the attack left at least four people dead and 13 injured.
Russia controlled the city of Donetsk from the very beginning of the conflict. The city was frequently attacked due to its proximity to the front line. This was one of the reasons Russia increased its resources on the eastern front in Ukraine to expand its control there, pushing Kiev forces further away from the artillery range of Donetsk.
The attack comes amid a particularly tense Russia-Ukraine conflict in recent days. On December 29, Moscow carried out its largest-ever airstrike on targets across Ukraine, a move believed to be in response to Kiev’s destruction of a large Russian landing ship in Crimea.
Just one day later, Russia's Belgorod border region with Ukraine was attacked, killing at least 24 people.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the country's military will take measures in response to the Belgorod attack. "We emphasize that the Russian military targets only military facilities, and will continue to do so. Those behind the attack in Belgorod will be punished," the Russian Defense Ministry stressed.
Kiev neither denied nor accepted responsibility for the attack.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his New Year's message that over the past year the country has become stronger.
"Ukraine has become stronger. Ukrainians have become stronger. 676 days ago we were tested, missiles were flying towards us from all sides," he said.
“Next year, the enemy will feel the wrath of Ukraine. Our weapons, equipment, artillery, ammunition, drones, naval weapons and at least a million Ukrainian-made FPV drones. They will finally feel it: on land, in the air and, of course, at sea,” he warned.
In his speech, he also thanked the international coalition that has supported Ukraine over the past two years.
"I am grateful to all our partners because this year we received Patriot air defense systems, HIMARS artillery, NASAMS missiles, Abrams tanks, Leopards and many other weapons. Our pilots have been trained on F-16 aircraft and we will soon see them in our skies. Our opponents will also soon see the fury of Ukraine," he said.
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