LIVE UPDATES
Russia's war in Ukraine
By Eliza Mackintosh, Amarachi Orie and Kathleen Magramo, CNN
Updated 7:51 a.m. ET, December 29, 2022
What we're covering
Explosions rattled villages and cities across Ukraine on Thursday in what Kyiv has called one of Moscow's largest missile barrages since the war began.
Electrical infrastructure was damaged in the onslaught, knocking out power in several regions, with Kyiv and Odesa hardest hit, according to Ukraine's energy minister.
At least three people were injured in strikes on the Ukrainian capital, including a 14-year-old, and two people were pulled from a damaged home, Kyiv's mayor said.
The attacks come after Russia's foreign minister said Moscow will not negotiate with Kyiv under the terms of Zelensky's proposed peace formula.
5 min ago
Ukraine says its defense forces shot down 54 of 69 Russian missiles
From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych
Police experts examine the remains of a downed missile in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29.
Police experts examine the remains of a downed missile in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images)
Ukraine's Air Force said that Russia had launched 69 missiles and that it had shot down 54, according to preliminary data.
25 min ago
Wave of Russian strikes one of the "most massive" since war began, Ukrainian Defense Ministry says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
Explosions rattled villages and cities across Ukraine on Thursday in what the government has said was one of Russia's largest missile barrages since the war began.
"Russian terrorists have been saving one of the most massive missile attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion for the last days of the year," Ukraine's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Twitter. "They dream that Ukrainians will celebrate the New Year in darkness and cold. But they cannot defeat the Ukrainian people."
According to preliminary data, Ukraine's Air Force said that Russian forces had launched 69 cruise missiles and that it had downed 54 of those, along with Ukraine's Defense Forces. The Air Force said that it had also repelled attacks from Iranian-made Shahed drones, which are designed to explode on contact with their targets.
Earlier on Thursday, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a post on Twitter that Russia had launched more than 120 missiles in the attack, without giving more details. He said the focus of the onslaught was to "destroy critical infrastructure and kill civilians en masse."
1 hr ago
The war is at a stalemate, Ukraine's intelligence chief says
From CNN's Eliza Mackintosh
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Military Intelligence, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 25.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, chief of Military Intelligence, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 25. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)
The war has reached a stalemate, with neither Ukraine nor Russia able to make any substantial gains, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov has said, as Kyiv awaits more weapons from the United States and other Western allies.
"The situation is just stuck," Kyrylo Budanov told the BBC in an interview. "It doesn't move."
Since Ukrainian forces reclaimed the southern city of Kherson in November, much of the fiercest fighting has raged around Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region, where Budanov visited frontline positions earlier in the week. Both sides have been locked in brutal battle there since Russian forces launched their siege on the city in earnest in May.
The freezing winter conditions have slowed advances and Russian forces are "now completely at a dead end" after heavy losses, Budanov said. But he added that Ukrainian troops were unable to progress either without more resources, particularly weapons supplies.
"We can't defeat them in all directions comprehensively. Neither can they," Budanov said. "We're very much looking forward to new weapons supplies, and to the arrival of more advanced weapons."
Budanov also poured cold water on the idea that Russian forces might launch another attack from Belarus, where Moscow has been holding joint military exercises with Minsk. "As of now, I don't see any signs of preparations for an invasion of Kyiv or northern areas from Belarus," he said.
1 hr 39 min ago
Russian missile attacks are "senseless barbarism," Ukrainian foreign minster says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba described the latest wave of Russian missile attacks as "senseless barbarism" on Thursday.
"Senseless barbarism. These are the only words that come to mind seeing Russia launch another missile barrage at peaceful Ukrainian cities ahead of New Year," Kuleba said on Twitter, adding that there could be "no neutrality" in the face of such attacks.
The barrage of Russian missiles, one of the largest waves of attacks, hit several Ukrainian cities Thursday, damaging civilian infrastructure and knocking out power.
1 hr 49 min ago
Russian strikes leave several regions without power
From CNN's Olga Voiytovych in Kyiv
Another wave of Russian missile strikes left several Ukrainian regions without power on Thursday, with crews across the country racing to restore power as the New Year holidays approach.
Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said that infrastructure in Kyiv, in north central Ukraine, and Odesa, in the south, had been damaged in the barrage and were experiencing emergency power outages -- when the electricity is protectively turned off to diminish damage from the grid shorting out.
"Today the enemy carried out another massive attack on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine," Halushchenko said in a post on Facebook. "Unfortunately, there is some damage to generation facilities and power grids. As of 11:00, the situation is difficult in the west of the country, Odesa and Kyiv regions."
Forty percent of Kyiv residents were without power, mayor Vitali Klitschko said Thursday, adding that this was due to security measures taken by power engineers during the air raid alarm and that they were now working to restore services. “The city is supplying heat and water in normal mode,” Klitschko said on the messaging platform Telegram.
Authorities in Odesa, in southern Ukraine, said that emergency power outages had been rolled out amid the missile attacks. “They are introduced due to the threat of missile attacks to avoid significant damage if the enemy manages to hit energy facilities,” DTEK, a utility company, said in a statement.
In western Ukraine, Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said that 90% of the city was without power, cautioning that the city's waterworks could also to stop working.
1 hr 49 min ago
16 Russian missiles intercepted over Kyiv, mayor says
From CNN's Olga Viotovych in Kyiv
Ukrainian air defence system intercepts a rocket launched by Russian forces in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29.
Ukrainian air defence system intercepts a rocket launched by Russian forces in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29. (Mustafa Ciftci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 16 missiles over Kyiv, the capital's mayor said Thursday, amid a fresh barrage by Russia targeting civilian infrastructure.
"16 missiles have already been destroyed over Kyiv," Vitali Klitschko said on the messaging app Telegram, revising an earlier statement that air defense forces had downed 15.
At least three people, including a 14-year-old, were injured and two people pulled from a damaged home, Klitschko said earlier.
Homes, an industrial facility and a playground in the capital have been damaged in the barrage, according to the Kyiv city military administration.
1 hr 39 min ago
Kyiv's peace formula is "another PR campaign from Washington," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman claims
From CNN's Clare Sebastian, Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova
Maria Zakharova attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 16.
Maria Zakharova attends the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 16. (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
Moscow views Kyiv's proposed peace plan as "another PR campaign from Washington" as Ukraine and the West proliferate "striking but unreliable statements," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.
Her comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would not negotiate with Kyiv under the terms set out in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's 10-point peace formula.
“We assess the latest nonsensical idea as another PR campaign from Washington, which has recently tried to present the Kyiv regime as a peacekeeper," Zakharova said during a regular briefing. "They tried sufferers, they tried liberal democrats, who else, fighters for the freedom of Europe, and now peacekeepers.”
Zakharova also claimed that Kyiv's plans to hold a peace summit only if Russia fully capitulates "tells us they are starting to signal they don't have any strength left."
Some background: Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula was presented by Zelensky to world leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November. The steps include a path to nuclear safety, food security, a special tribunal for alleged Russian war crimes, and a final peace treaty with Moscow.
3 hr 22 min ago
Kharkiv under missile attack, military official says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region and its main Kharkiv city are "under attack of enemy rockets," the regional military chief said in a Telegram post Thursday.
Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration said four rockets had hit the city — likely S300s.
"Critical infrastructure is the target," he said.
Search and rescue efforts were ongoing, he added, saying "the danger has not passed yet" and urging residents to stay in shelters.
Kharkiv's mayor earlier said a series of explosions had been heard.
Russia captured swathes of Kharkiv in the early days of its invasion, before Ukrainian forces retook most of the bordering region in an offensive in the fall.
3 hr 45 min ago
At least 3 injured by Russian attacks in Kyiv
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
People shelter in a subway station during a rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29.
People shelter in a subway station during a rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)
At least three people were injured in Kyiv Thursday, including a 14-year-old child, after Russia fired missiles at the capital, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said.
Two people were rescued from the debris of a damaged home, Klitschko said in an update on Telegram.
“Missile fragments damaged a car on one of the central streets," he said.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing, Klitschko added.
4 hr 51 min ago
90% of Lviv without power after Russian strikes, mayor says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi said 90% of the western city is without power and also warned of water disruptions as a result of Russian attacks Thursday.
“90% of the city is without electricity. We are waiting for more information from the power engineers. Trams and trolleybuses are not running in the city. There may be interruptions in water supply. We are switching to diesel generators at critical infrastructure facilities,” Sadovyi said on Telegram.
In the capital Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Kitschko earlier warned residents of possible power and water outages after the Russian strikes.
Air defense systems were activated across Ukraine Thursday morning after Russia fired more than 120 missiles at a number of cities, according to Ukrainian officials.
4 hr 2 min ago
Industrial facility and homes damaged by missile fragments, Kyiv officials say
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Rescuers work at houses heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29.
Rescuers work at houses heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29. (Kyrylo Tymoshenko/Telegram/Reuters)
Russia's attack on Ukraine's capital Thursday damaged homes, an industrial facility and a playground, according to the Kyiv city military administration.
“Two private houses in Darnytskyi district were damaged by the fragments of the downed missiles. An industrial enterprise in Holosiivskyi district and a playground in Pecherskyi district were also damaged,” the administration said on Telegram.
Air defenses are still working and authorities were working to clarify information on casualties, the administration said.
4 hr 57 min ago
More than 120 missiles fired at Ukraine, Zelensky adviser says
From CNN's Olga Voitovych
Russia fired more than 120 missiles at cities across Ukraine on Thursday, according to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.
“29.12.22. 120+ missiles over Ukraine launched by the 'evil Russian world' to destroy critical infrastructure & kill civilians en masse,” he said on Twitter.
Air raid sirens sounded around Ukraine Thursday morning as officials reported missile strikes and air defense systems being activated in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zhytomyr and Poltava among other cities.
4 hr 35 min ago
Kyiv mayor warns of power and water outages after Russian attacks
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
Ukrainian air defence system intercepts a rocket launched by Russian forces in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29.
Ukrainian air defence system intercepts a rocket launched by Russian forces in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 29. (Mustafa Ciftci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Kitschko warned residents of possible power and water outages after Russian missile attacks against the Ukrainian capital on Thursday.
“There may be power outages in Kyiv. Charge your phones and other devices. Make a supply of water,” he said in a post on Telegram.
Ukraine was hit with a new round of Russian missile attacks on Thursday, with blasts heard by CNN's team in Kyiv.
Air raid sirens have also sounded in several cities as officials reported missile strikes and air defense systems being activated, including Kharkiv in the northeast, Mykolaiv in the south, as well as Zhytomyr and Poltava in central Ukraine.
4 hr 58 min ago
Russia carries out "massive missile attack" on Ukraine, Odesa official says
From CNN’s Olga Voitovych and Victoria Butenko
Russia has carried out a “massive missile attack” on Ukraine Thursday morning, according to a statement by the head of Odesa’s regional state administration Maksym Marchenko on Telegram.
“Air defense is working over the region now,” Marchenko said, calling on residents to stay in shelters.
Emergency power outages were further introduced in Odesa, Ukraine's largest energy group DTEK said in a statement on Telegram.
“They are introduced due to the threat of missile attacks to avoid significant damage if the enemy manages to hit energy facilities,” the statement said.
4 hr 58 min ago
Explosions heard in Kyiv as air raid sirens sound across Ukraine
From CNN's Irene Nasser
Explosions were heard Kyiv Thursday, according to CNN's team on the ground, while air defense systems have been activated in the capital region, said Oleksii Kuleba, head of the Kyiv regional military administration.
"After the night attack of self-exploding drones, the enemy is attacking Ukraine from various directions with air and sea-based cruise missiles from strategic aircrafts and ships," the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Oleksii Kuleba meets the press in Kyiv on April 16.
Oleksii Kuleba meets the press in Kyiv on April 16. (Hennadii Minchenko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto/AP)
Air raid sirens have also sounded in several cities as officials reported missile strikes and air defense systems being activated.
A series of explosions were also heard in Kharkiv, the city's mayor Ihor Terekhov said, adding that according to preliminary reports incoming rocket hits were recorded.
"Information on which targets were hit and whether there were any casualties is still being clarified," Terekhov said.
In the Mykolaiv region in the south, five missiles have been intercepted over the sea, the head of the region's military administration Vitaliy Kim said.
In central Ukraine, missiles have also been recorded in the Zhytomyr region and air defense systems were activated, according to Vitalii Bunechko, head of its regional military administration.
In Poltava region, east of the Dnipro river, explosions have also been heard and air defense systems were activated, Dmytro Lunin, said the head of Poltava regional military administration.
5 hr 39 min ago
Ukraine's Odesa removes monument to imperial Russian empress
From CNN's Mayumi Maruyama and Josh Pennington
Utility workers dismantle a statue of Russian Empress Catherine II in Odesa on December 28.
Utility workers dismantle a statue of Russian Empress Catherine II in Odesa on December 28. (Nina Liashonok/Ukrinform/Abaca/Sipa/AP)
A statue of Russian Empress Catherine II was removed on Wednesday from a square in Odesa, in what authorities in the Ukrainian port city said was "a truly historic event."
“I am grateful to the residents of Odesa who expressed their position that the Russian imperial heritage has no place in a modern Ukraine that is democratic and follows the rule of law,” the Odesa regional administration said on Telegram.
Catherine II, more commonly known as Catherine the Great, ruled from 1762 to 1796 and remains a controversial figure in Ukraine for her imperialist views.
The Odesa statue was erected in the 1900s during the Russian empire but was dismantled in 1920 under Soviet rule. It was restored in 2007 by the Odesa city council.
Last month, the council voted to remove the statue, Reuters reported.
The monument will move to the Odesa Art Museum, according to the council.
6 hr 22 min ago
Russia won't negotiate under terms of Zelensky's peace plan, Lavrov says
From CNN’s Irene Nasser and Josh Pennington
Moscow will not negotiate with Kyiv on the basis of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposed peace formula, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, according to state-media on Thursday.
Lavrov told state-run RIA Novosti that Zelensky's idea of driving Russian troops out from the Donbas, Crimea, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson with help from the West was "an illusion."
He also dismissed the idea that Kyiv would achieve reparations or that Russia would appear in international courts.
“We will not talk to anyone under such conditions," Lavrov said.
Lavrov stressed however, that Russia remains open to diplomatic solutions to end the war.
Peace plan: Zelensky presented Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula to world leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November.
The steps includes a path to nuclear safety, food security, a special tribunal for alleged Russian war crimes, and a final peace treaty with Moscow. He also urged G20 leaders to use all their power to “make Russia abandon nuclear threats” and implement a price cap on energy imported from Moscow.
During his speech to the US Congress last week, Zelensky claimed US President Joe Biden had endorsed the plan.
12 hr 10 min ago
Zelensky says war has strengthened Europe's unity and continent now "protects itself"
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Yulia Kesaieva
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his annual address Wednesday to the Ukrainian Parliament that the war Russia has waged on his country has strengthened Europe's unity, and that "no one in the West is afraid and will ever be afraid of Russia."
"It was Ukraine that united the European Union. Turned out, it is possible," Zelensky said from the parliament's floor. "And now Europe protects itself. Europe overcomes crises. And this is despite the enormous resources thrown by Russia to wreck our continent.
"For the first time in history, some European countries have reconsidered the notion of staying neutral and are resisting aggression together with us, together with Ukraine.
"We helped Europe and most of the world to feel that to be neutral now is, I'm sorry, but to be immoral."
Zelensky went on to say that countries are no longer interested "in whether Russia will hear them," but rather "what else to expect from Ukraine, what else Ukraine can give to Europe, what else we can give to the world."
Zelensky also thanked Ukrainian servicemen, calling them "heroes" and said the powerful weapons Ukraine has received have strengthened its advantage.
"And let me remind you — a year ago it seemed impossible that our state would have 'Patriot' air defense systems. But now we do have such an agreement," he said. "This is a special sign of trust to Ukraine. This is a true alliance with the United States of America. We have achieved this."
12 hr 12 min ago
Ukraine says Russians have moved out of key eastern city to other settlements
From CNN's Radina Gigova and Olga Voitovych
As fighting near the key Ukrainian city of Kreminna in the eastern Luhansk region continues, Russian civilians who had come to the city have stopped their work and left, Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk region military administration, said Wednesday in a television interview.
"The military command has indeed moved [from Kreminna] to other settlements. All the Russians who came to work, the civilians — doctors, repair teams — they have all stopped their work, all left for the Russian Federation, and all the work that was started is now frozen," Hayday said.
Why Kreminna matters: If the Ukrainian military is able to dislodge the Russians from Kreminna, it could then proceed in two directions, Hayday said.
"There are two prospects. The first is to go to Starobilsk, which is the logistics center of Luhansk region. Whoever controls Starobilsk will be able to control the entire logistics of the Luhansk region with firepower. In other words, there will be almost no roads left along which the enemy could quietly move either personnel or equipment," Hayday said.
"The second direction is towards Rubizhne and Severodonetsk. This is in order to break the grouping, which is now constantly, round the clock, advancing towards Bakhmut. It could be split in two and, accordingly, make the defense for the military who are defending Bakhmut easier."
Some background: Kreminna has been occupied since the spring and lies on a key north-south road from Svatove, which Russian troops had been using for resupplies. Losing Kreminna would limit Russia's ability to resupply its troops in the key city of Severodonetsk.
12 hr 15 min ago
Fresh shelling dents Ukraine's energy capacity
From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv
The electricity deficit in the Ukrainian power grid grew on Wednesday due to shelling of gas infrastructure in eastern Ukraine, according to the latest update from state power utility Ukrenergo.
“As of Dec. 28, the electricity deficit in the system has increased. This is due to the stop of some units of power plants due to the shelling of gas infrastructure in the eastern region,” Ukrenergo said in a statement.
Ukraine has been facing a wide assault on critical infrastructure and power sources since early October.
The deficit did not mean further power restrictions because of “relatively warm weather," Ukenergo said, but added: "the available capacity in the system is not enough to meet all the needs of consumers in the country. In this regard, all regions were informed about consumption limits, the excess of which leads to the need for emergency outages.”
In the past three months, the power grid has suffered nine missile and 12 Russian UAV attacks, according to Ukrenergo.
“As a result, generation facilities and transmission systems suffered large-scale and complex damage. Their restoration requires significant resources and time. Repair teams of Ukrenergo, electricity producers and distribution system operators are working continuously,” the statement said.
12 hr 28 min ago
Russian troops fighting in Ukraine can freeze their sperm for free
From CNN's Anna Chernova
Russian soldiers taking part in the war on Ukraine will be eligible for free sperm freezing and storage in cryobanks, state news agency TASS reported, citing a lawyers union.
“The families of those called up for military service as part of the partial mobilization will receive free access to fertility treatment and the storage of biomaterial in a cryobank,” said Igor Trunov, president of the Russian Union of Lawyers, which represents several couples where the husband has been mobilized and the family has asked for assistance, according to TASS.
Read more here.
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