Ukraine is under a massive missile attack, with a record number of aeroballistic Kinzhal missiles fired on capital Kyiv.

It happens days after Russia’s latest large missile attack of 29 December, which took the lives of 39 civilians throughout the country. There were no large missile attacks in the fall of 2023, unlike last year, when Russia attempted to disable Ukraine’s power system since October 2022 with rounds of regular attacks.

10-12 of the missiles launched were Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, the air threat monitoring TG channel Monitor reported at 8:14. The lion’s share were headed for Kyiv, protected by the US-made Patriot air defense system which has since its first historic downing of a Kinzhal in May intercepted 15 of these touted Russian missiles.

As of 9:40, one person was killed and 41 people were reported injured in Kyiv, where six Russian missiles were reported to strike the center of the city, destroying apartment buildings and civilian infrastructure, Kharkiv Oblast Military Adminsitration head Oleh Syniehubov informed.

First photos of the damage to Kharkiv by Russian missiles on 2 January 2024. Photo: Gwara media

In Kyiv, missile wreckage had fallen on an apartment building, a warehouse, and a park. 20 people were injured, 19 of whom were hospitalized, as per Kyiv mayor Klitshcko at 9:32. 117 residents of the apartment building have been evacuated, as firefighters tackle the fire that broke out there as well as at a warehouse in the city center.

12 people have been hospitalized in Kyiv, as per Kyiv mayor Klitshko.

Rescue operations are underway; a fire has erupted in an apartment building in the Solomianskyi district

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— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) January 2, 2024

On 29 December, Russia launched a large-scale aerial missile and drone assault on various Ukrainian cities. The Russian forces deployed approximately 160 missiles and drones in this attack. Ukrainian air defense units successfully intercepted and neutralized 27 drones along with 88 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles.