Russia has launched a fresh wave of missile attacks on areas across Ukraine, with reports of damage to critical infrastructure and power outages.
Vladimir Putin’s forces are expected to launch a new offensive on Ukraine early next year, including a renewed bid to take Kyiv, Ukrainian defence chiefs have said.
"The Russians are preparing some 200,000 fresh troops. I have no doubt they will have another go at Kyiv," Ukrainian general Valery Zaluzhniy said yesterday, warning of fresh attacks as soon as January.
This was reiterated by the Ukrainian defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who said Kyiv is seeing mounting evidence that Russia plans a broad new offensive.
In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelensky said “brutal Russian attacks continue” in Donbas as in recent weeks.
“The occupiers throw everyone and everything they have into the offensive. They cannot defeat our army, so they physically destroy every town and village so that there are no buildings, not even walls, that can be used for any kind of defence…,” he said.
This comes as European Union leaders agreed to provide €18bn for Ukraine to finance the war-hit country next year along with slapping a ninth package of sanctions on Russia.
