Explosions rattled villages and cities across Ukraine on Thursday, damaging civilian infrastructure in what Kyiv has called one of Moscow’s biggest missile barrages since the beginning of the war. Russian strikes continued early Friday with drone attacks on Kyiv and over the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions. 40% of the Kyiv’s population has been left without electricity again. 

In his nightly address Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned the people of his country of further Russian attacks in the few remaining days of 2022 to “make this time dark and difficult for Ukraine”.

The situation in Bakhmut, Soledar and on the whole front line in Donetsk region remains difficult for Ukrainian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky noted. In his words, “the Russians have not given up on their idea to conquer Donetsk Oblast before New Year’s Eve".

According to an adviser to Ukraine’s President, some 15,000 soldiers and civilians have gone missing since the start of Russia’s invasion in late February.