Russians struck the downtown of Kyiv with Kinzhal and Iskander ballistic missiles

 This morning, around 7 a.m., Russian armed forces launched a combined missile strike on Kyiv. Preliminary reports suggest the attack involved Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles fired from MiG-31K aircraft, alongside Iskander/KN-23 ballistic missiles. The air defense managed to shoot down 5 ballistic missiles.

The assault caused missile debris to fall across three districts of the capital, leading to localized damage. Emergency services are on the scene, assessing the impact and providing assistance where needed. Authorities have urged residents to remain in shelters during air raid alerts and to exercise caution in affected areas.

One person was reported to have been killed in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv,ten people were injured.

As a result of an enemy attack the heating pipeline in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district, was damaged, 630 residential buildings, 16 medical facilities, 17 schools, and 13 kindergartens are currently without heat.

Non-residential buildings in the Solomianskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts were also damaged by fallen debris. In the Pechersk district, a blast wave shattered precious stained glass windows of the St. Nicholas Roman Catholic church, the second-oldest Catholic church in Kyiv.

Russia shelled Kherson, killing and injuring civilians and damaging critical infrastructure 

On the morning of December 20, Russian forces launched a large-scale artillery assault on the city of Kherson, targeting residential areas. The attack struck apartment buildings and critical infrastructure, leaving parts of the city without power.

Authorities have confirmed that three men, aged 60, 73, and 75, have been killed, and nine others injured. Damage to civilian infrastructure includes residential houses, apartment blocks, and power transmission lines. The city’s electric transport and traffic lights are also out of service due to the attack.

Emergency services are working to restore power and assist affected residents while urging the public to remain vigilant and prioritize safety.

Ukraine to stop transit of Russian gas

Starting at 07:00 on January 1, 2025, Ukraine's gas transmission system will only transport non-Russian gas, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced during Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Verkhovna Rada.

"The gas transit agreement expires on January 1, 2025," Shmyhal stated. "Transit will be physically blocked at 07:00 and will only resume if, at the European Commission's request, we transport non-Russian gas through our system."

Shmyhal clarified that while Ukraine is committed under the Association Agreement with the EU and the Energy Charter Treaty to ensure the transit of Russian oil to Europe if requested by the European Commission, the country is actively working to implement full sanctions on Russian energy.

"This means transit continues at the European side’s request, but our goal remains imposing 100% sanctions on Russian molecules," he added.