Ukraine’s deadly New Year Day strike: We lost only 63 soldiers -Russia

By George Aluo, with agency reports

Russia has dismissed claim by Ukraine that its new year day missile strike in the Donbas region killed over 400 soldiers.

Russia according to a BBC report said the casualty figure was 63.

In an extremely rare admission of battlefield losses, Russia said the attack killed 63 of its troops.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president says Russia is planning a protracted campaign of drone attacks in a bid to demoralise his country.

Volodymyr Zelensky said he had received intelligence reports suggesting that Moscow would launch the attacks using Iranian-made Shahed drones.

Speaking from Kyiv in his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said Russia planned to “exhaust” Ukraine with a prolonged wave of drone attacks.

“We must ensure – and we will do everything for this – that this goal of terrorists fails like all the others,” he said. “Now is the time when everyone involved in the protection of the sky should be especially attentive.”

Russian drone strikes on Ukraine appear to have increased in recent days, with Moscow launching attacks on cities and power stations across the country over the past three nights.

Mr Zelensky said Ukrainian air defences had already shot down over 80 Iranian-made drones in the opening days of 2023.

Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for several months, destroying power stations and plunging millions into darkness during the country’s freezing winter.