December 31, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

As 2022 comes to a close in Ukraine, Russia wants to cause darkness and inflict damage on the country with continued attacks, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

Moscow intends to “intimidate, leave us in the dark for the new year, cause as much damage to civilian infrastructure as possible,” Shmyhal said in a post on Telegram. 

Despite the attacks, the power system remains stable, he said. 

“Air Defense Forces are heroes and a real shield of our sky. We thank them!” the prime minister added. 

Attacks in the Ukrainian capital left at least 11 people hospitalized Saturday, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Tymoshenko shared the new injury toll in an update on Telegram.

“We thank our doctors and emergency services for saving people in these moments,” he added.

Ukrainian officials said earlier Saturday that at least five explosions have rocked central districts of Kyiv, killing at least one person.

A deputy commander in the Ukrainian armed forces slammed Russia for its latest attacks on civilian areas in a statement on Telegram. 

“Another insidious and cynical missile attack of the enemy continues,” said Oleksandr Pavliuk, chief of staff and deputy commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

Kyiv air raid alert ongoing: Oleksiy Kuleba, the head of the Kyiv region military administration, said the air raid alert in the capital city continues.

“There is a threat of repeated missile attacks and drone strikes,” he said in a Telegram post, adding that “Russia is massively attacking the country.” 

At least four civilians were injured in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region as a result of Russian attacks, according to the regional military administration. 

Serhii Hamaliy, the head of the Khmelnytskyi region military administration, shared the news in a post on Telegram. 

“Air raid alert is on! Stay in shelters!” he said. 

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said Khmelnytskyi city “was attacked by missiles.” 

Attacks left at least six people wounded in the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine, according to the regional military administration.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that at least one person has been killed in explosions in the capital city.

"According to preliminary information, one person died in the Solomyansky district (of the city). Several people are injured," he said on Telegram.

"Doctors are hospitalizing three injured women. Rescuers are working at the sites of explosions," Klitschko said.

The Kyiv city military administration said that a private house was damaged as a result of a missile attack in Solomyansky district.

A hotel was hit in Pechersk district, and there was also destruction in Holosiivskyi district, it said.

Elsewhere: Residential buildings were damaged as a result of a strike in the region of Zaporizhzhia, according to the president's office. 

"Information about the victims and destruction is being clarified," according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Tymoshenko did not specify the location of the strike. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram post that there have been explosions in two central districts of Kyiv.

"Explosions in Pecherskiy and Golosiivskiy districts. There are damages," Klitschko said. "Emergency workers and medics are on the way."

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, confirmed the location and said that "there are destructions, a hotel facility was damaged."

Air defense systems have been activated in the Ukrainian capital, according to the Kyiv city military administration, as at least five explosions were heard in the city by CNN's team on the ground. 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko warned people to stay in shelters. “Explosions in Kyiv! Stay in shelters!” he wrote on his Telegram channel. 

Air raid sirens are active across Ukraine.

At least six people died on Friday in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions of Ukraine due to Russian strikes, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko said Saturday in a Telegram post.

In his latest update on civilian casualties, Tymoshenko said that three people died and three more were wounded in the Donetsk region. One person was wounded in the Zaporizhzhia region. Two were killed and one wounded in the Kharkiv region. Two people were wounded in the Kherson region, while one died in the Chernihiv region.

It comes after Russia conducted five missile and 29 air strikes on Friday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Saturday.

It said that Russia "continues to conduct offensive actions at the Lyman and Bakhmut directions and is trying to improve the tactical situation at the Kupiansk and Avdiivka directions."

Russian forces fired on several towns and villages, including in Lyman, in the direction of Bakhmut, in the areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.