Putin: We are fighting to protect our people in our historical land

Russian strikes targeting several areas in Ukraine

A destroyed building in Kyiv as a result of yesterday's attacks.

Reuters

Russian strikes targeted several areas in Ukraine yesterday, including the capital, Kyiv, and the Ukrainian authorities spoke of destruction and fires in Mykolaiv in the south, and Khmelnitsky in the west, calling on residents to take shelter.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin said, yesterday, on the occasion of the New Year: “The moral and historical right is on the side of Russia, the year 2022 was marked by very decisive events, and a mission that lays the foundations for our true independence, and for this reason we fight today by protecting our people in our historical lands, in the new constituent entities.” to Russia,” referring to the Ukrainian regions that Moscow announced its annexation.

Putin stressed that "his country will never give in to the West's attempts to use Ukraine as a tool to destroy Russia."

In addition, Russian officials said that 3,000 civilians were killed in the attack on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, in Moscow's first estimate of the death toll since the siege several months ago.

Moscow blamed Kyiv for the deaths and damage, although international groups accused Russian forces of doing so during the annexation of Mariupol.

And Ukraine announced that its armed forces, since the start of the war on February 24, have killed about 105,960 Russian soldiers.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the total losses of the Russian forces amounted to 3,029 tanks, 6,075 armored fighting vehicles, 2,016 artillery systems, 423 multiple-launch missile systems, 213 anti-aircraft systems, 283 warplanes, and 269 helicopters.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that due to the level of losses of the Russian army in Ukraine, it has lost its strength, and will need at least five years to recover. In tanks, artillery, missiles, armored personnel carriers and soldiers».

On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukraine had released 82 Russian soldiers it was holding in the latest prisoner exchange between the two sides.

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