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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pledged to boost the country's military industrialization in 2024, promising that Russia will feel “the wrath of domestic production.”
In his New Year message, Zelensky said Ukraine would manufacture at least 1 million drones, adding: “We will use them all generously.”
Russia bombed Odessa in southern Ukraine with missiles and drones earlier on New Year's Eve, before the leaders of the two warring countries delivered contradictory messages to their people.
Next month, it will be two years since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, plunging the world into a global food crisis and attempting to forcefully overthrow Zelensky's democratically elected government.
However, his four-minute New Year's speech avoided making any direct reference to the war he started. “I want to wish every Russian family every success,” Putin said, describing his soldiers as “heroes…at the forefront of the struggle for truth.” We are one country and one big family.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual New Year's address to the nation in Moscow, Russia
(via Reuters)
“Every one of us struggled, worked, waited, helped, lived and hoped this year,” Zelensky said in his 20-minute video speech.
He pledged: “No matter how many missiles the enemy fires, no matter how many bombings and attacks, we will continue to rise.”
Zelensky said Ukrainian air defense forces are working every night to defend Ukrainian skies “so that we can hear the 'clear' call 6,000 times” in 2023.
Next year, the enemy will feel the wrath of domestic production. Our weapons, equipment, artillery, missiles, drones, naval greetings to the enemy and at least a million Ukrainian FPV drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky videotapes his speech in front of the “Avdiyevka is Ukraine” sign.
(Environmental Protection Agency)
Russian and Ukrainian officials traded accusations over New Year's strikes that killed four people Monday morning in Donetsk, a Russian-controlled Ukrainian regional capital, while one person was killed in Russian strikes in Odessa on New Year's Eve.
The previous day, Russia suffered what appeared to be the deadliest single attack on its territory since the start of Putin's sweeping invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Saturday night's raid on the Russian city of Belgorod killed 24 people and wounded more than 100, according to Russian officials.
Russian officials blamed Ukraine for the attack and responded with drone strikes in Kharkiv, just 60 miles across the Belgorod city border.
“These are not military facilities, but cafes, residential buildings and offices,” Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov claimed.
