Defense Minister Rustem Umerov spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin by phone on Dec. 29 and discussed Russia's largest air attack on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion and the situation on the front line, the U.S. Department of Defense said.
“Secretary Austin reiterated that the commitment of the United States and our coalition of some 50 Allies and partners to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression will remain steadfast,” the statement read.
Umerov and Austin pledged to remain in close contact.
Russia unleashed its largest air attack on Ukraine on Dec. 29, targeting multiple Ukrainian regions with 158 missiles and drones.
The attack killed 30 people and injured over 160 as of 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 29, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. The number of victims might increase as rescue operations continued as of 8 p.m. on Dec. 29.
Alexander Query
Casualties were previously reported in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was "the most massive attack."
Ukraine downed 114 of 158 Russian missiles and drones, according to the Air Force. Among the downed targets were 27 Russian Shahed attack drones and 87 cruise missiles.
In total, Russia launched 36 drones, at least 90 Kh-101/Kh-555/Kh-55 cruise missiles, eight Kh-22/Kh-32 cruise missiles, 14 S-300/S-400/Iskander ballistic missiles, as well as five Kinzhal ballistic missiles, four anti-radar missiles, and one Kh-59 cruise missile.
"Russia was attacking with almost everything it has in its arsenal," Zelensky wrote on Telegram in the morning following the attack.
Zelensky said the attack destroyed or damaged over 100 private houses, along with 45 multi-story buildings, schools, two churches, hospitals, a maternity hospital, and numerous commercial and warehouse premises across Ukraine.
"Targets are already familiar for Russia," he said.
Oleksiy Sorokin
