On the night of December 1st into the early hours of December 2nd, Ukraine’s capital Kyiv came under heavy missile and drone strikes. Mayor Vitali Klitschko called it the “largest attack” Russia has launched on the city. By 1 p.m. local time on December 2nd, the attack had left 18 dead and 85 injured, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was visiting Ireland at the time, announced he would immediately leave and return home early.
Zelensky had warned on December 1st that he knew Russia was planning an attack, adding that Moscow was “resolutely refusing to end the war.” On December 2nd, he wrote on social media that the strike primarily targeted Kyiv, with Russia firing over 70 missiles of various types—nearly half of them ballistic—along with nearly 500 drones. Ukraine called for increased pressure on Russia, insisting it has “full right to respond” and “legally strike” any military targets inside Russian territory.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on December 2nd that the latest assault targeted military-industrial facilities, fuel and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as military airfields across Ukraine. It described the attack as a response to Ukraine’s “terrorist strikes” on Russian civilian infrastructure. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that day that Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov had reported the results of the strike to President Vladimir Putin, and that Russia would continue to intensify pressure on the Kyiv regime to achieve its goals.
Russia also claimed it was hit by a massive Ukrainian drone attack. From the night of December 1st to the morning of December 2nd, its air defense systems intercepted and destroyed over 300 Ukrainian drones over 19 regions, including Moscow, as well as over the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up strikes on Kyiv, while Ukraine has launched long-range drone attacks on Russian military and energy facilities. The Associated Press reported that this has caused fuel shortages and supply chain disruptions inside Russia. However, TASS quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on December 1st as saying that the overall market has sufficient gasoline and diesel supplies. Any shortages or interruptions at individual gas stations, he said, are mainly due to changes in supply logistics and are “normal market conditions.”
