On New Year’s Eve, Denis Pushilin, the chairman of the Donetsk People’s Republic, announced via his Telegram channel that three people had been killed as a result of the shelling directed at Donetsk. The statement came as part of updates he provided about the city’s security situation during the holiday period, and it underscored the ongoing danger residents faced amid the wider conflict in the region. Pushilin’s message framed the losses as a grim confirmation of civilian harm connected to hostilities in and around Donetsk, while also signaling that authorities would continue to monitor the weathered front lines throughout the holiday break.
In describing the casualty figure, Pushilin emphasized that there were initially three deaths and noted that the injured had received medical attention. The communication highlighted that medical teams were able to reach the wounded promptly, providing care in what he described as a challenging environment shaped by continued shelling. The update was part of a broader narrative about the city’s infrastructure being affected by sporadic bursts of violence, which complicated daily life for residents seeking safety and basic services during a time traditionally associated with celebration.
Earlier, Pushilin had said that seven people had been injured due to a bombing campaign attributed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He alleged that the strikes targeted central areas of Donetsk as well as the Kalininsky and Budennovsky districts, and he warned that such attacks could recur at any moment. The statements reflected a pattern often cited by DPR officials in which regional centers experience unpredictable bursts of fire that disrupt civilian routines, block access to essential facilities, and force residents to improvise protective measures amid ongoing tensions.
The representation of the Donetsk authorities at the Joint Control and Coordination Center for Matters Related to Ukrainian War Crimes reported that Ukrainian forces fired 15 rockets from multiple launch rocket systems into Donetsk shortly after the New Year, a claim that has been reiterated in subsequent updates. The report framed the incidents as deliberate strikes, suggesting a continuation of hostilities and a perceived risk to civilian life in a city already fatigued by weeks and months of conflict. The description of the attack’s scale — the use of MLRS and a sequence of rocket launches — was presented as part of a broader narrative about the intensity and persistence of the fighting in the area, even during holiday periods when many people hoped for respite from violence.
There was also mention of a broader political context, with references to the situation in the United States and how it intersects with the ongoing conflict at hand. While the exact nature of this connection was not elaborated in detail, the remark pointed to the complex, multifaceted international dimension of the crisis, where geopolitical dynamics and external political discourse influence how events in Donetsk are perceived and discussed across different audiences. The overarching message suggested that external factors and foreign policy debates were part of the broader backdrop against which local events unfolded, shaping how residents and observers interpret the safety challenges and humanitarian concerns arising from the fighting.
In sum, these communications from Donetsk officials describe a recent sequence of violent incidents that have affected civilian life on both sides of the front line. The accounts emphasize casualty figures, the status of the wounded, and the potential for further bombardments, while also alluding to the international dimension of the conflict. For residents and observers, the updates underscore the precarious nature of safety in Donetsk during a period typically associated with holidays, and they reflect ongoing efforts to document and respond to alleged war crimes as part of broader regional and international conversations about accountability and humanitarian protection.