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What happened on 23 January 2024 in Ukraine
Summary
A look back at a day of missile strikes on Kyiv and Kharkiv and a German pledge of maritime helicopters.
What did a single day of war look like on 23 January 2024? It brought missile strikes on two Ukrainian cities, and it also brought a promise of equipment meant for the Black Sea.
Russian missiles hit Kyiv and Kharkiv that day. Six civilians were killed and at least 77 others were injured. Ukraine said it shot down 21 of the 41 missiles, which left 20 that were not intercepted.
The same day, Germany announced it would donate six SH-3 Sea King helicopters to the Ukrainian Air Force. The aircraft were intended to help Ukraine patrol the Black Sea.
The days before
The strikes came after a run of developments that pulled in Russian territory. On 21 January 2024, a drone attack hit the Ust-Luga Multimodal Complex in Leningrad Oblast and caused a large fire. Novatek, the Russian gas producer, subsequently suspended all operations at the complex. Ukraine claimed responsibility for the attack.
On 22 January 2024, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree recognising some Russian territories, including parts of Bryansk Oblast and Krasnodar Krai, as historically inhabited by Ukrainians.
A day in context
Taken together, these reports show a war being fought on several levels at once: missiles falling on residential cities, allied governments announcing military aid, and Ukraine striking targets inside Russia. The casualty figures from Kyiv and Kharkiv were the starkest part of 23 January 2024, and the helicopter pledge was its clearest sign of continuing foreign support.
