LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The capital of Ukraine, under a new wave of Russian drone attacks.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
These attacks began just hours after Ukraine's president addressed his nation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the agony of 2024, with heavy casualties and Russia's army advancing. And many Ukrainians fear this year will be harder.
FADEL: NPR's Brian Mann joins us from Kyiv. Hi, Brian.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So what can you tell us about this latest drone attack on the capital?
MANN: Well, this is what it sounded like just before dawn, as air defenses began to fire here in Kyiv.
(SOUNDBITE OF DRONE ATTACK)
MANN: Military officials say Russia targeted the city with drones packed with explosives. At least two civilians were killed and six others injured, and this attack set one apartment building on fire.
FADEL: Now, Ukrainians have been living through these kinds of attacks for nearly three years. What did Zelenskyy say last night about the state of the war?
MANN: Well, these New Year's Eve addresses are a tradition here in Ukraine. Zelenskyy was, of course, once a popular actor, and he's known for giving powerful speeches. So a lot of Ukrainians I spoke to were really waiting for this moment last night. They wanted to hear his take on the crisis. And Zelenskyy last night described the situation on the front lines as extremely, extremely difficult. But his speech then turned to a kind of pep talk, where he said Ukraine, with the support of allies - including the U.S. - is forcing Russia to pay a steep price.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY: (Speaking Ukrainian).
MANN: "You paid the occupiers back," Zelenskyy said. "You brought the war back to Russia."
FADEL: And how accurate is that? Is that a rosy picture? Is that the truth?
MANN: Well, Ukraine is finding ways to punch back, and let me describe some of that. The Russian army - and this is important - appears to be losing more than 30,000 soldiers killed and wounded every month. Last summer, of course, Ukraine invaded Russia in a surprise move. They still occupy a chunk of the Kursk region. Last month, Ukraine's spy agency claimed credit for assassinating a top Russian general in Moscow. And Ukraine is launching frequent drone attacks of its own, striking industrial and military targets deep inside Russia. But, Leila, every military analyst I talk to, even members of Ukraine's general staff - they say that all hasn't been enough. Ukraine is still on the back foot. They're facing a desperate manpower shortage and deep fatigue among their soldiers.
FADEL: OK, so let's look forward. What are Ukrainians saying about the next stage of this war?
MANN: Yeah. You know, there are growing doubts about support from allies. On Monday, the Biden administration announced another $2.5 billion in military aid, but President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in January 20. Trump's promised to push for a quick end to this war, and he's voiced ambivalence about supporting Ukraine's war effort. And then there's a second huge question here - how, or if, Ukraine can muster more soldiers for its exhausted army. And that all adds up to deep uncertainty. I spoke last night with Yaroslav Meshkov. He's 24 years old.
YAROSLAV MESHKOV: I think I do not have a lot of hopes. Maybe that Ukraine will be existing next year, and that will be great, and that my friends will be alive. That will be great, too.
MANN: So there's a lot of pessimism here, especially among young people I've been talking to. Meshkov told me one of his best friends had just been conscripted into the army. So this New Year's, he and his friends weren't celebrating.
FADEL: Sobering - his wish is just to exist next year. NPR's Brian Mann in Kyiv. Thank you, Brian.
MANN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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