Russia attacked Kyiv with a drone inscribed with 'Happy New Year' in a wave of strikes on Ukraine

A Russian drone inscribed with the message "Happy New Year" found in Kyiv after a wave of attacks on New Year's Eve Andriy Nebytov, via Facebook

• The wreckage of a Russian drone inscribed with the message "Happy New Year" was discovered in Kyiv.
• The drone also featured a crude drawing of a gift.
• Russia has ramped up its air strikes on Ukraine in recent days, including on New Year's Eve.

Russia sent an exploding drone inscribed with "Happy New Year" as part of a barrage of strikes to mark the new year, according to an official.

Andriy Nebytov, the chief of police in the capital Kyiv, posted images of the drone on Facebook after attacks across Ukraine on New Year's Eve and in the early hours of New Year's Day.

The images show "Happy New Year" written in Russian on part of the wreckage. It also features crude drawings of a gift, and a bauble labelled "boom."

The drone was marked as a Geran-2, the Russian name for the Shahed-136 drones which it acquires from Iran and has been launching at Ukraine in vast numbers.

A zoomed-out image of the wreckage. Andriy Nebytov, via Facebook

Ukrainian officials said they shot down 45 of these drones on the night of December 31, including 32 over Kyiv.

Nebytov said the drone in the photos landed in a children's playground. He did not say whether it was shot down or landed there itself.

"This is all you need to know about the terrorist state and its army," Nebytov wrote of the message on the drone.

The strikes across Ukraine on New Year's Eve also included at least 20 cruise missiles, officials said. These killed one person and injured 20 more in what one Ukrainian official described as "terror on New Year's Eve".

A file photo showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy standing over the wreckage of a Shahed-136 drone earlier in 2022. Screenshot/President of Ukraine official website

It followed major bombardments in recent days, including Russia firing more than 120 missiles across Ukraine on December 29, its biggest wave of attacks in recent months, according to a Ukrainian official.

Russia said the latest strikes targeted locations involved in the manufacture of drones, with the aim of limiting attacks on Russia.

Ukraine has repeatedly said that Russia rarely hits military targets, and mostly harms ordinary people and civilian infrastructure.