Russian drones attacked portions of Ukraine overnight, and dozens were shot down, Ukrainian officials said Monday, after a weekend of persistent attacks that killed three civilians on New Year’s Eve.
According to air defense forces, 40 drones “headed for Kyiv” overnight, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, and all of them were destroyed.
Klitschko claimed that 22 drones were shot down over Kyiv, three in the surrounding region, and 15 over adjacent provinces.
Attack destroyed energy infrastructure facilities, and an explosion occurred in one city sector
The attack destroyed energy infrastructure facilities, and an explosion occurred in one city sector, according to the mayor. It was unclear whether this was triggered by drones or other explosives. Klitschko said that a 19-year-old guy had been injured and that the city was experiencing power shortages.
In the outlying Kyiv region a “critical infrastructure object” and residential buildings were hit, Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba said.
Seven drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Gov. Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said.
According to Reznichenko, a missile was also destroyed in the Dnipropetrovsk region. He stated that the region’s energy infrastructure was being targeted.
Ukraine’s Air Force Command announced Monday that 39 Iranian-made exploding Shahed drones, as well as two Russian-made Orlan drones and an X-59 missile, were shot down overnight across Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian authorities, a ferocious New Year’s Eve assault killed at least four civilians and injured scores more across the country. Klitschko said the fourth victim, a 46-year-old Kyiv resident, died in a hospital on Monday morning.
On Saturday and throughout the night, multiple explosions shook Ukraine’s capital and other cities. The assaults happened 36 hours after Russia launched massive missile attacks on energy infrastructure installations on Thursday, and the unusually swift follow-up startled Ukrainian officials.
Since October, Russians have carried out almost weekly attacks on Ukraine
Since October, Russia has carried out almost weekly attacks on Ukrainian electricity and water supplies, exacerbating Ukrainians’ misery while its ground forces battle to retain land and advance.
A Ukrainian drone struck an energy complex in Russia’s Bryansk area, which borders Ukraine, according to Bryansk regional governor Alexander Bogomaz on Monday morning. As a result, he alleged, a village was left without power.