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Last week, a crater was formed in Odessa when downed Russian drones fell
Photo: - / dpa
Russia fired a total of 35 attack drones and two guided missiles targeting energy and military facilities near the front line and in other Ukrainian regions, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The Ukrainian air defense systems destroyed 15 of the 35 drones, the air force said on the messaging app Telegram. It was still unclear what happened to the drones and the two missiles.
Kiev had already reported Russian attacks with swarms of combat drones on Tuesday night. There was an air alert in all parts of the country in the east and south of Ukraine. The air force reported at least five groups of Iranian-made Shahed drones approaching. There was initially no information about hits from aircraft loaded with explosives, or about possible victims or damage. Early in the morning, Russia also reported Ukrainian drone attacks, including on the Crimean peninsula, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014.
In his evening video speech on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of arming his country with drones. "It is clear that this is one of the main tasks of the year - to be ahead of the enemy in the quality of drone operations," he said after a consultation with the authorities and companies responsible for armaments. The better Ukrainian drones are, the more soldiers' lives will be spared.
Ukraine has been repelling a large-scale Russian invasion for almost two years; it is already the 706th day of the war of aggression.
czl/dpa/Reuters