Russia, Ukraine launch dozens of strikes after Mi-8 helicopter shot down by Marine drone russia-ukraine war news
Russia has launched a series of attacks on Kiev and elsewhere as Ukraine says it has shot down a Mi-8 helicopter with a naval drone for the first time.
Russia launched heavy airstrikes on Ukraine and attacked the capital Kiev and other areas with missiles and drones.
Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday it shot down six of the 21 missiles launched by Russia overnight. The Air Force said on Telegram that Russia used 40 drones to attack the country. Air defense units shot down 16 and failed to reach 24 other targets.
Ukraine’s air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3 a.m. (01:00 GMT), minutes after at least two explosions were heard in Kiev amid several attacks across the country.
Another missile alert was issued in Kiev at 8 a.m. (06:00 GMT), followed by at least one explosion in the city. Missile debris fell in the capital’s Darnitsky district, with no reports of casualties or damage.
Meanwhile, officials in the northeastern Sumy region reported attacks near the town of Shostka, where Mayor Mykola Noah said 12 residential buildings as well as two educational facilities were damaged.
Noha said that some “social infrastructure objects” were destroyed, without giving further details. The Ukrainian Air Force also reported targeting several other areas with missiles and drones.
The attacks come as the nearly three-year-old conflict continues but its direction remains uncertain with United States President-elect Donald Trump set to take office soon. Trump has promised to end the war and raised doubts about whether significant US military support for Kiev will continue.
Kiev hits back
Ukrainian military intelligence also said Tuesday that one of its naval drones – a Magura V5 maritime drone – destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and damaged another in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s GUR spy agency said it was the first time a Ukrainian naval drone had shot down an aerial target.
Although there was no comment from Russia, Mikhail Razvozev, the Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea, said on Telegram that two maritime drones were destroyed near the coast overnight and Russian security downed four unmanned aerial vehicles that attacked the city. Shot down aerial vehicles.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air systems shot down a total of 68 Ukrainian drones in several regions of the country.
On Monday, President Joe Biden announced the US would send an additional $2.5 billion in arms to Ukraine as his administration works quickly to spend all money available to help Kiev fight Russia before Trump takes office. Used to be.
War broke out in February 2022 with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Nearly half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has since been destroyed, with Kiev’s Western allies providing air defense systems to help protect critical infrastructure.
But Russia has tried to strengthen its air defenses with combined strikes from large numbers of missiles and drones in a series of slow but steady attacks.
Russian forces advanced 3,985 square km (1,539 square miles) into Ukraine in 2024, seven times more than in 2023, according to an analysis of data by the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Increased Russian military activity in the autumn led to advances by 30 December, with advances of 610 km (235 sq mi) in October and 725 km (280 sq mi) in November.
November and October were also the two months when they conquered the most territory since March 2022, the initial weeks of the conflict.
