Russia launches 28 drones, three missiles at Ukraine – Ukraine’s air force

Jan 7 (Reuters) – Russia launched 28 attack drones and three cruise missile at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force said on Sunday, adding that its air defence systems destroyed 21 of the drones.

The air force said on its Telegram messaging channel that Russia targeted mainly the south and east of Ukraine, and did not say what happened to the three cruise missiles.

“The enemy is shifting the focus of attack to the frontline territories – Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions were attacked by drones,” Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat told national television.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Dnipropetrovsk regional authorities said on Telegram that 12 people were injured in a drone attack in Dnipro city.

They also said an educational institution and its dormitory, two multi-apartment buildings and one administrative building were damaged.

Ihnat said drones were predominantly destroyed by mobile teams, saving “scarce” air defence missiles.

He said Ukrainian forces used some missiles to repel two recent major Russian attacks and “processes are under way to continue to provide Ukraine with the number of missiles needed to repel air attacks”.

Russia deployed almost 300 missiles and more than 200 drones in attacks in the last days of 2023 and the first days of 2024.

The Kharkiv region prosecutor’s office provided further evidence on Saturday that Russia attacked Ukraine with missiles supplied by North Korea, showcasing the fragments.

A senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Russia hit Ukraine this week with missiles supplied by North Korea for the first time during its invasion.

Dmytro Chubenko, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, said the missile, one of several that hit the city of Kharkiv on Jan. 2, was visually and technically different from Russian models.

“The production method is not very modern. There are deviations from standard Iskander missiles, which we previously saw during strikes on Kharkiv. This missile is similar to one of the North Korean missiles,” Chubenko told media as he displayed the remnants.

He said the missile was slightly bigger in diameter than the Russian Iskander missile, while its nozzle, internal electrical windings, and rear parts were also different.