Ukraine shot down 45 Russian drones as the pro-Western country rang in the New Year, news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported quoting the country’s air force statement issued on Sunday.
Moscow used drones and missiles built in Iran to attack Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on New Year’s Eve.
In a statement, the Ukrainian air force claimed that 45 “Shahed” drones had been destroyed by air defences.
According to the statement, thirteen drones were shot down at the end of 2022 and another 32 in the new year.
If any of the drones managed to hit their intended targets, Ukrainian authorities did not say, according to the report.
According to the armed forces, all of the Iranian-made Shahed-136 combat drones, dubbed “kamikaze,” were destroyed by Ukrainian air defences. On New Year’s Eve, Russia also launched 20 missiles at sites in neighbouring Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military, as per the report.
Andriy Nebitov, the head of the Kyiv police, shared a picture on Facebook of the wreckage of a downed drone with the words “Happy New Year” in Russian, the report said.
“That’s everything you need to know about the terror state and its army,” he wrote.
The attacks came as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its 11th month.
Following a string of humiliating military defeats, Russia began striking Ukraine’s infrastructure in October, leaving millions in the cold and dark.
The West On The Recent Russian Attacks On Ukraine:
United States Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink has condemned Russian attacks on Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday as “cowardly”.
“Russia coldly and cowardly attacked Ukraine in the early hours of the new year. But Putin still does not seem to understand that Ukrainians are made of iron,” she posted on Twitter.
Beyond belief. Russia coldly and cowardly attacked Ukraine in the early hours of the new year. But Putin still does not seem to understand that Ukrainians are made of iron. America is absolutely confident Ukraine will prevail in 2023. Slava Ukraini!
— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) January 1, 2023
France will support Ukraine until it achieves triumph, French President Emmanuel Macron stated in a televised New Year’s address, as reported by Al-Jazeera.
“During the coming year, we will be unfailingly at your side,” Macron said.
“We will help you until victory and we will be together to build a just and lasting peace. You can rely on France and Europe.”
Vœux 2023 aux Français. https://t.co/vKa0IPLfkM
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 31, 2022
(With Inputs From Agencies)
