Ukraine downs 60 Russian drones in overnight defence

On the night of January 11 to 12, Ukrainian Armed forces shot down 60 Russian attack drones, according to the Ukraine Air Force.

Russia launched a total of 94 Shahed-type and decoy drones from bases in Millerovo, Oryol, Bryansk, and Kursk, the Air Force said, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

The Air Force said it also lost track of the 34 decoy drones that Russia launched alongside the attack ones.

The drones were shot down over Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Donetsk oblasts.

Falling debris from downed drones caused damage to several residential houses in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Poltava regions, the Air Force said. However, there were no casualties.

Russian drone attacks across Ukraine surged to record levels in the last months of 2024, with Moscow aiming to ramp up UAV production in the new year. Drone strikes have targeted Ukrainian residential neighbourhoods and critical energy infrastructure.

On December 29, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia has escalated its aerial assault on Ukraine, launching more than 280 glide bombs, nearly 370 attack drones, and over 80 missiles in the past week.

"Our cities and communities are under constant Russian attacks. Even on Christmas night, Russia organized a massive air attack," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, sharing footage of the destruction across Ukraine.

By Khagan Isayev