Ukraine’s military said Thursday that Russia attacked overnight with drones and missiles, while Russia reported Ukrainian aerial attacks targeting the Moscow area hours before President Vladimir Putin was due to hold his end-of-the-year news conference.
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 41 of the 42 drones Russian forces launched, most of them over the Odesa region in southern Ukraine.
Oleh Kiper, the regional governor of Odesa, said on Telegram that falling debris damaged multiple buildings, including a dormitory. He said at least 11 people were injured.
Kiper said Russian forces also attacked port infrastructure in the Izmail area, located along the Danube river, destroying several warehouses.
Russia’s defense ministry said overnight its air defenses destroyed nine Ukrainian drones over the Moscow and Kaluga regions.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that two of the drones were downed near Naro-Fomink, a town southwest of the Russian capital. Sobyanin said there were no reports of damage or casualties.
Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
