Ukraine Forces Shoot Down 45 Iranian-Made Shahed Drones in Overnight Attack

On Monday, Ukrainian officials reported that 45 Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down overnight by Ukrainian forces. Seven of the drones were shot down over the southern Mykolaiv region, according to Gov. Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 22 drones were destroyed over Kyiv, three in the outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighboring provinces. In the Kyiv region, a “critical infrastructure object” and residential buildings were also hit.

The relentless attacks by Russia over the weekend resulted in the deaths of three civilians on New Year’s Eve. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used his first address of the year to underline the “sense of unity” in the country, and contrast it with the “fear” he said is felt in Russia. He congratulated Ukrainian forces for shooting down the drones and thanked “everyone who is fighting the enemy at the frontline every day and every night,” as well as energy and utility workers restoring infrastructure damaged by Russian strikes.