Ukraine ramps up air defense following drone attacks. Zelensky expresses gratitude for military aid as Kyiv and Odessa suffer damages.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a strengthening of the country’s air defenses and thanked Germany and other partners for promised military assistance, reports ZDF heute. Zelensky stressed that as winter approaches, Russian attacks are likely to intensify. In his daily video message, he stated that concrete steps to secure Ukraine will follow in the coming weeks.
Renewed Drone Attacks in Kyiv
ZDF heute reports that Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine have once again been targeted by drone attacks. The head of Kyiv’s Military Administration, Serhij Popko, reported the successful interception of nearly ten Iranian-made kamikaze drones in Kyiv and its outskirts, resulting in no critical damage or injuries.
According to ZDF heute, Zelensky praised the defense forces for intercepting almost 30 drones the previous night. However, infrastructure objects in the southern Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia and Odessa were damaged. In Odessa, a fire broke out in an administrative building of an energy complex, leaving 2,000 people without power.
Drone Attacks on Moscow Thwarted
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported a thwarted drone attack towards Moscow, a statement confirmed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. However, these claims could not be independently verified by ZDF heute. In Zaporizhzhia, four out of eight drones were intercepted, but there were hits on several infrastructure objects. The British Ministry of Defense estimates that neither Russia nor Ukraine have made significant progress in their battles.
Image: President.gov.ua, Zelenskyi and Shahed-131 01, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)