Residential buildings were damaged in Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Odesa provinces overnight after Russia launched dozens of attack drones across the Azov Sea into eastern and central parts of the country. File photo by Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA-EFE
Dec. 30 (UPI) — Russia sent dozens of attack drones across the Azov Sea into eastern and central Ukraine overnight, damaging houses in Kharkiv and Odessa, the Ukrainian military said.
At least 43 Shahed-type drones, 22 of which were so-called “decoy” unmanned aerial vehicles, were launched from Russia’s Primorsko-Akhtarsk region against targets in Kharkiv, Poltava, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv and Odessa provinces, according to a Ukraine Air Force post on social media.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 21 of the drones but damage was caused by falling debris.
Odessa Gov. Oleh Kiper said in a Telegram update that falling debris in Rozdilnyansky district, 40 miles northwest of Odessa city, damaged the windows, facades and roofs of five residential buildings but that the premises did not catch fire and that there were no casualties.
Together with the 370 UAVs Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said had been fired at Ukraine in the week to Sunday, the latest airborne assault brought to 413 the number of drones deployed against cities and towns across the country.
“In total, during this week, Russia used more than 370 attack drones, about 280 guided aerial bombs and 80 missiles of various types against Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
“Our cities and communities are under constant Russian bombardment. Even on Christmas night, the terrorists staged a massive air attack,” he said, referring to “inhumane” missile strikes Wednesday that damaged the country’s power grid, leaving nearly 500,000 households without power in frigid weather conditions.
Zelensky said he was expecting an official announcement by the United States on Monday of a “significant support package for our soldiers” that was crucial for Ukraine to be able to stabilize its front lines.
“Every additional supply from our partners means more saved lives of our soldiers. We are also working to ensure that other partners maintain their support at the necessary level,” said Zelensky.
Separately, the defense minister of neighboring Slovakia, Robert Kalinak, said Bratislava wanted to see an immediate cease-fire and peace talks, calling for a reality check acknowledging that the situation on the ground, militarily and geographically, meant Ukraine may have no option but to give up some territory to Russia.
“Ukraine does not realize it will never find itself between Germany and Switzerland, but will always share its longest border with the Russian Federation,” he said. “It is important that, above all, people stop dying,” said Kalinak, who stressed Ukraine was a victim of Russian military aggression in breach of international law.
The central European republic, a member of both the European Union and NATO, has deviated sharply from its liberal pro-western path in favor of Moscow since the October 2023 election of populist Prime Minister Robert Fica on a platform of cracking down on immigration and ending military assistance for Ukraine.
Fico’s coalition government implemented a weapons ban immediately upon taking office but has continued to support Ukraine by providing equipment such as demining machines.