Ukraine said on Friday that it had suffered a new nighttime airstrike by Russia using 25 Iranian-made drones and two missiles in the south and east of the country.
• Also read: Ukraine says it shot down 21 drones in nighttime attacks
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“In total, the enemy used two Kh-59 missiles and 25 Shahed 136/131 attack drones,” the Ukrainian Air Force said, saying it shot down 18 drones and one missile over the southern regions.
The Ukrainian authorities accuse Russia of preparing a campaign of systematic attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure in the middle of winter, as it did last year.
In the winter of 2022, these strikes left millions of people without power for an extended period of time during a cold snap.
Kiev has since bolstered its air defense systems with Western weapons but says more is needed to protect vulnerable regions.