search

Ukraine air force claims 45 Iranian attack drones shot down over New Year

Authorities identify Tehran-supplied UAVs; Kyiv police chief publishes photo of wreckage of one craft with ‘Happy New Year’ scrawled on it; no comment on how many hit their targets

A man reacts next to the body of his wife, killed during a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Dec. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Roman Hrytsyna)
A man reacts next to the body of his wife, killed during a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Dec. 31, 2022. (AP Photo/Roman Hrytsyna)

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine shot down 45 Russian drones overnight as the pro-Western country rang in the New Year, the air force said on Sunday.

In a New Year’s Eve assault, Moscow attacked Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with missiles and Iranian-made drones.

Ukraine’s air force said in a statement that air defenses destroyed 45 Shahed drones. The Shahed drone is made by Iran and Ukraine has accused the Islamic Republic of supplying Russian with the weapons.

Thirteen drones were shot down at the end of 2022 and another 32 in the new year, the statement said.

Ukrainian authorities did not say if any of the drones reached their targets.

Andriy Nebitov, the head of the Kyiv police, posted on Facebook a picture of wreckage of a downed drone that featured the words “Happy New Year” in Russian.

“That is everything you need to know about the terror state and its army,” he wrote.

The attacks came as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine enters its 11th month.

After a series of humiliating military defeats, Russia in October began targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure, leaving millions in the cold and dark.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

read more:
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.