According to the authorities, the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and its environs were attacked by Russia with Iranian-made combat drones on Monday night. Critical infrastructure objects were again damaged, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. Power engineers tried to stabilize the supply of electricity and heating. In some parts of the city, the electricity was switched off as an emergency.
According to reports from residents, the typical flight noise of the drones and the fire from the anti-aircraft defenses could be heard over the city at night. No one in Kyiv was injured, Klitschko wrote. The Ukrainian authorities reported two injured people from the surrounding area. Infrastructure objects and private houses were damaged.
According to military information, Kyiv alone was attacked by more than 20 Iranian-made combat drones. The air defense shot down about 15 of them. Another ten drones were intercepted in southern Ukraine. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian army recently received a new delivery of Iranian-made drones.
Air raid sirens wailed almost all night in Kyiv. The air alert was lifted in the morning. Only on Friday did a heavy wave of Russian attacks lead to massive failures in the electricity, heat and water supply in Ukraine.
Military exercises in Belarus
According to the Russian news agency Interfax, Russian armed forces will begin tactical military exercises in Belarus. “The final assessment of the combat capability and combat readiness of the units will be made by the command at the final stage of coordination – after conducting battalion tactical exercises,” Interfax reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry. It was not immediately clear when and where the exercises would be held in Belarus. The Belarusian Defense Ministry said in October that 9,000 Russian soldiers would be deployed to the country as part of a “regional pooling” of forces to protect the borders.