A series of Russian attacks in Kiev and elsewhere came as Ukraine said it shot down a Mi-8 helicopter with a naval drone for the first time.

Russia has launched a fierce air campaign against Ukraine, hitting the capital Kiev and other areas with salvoes of missiles and drones.

The Ukrainian air force said on Tuesday it shot down six of 21 missiles launched by Russia overnight. The Russian Air Force stated on Telegram that Russia used 40 drones to attack the country. The anti-aircraft forces shot down 16, and 24 more failed to hit their targets.

The Ukrainian air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3am (01:00 GMT), and minutes later at least two explosions were heard in Kiev and a number of attacks occurred across the country.

Kiev issued another missile alert at 8am (06:00 GMT), followed by at least one explosion in the city. Fragments of the missile landed in the capital’s Dalnitsky district, and no casualties or damage were reported.

Meanwhile, authorities in the northeastern Sumy region reported attacks near the city of Shostka, which mayor Mykola Noha said has 12 residential buildings and two educational facilities Been vandalized.

Noha said some “social infrastructure” had been destroyed but gave no further details. The Ukrainian Air Force also reported missiles and drones targeting several other areas.

When a strike occurs Conflict over the past three years The epidemic is still ongoing, but with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump about to take office, its direction is uncertain. Trump promises to end war and cast doubt on whether the United States will continue to provide vital military support to Kyiv.

Kyiv counterattacks

Ukraine’s military intelligence service also said on Tuesday that its naval Magura V5 maritime drone destroyed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and damaged another in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian intelligence agency GUR stated that this was the first time a Ukrainian naval drone shot down an air target.

While Russia did not comment, Mikhail Razvozaev, the Russian-appointed governor of Crimea’s Sevastopol, said on Telegram that two maritime drones were destroyed near the coast at night. The Defense Ministry shot down four drones attacking the city.

The Russian Defense Ministry said aerial systems shot down a total of 68 Ukrainian drones in multiple regions of the country.

On Monday, President Joe Biden announced that the United States would Send an additional $2.5 billion The Trump administration is quickly spending all available funds to help Kyiv fight Russia before Trump takes office.

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and war broke out. About half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has since been destroyed, and Kiev’s Western allies have provided air defense systems to help it protect critical infrastructure.

But Russia is trying to overwhelm its air defenses in a series of slow but steady offensives, using large numbers of missiles and drones in coordinated strikes.

Russian troops advanced 3,985 square kilometers (1,539 square miles) in Ukraine in 2024, seven times more than in 2023, according to an analysis of data from the Institute for War Studies (ISW).

Increased Russian troop movements in the fall fueled advances to 610 square kilometers (235 square miles) in October and 725 square kilometers (280 square miles) in November as of December 30.

November and October were also the two months in which they captured the most territory since March 2022, the first weeks of the conflict.