Russian launches 85 drones and missiles at Ukraine: Air Defense work results

Russia carried out its strikes from various directions:

• The Iskander-M ballistic missiles were launched from the temporarily occupied Crimea and the Rostov region.
• The Kh-59/69 guided air missile flew toward Ukraine from the Kursk region.
• The drones were launched from the areas of Bryansk, Kursk, Millerovo, and Oryol.

The Ukrainian Air Force, in coordination with the Defense Forces, effectively countered the attack.

As of 8:30 a.m. Kyiv time, reports indicated:

• The downing of 45 enemy strike drones.
• The neutralization of 40 decoy drones, which were lost due to location disruption.

Ukrainian defenders successfully destroyed enemy drones over the Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv regions.

Thanks to the coordinated efforts of aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units, no UAVs hit critical infrastructure or other targets.

However, the missile strikes damaged private and apartment buildings, as well as municipal property, in the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties or injuries.

Russian shelling of Ukraine

Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has systematically carried out shelling that poses a threat to both civilian infrastructure and the civilian population.

The occupiers use a wide array of weapons, including drones, missiles, and other armaments.

Ukraine urgently requires air defense systems to protect its civilian population, which is frequently the target of Russian missile attacks.

For instance, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already discussed strengthening air defense with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces continue to inflict losses on the enemy. Between December 18 and 19, 1,530 Russian soldiers, 27 armored fighting vehicles, and 5 tanks were eliminated.