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Kyiv was once more focused by a wave of Russian drones early on December 14 within the first such assault in weeks, however air-defense techniques prevented any main harm, metropolis authorities mentioned, as fierce preventing raged within the east, the place Moscow’s forces saved up the strain on the whole entrance line with heavy artillery shelling and missile strikes.
Two administrative buildings have been broken, Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote in a put up on Telegram, after explosions have been heard within the metropolis’s central Shevchenkivskiy district, which is residence to many authorities companies and buildings.
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Air pressure spokesman Yuriy Ihnat mentioned Ukrainian air-defense techniques had been efficient.
“The air defenses labored properly,” he mentioned. “13 (drones) have been shot down.”
“Effectively accomplished, I’m proud,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned in a short video message, praising the air-defense techniques which he mentioned appeared to have shot down all of the drones.
Oleksiy Kuleba, the governor of the capital area, additionally mentioned a lot of the drones have been shot down, with out giving additional particulars.
In latest weeks, Ukraine has confronted a barrage of Russian air strikes throughout the nation that brought about intensive harm to its vitality infrastructure and left tens of millions with out electrical energy, water, and heating.
Ihnat mentioned the overall variety of Iranian-made drones launched on December 14 was being verified however that Russia had used some 400 because the first was shot down by Ukraine in mid-September.
It was unclear whether or not Russia was utilizing a brand new batch of Iranian drones or had not but used up its outdated inventory, Ihnat mentioned.
The newest wave of assaults comes as three unnamed U.S. officers instructed Reuters that an announcement on Washington’s plans to supply the Patriot missile-defense system to Ukraine could possibly be made as quickly as this week.
WATCH: Utilizing all their powers of persuasion, Ukrainian volunteers attempt to win over residents of Bakhmut, a metropolis on the japanese entrance of the conflict with Russia, to allow them to take them to safer locations to the west.
There was no quick remark from the Pentagon or from the Ukrainian authorities.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on December 14 mentioned that Patriot techniques would “undoubtedly” be a professional goal for Russia, however wouldn’t touch upon unconfirmed stories.
The Patriot is considered one of the crucial superior U.S. air-defense techniques and is normally briefly provide, with allies world wide vying for it.
Zelenskiy pressed Western leaders as lately as December 12 to supply extra superior weapons to assist Ukraine.
Kyiv mentioned on December 14 that it had secured the discharge of 64 Ukrainian troops and a U.S. citizen in its newest prisoner swap with Russia. “Sixty-four troopers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who fought in Donetsk and Luhansk — notably in defending Bakhmut — are going residence,” presidential chief of workers Andriy Yermak mentioned on social media, including that an American, Suedi Murekezi, was included within the alternate.
Russia’s state-run TASS information company has reported that Murekezi was arrested within the japanese Donetsk area in June and charged with attending anti-Russian protests and inciting “ethnic hatred.”
On the battlefront, the Ukrainian navy repelled assaults by Russian forces on 14 positions in three areas — Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv — throughout the previous 24 hours, the Normal Employees of the Ukrainian navy reported early on December 14.
Heavy preventing continued within the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiyivka in Donetsk.
Invading Russian forces have fought to grab Bakhmut for months as a part of a grinding battle for management of the Donetsk area.
Based on the Normal Employees, Russian troops within the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhya areas “launched one air and 11 missile strikes, three of them on civilian infrastructure… [and] launched greater than 60 assaults from multiple-rocket launchers” previously 24 hours.
Dnipropetrovsk area Governor Valentyn Reznichenko mentioned on December 14 that Russian forces shelled the cities of Nikopol and Marganets all through the night time.
Russian forces additionally fired on the constructing of the regional navy administration within the central sq. of the lately liberated metropolis of Kherson, Yaroslav Yanushevych, the top of the navy administration, mentioned on Telegram on December 14. Yanushevych mentioned that in accordance with preliminary data, there have been no casualties.
Ukraine recaptured Kherson from Russian forces final month.
In response to a query on whether or not Russia would pause hostilities for Christmas or the New 12 months, Peskov on December 14 mentioned the Kremlin had not obtained any proposals from Kyiv to halt preventing in Ukraine through the upcoming vacation interval and Moscow was not planning a cease-fire.
“No, no proposals have been obtained from anybody and no matter of this sort is on the agenda,” Peskov mentioned.
With reporting by Reuters and AP
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