Ukraine says it shot down 20 Russian drones

Ukraine’s military said Thursday it shot down 20 of the 31 drones that Russian forces launched in overnight attacks.

The intercepts took place over the Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Kyiv regions, Ukraine’s air force said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday it destroyed five Ukrainian aerial drones over the Volgograd, Voronezh and Belgorod regions.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram a drone attack damaged several apartment buildings and a house, but that no one was hurt.

The latest round of aerial attacks between the two sides followed a more active than usual day of drone and missile assaults.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday condemned a massive Russian attack that Ukraine’s military said included 106 drones and 78 missiles.

“The purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the Ukrainian people’s access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid. Let me be clear: the Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety,” Biden said in a statement.

The United States, Biden said, “has provided Ukraine with hundreds of air defense missiles, and more are on the way. I have directed the Department of Defense to continue its surge of weapons deliveries to Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia targeted energy infrastructure as part of an attempt to “fight for a blackout in Ukraine.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement it struck critical energy infrastructure facilities that support Ukraine’s military.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. 
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