Russia rockets, fears Kiev, Ukraine's other regions

Ukraine's Air Force reported a threat to ballistic missile attacks at three o'clock in the morning, with at least two explosions heard in Kiev a few minutes later. Another missile attack alarm was issued at 8:00 a.m., followed by at least one explosion in the city. The missile fragments fell in the capital's Darnytsky neighbourhood without reports of casualties or damage, the local administration said.

Authorities in the northeast Sumi region reported attacks near the town of Shostka, where mayor Mykola Noha said 12 residential buildings were damaged, as well as two educational items. He said some “social infrastructure targets” were destroyed, but did not provide further details.

The Air Force reported further missile attacks and fears targeting several other regions of Ukraine.

In Moscow, the Russian Defence Ministry said its forces successfully hit a Ukrainian air base and a gunpowder factory.

About half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been destroyed during the war, and continuing power outages are common and widespread.

The Western allies of Kiev have provided air defence systems to help Ukraine protect critical infrastructure, but Russia is trying to overload it with combined attacks, including a large number of rockets and fears.

Russian attacks occur at a time of uncertainty over the course of nearly three-year conflict. United States President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20th, has vowed to end the war and has questioned the continued military support of the United States for Kiev.

On Monday, President Joe Biden announced a new US military assistance to Ukraine worth 2.5 billion dollars. His administration is working quickly to spend all the money available to help Kiev fight Russian aggression before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Ukraine has retorted Russia with a constant hail of missile attacks and fears throughout the year.

Early Tuesday, Russia's Defence Ministry said the air defence brought down 68 Ukrainian fears over several regions early Tuesday and sank eight ships without crews in the Black Sea.

The leader of the Smolensk region in western Russia, Vasily Anokhin, said the drone fragments fell into an oil depot, triggering a fire.

In Russia's occupied crime, the head of the town of Sevastopol, appointed by Moscow, Mikhail Razvozheyev, said the Russian defence brought down four fears that were attacking the city and sank two boats without crews on the coast.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Military Intelligence Directorate claimed that one of its maritime fears Tuesday crashed a Russian helicopter with a rocket, marking the first time an air target was destroyed by a ship without crew.

He said sea drone “MaguraV5” knocked down a Russian Mi-8 helicopter with a R-73 rocket near Cape Tarkhank, the westernmost point of the Crime Peninsula. Another Russian helicopter was injured, but managed to land at an airport, the Ukrainian intelligence agency said.

Russia has made more progress this year after its military in eastern Ukraine with a number of slow but stable offensives.

In August, however, Ukraine launched an offensive in the Russian region of Kursk, which seized Moscow by surprise, giving a strong blow to the Kremlin's prestige. The Russian Army has succeeded in regaining several territories occupied by Ukrainian forces, but has failed to fully remove them from the Kursk region. / VOA