Russia Attacks Ukraine with 28 Drones and Three Missiles in Nighttime Assault

On Sunday, January 7, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that Russia attacked Ukraine with 28 explosive drones and three cruise missiles in the past 24 hours, adding that the country's air defense systems shot down 21 of these drones. The Ukrainian Air Force stated on its Telegram channel that Russia primarily targeted southern and eastern Ukraine, without providing details about the three cruise missiles. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force told national television, "The enemy's focus is on attacking frontline areas, targeting the Kherson and Dnipro regions with its drones." Regional officials in Dnipro reported on Telegram that 12 people were injured in a drone attack on the city of Dnipro. They also mentioned that an educational institution and its dormitory, two apartment complexes, and an office building were damaged. The spokesperson noted that Ukrainian forces used missiles to repel two recent major Russian attacks and that "negotiations are ongoing to provide Ukraine with the number of missiles needed to counter air attacks." Russia has attacked Ukraine with nearly three hundred missiles and over two hundred drones on the eve of the New Year and in the early days of 2024. Russian attacks on the city of Pokrovsk in the partially occupied Donetsk region on Saturday resulted in the deaths of 11 Ukrainians, including five children, and injured eight others. On the same day, the Ukrainian army reported a successful attack on the Russian airbase "Saki" in the western part of the occupied Crimean Peninsula. Mykola Olshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, posted a photo of this airbase on Telegram, stating: "Saki Airport! All targets were hit!" The office of Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, wrote on the social media platform X on Friday, January 5, "There is no longer any concealment. The Russian Federation, with the clear intention of genocide, has attacked Ukrainian territory for the first time with missiles received from North Korea." Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelensky, did not provide evidence that these missiles were of North Korean origin. However, John Kirby, the National Security Council's Strategic Communications Coordinator, referenced Russia's agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran and North Korea for military weapon purchases on Thursday, January 4. In his press conference, Kirby expressed concern over the progress of negotiations between the Islamic Republic and Russia for the sale of short-range ballistic missiles to Moscow and the purchase of ballistic missiles from North Korea. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously described the development and proliferation of missile technology and drones by the Islamic Republic as "one of the biggest challenges to international peace and security." Russian attacks on Ukraine left 19 dead and wounded. Ukraine: Russia uses "non-Russian" missiles; fingers point to the Islamic Republic and North Korea. Britain condemned Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine. Washington expressed concern over negotiations between Iran and Russia for the sale of ballistic missiles. The White House: Russia intends to purchase missile systems from Iran. The Wall Street Journal: Russia seeks to buy ballistic missiles from the Islamic Republic. Exclusive; Abram Pili: The Biden administration's focus in 2024 is to counter the wide range of destabilizing behaviors of the Islamic Republic in the world.