Ukraine's Air Defense Destroys 28 Out of 31 Russia-launched Drones

Service members of Ukrainian Joint Assault Brigade Fury fire a S60 cannon towards Russian troops near the front-line town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine December 21, 2023. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi

Russia launched 31 drones and 2 missiles at Ukraine overnight, mostly targeting the south of the country, with air defenses destroying 28 drones and both missiles, the Ukrainian military said on Monday.
"As a result of air combat, the Ukrainian Air Force and defense forces destroyed 28 Shahed attack drones in Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad and Khmelnytskyi regions," Ukraine's Air Forces said on the Telegram messaging app.
The drones were launched from Russian-occupied Crimea, it said.
The military said debris from the downed drones damaged technical facilities in the Odesa port as well as "an inoperable administrative building and a warehouse", Reuters reported.
In Kherson region, a fire broke out in a warehouse, the military said.
"No people were injured," the military added.
The military also repeated previously issued information that two Russian military aircraft were downed near the Russian-occupied city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov in southern Ukraine and near occupied Donetsk city in eastern Ukraine.
On Sunday, Russian and Ukrainian military officials both reported downing enemy aircraft in different areas of the 1,000-km-long (621-mile) front of their 22-month-old war.
Reuters could not independently verify the Ukrainian air force's report. There was no immediate comment from Russia.