Kyiv: Russia Has Fired More Than 8,000 Missiles, 4,630 Drones in War so Far

A Ukrainian serviceman of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces salutes his brother-in-arms who rides atop an armored personnel carrier near the front line village of Robotyne, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
A Ukrainian serviceman of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces salutes his brother-in-arms who rides atop an armored personnel carrier near the front line village of Robotyne, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
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Kyiv: Russia Has Fired More Than 8,000 Missiles, 4,630 Drones in War so Far

A Ukrainian serviceman of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces salutes his brother-in-arms who rides atop an armored personnel carrier near the front line village of Robotyne, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer
A Ukrainian serviceman of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces salutes his brother-in-arms who rides atop an armored personnel carrier near the front line village of Robotyne, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer

Russia has launched more than 8,000 missiles and 4,630 drones at targets in Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said on Thursday.

Ukraine has received advanced air defense systems, including several units of the Patriot system, from Western allies throughout the invasion, enabling it to shoot down more missiles.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russian troops may need to reach Ukraine's capital Kyiv to achieve the goals of what Moscow calls a "special military operation.”

According to Russian state news agency TASS, he said Russians and Ukrainians are one nation and the Ukrainian government, which Moscow calls the "Kyiv regime, must fall."



Italy Says No US Extradition Request for Detained Iranian Businessman So Far

A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)
A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)
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Italy Says No US Extradition Request for Detained Iranian Businessman So Far

A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)
A seagull stands in front of an Italian flag flying at half-mast on the Altare della Patri-Vittorio Emanuele II monument in Rome, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. (AFP Photo)

The United States has not submitted any formal request of extradition for an Iranian businessman Mohammad Abedini detained in Milan, Italy's justice minister said in an interview published on Thursday.
"The matter of Abedini is purely legal ... regardless of the (freeing of Italian journalist) Cecilia Sala. It is premature to talk of extradition, also because no formal request has been sent to our ministry so far," Justice Minister Carlo Nordio told daily La Stampa.
Abedini is wanted by the United States on suspicion of involvement in a drone strike against US forces in Jordan. Iran has denied involvement and said last week the detention of the Iranian national amounted to hostage-taking.
His arrest has been linked to the detention three days later of Italian reporter Cecilia Sala, who was seized in Tehran on Dec. 19 while working under a regular journalistic visa and freed on Jan. 8.