Russia’s Christmas night attack against Ukraine: AFU neutralize 28 Shahed drones, 2 missiles, and 2 fighter jets

The Ukrainian Armed Forces Air Force reported this.

Drone attack: 28 targets destroyed out of 31

On the night of December 25, 2023, the Russian Federation initiated an attack on Ukraine, launching 31 Shahed-type attack UAVs from the Chauda and Balaklava regions in Crimea, along with two air-launched missiles.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, "During anti-aircraft combat operations, Ukrainian Air Force and Defense Forces successfully destroyed 28 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs across Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Kirovohrad, and Khmelnytskyi regions."

UAVs launched on the evening of December 24 from occupied Crimea targeted Ukraine from various directions, attempting to overwhelm air defenses and strike crucial infrastructure. The primary focus of the enemy remains on port facilities and other vital structures essential for the region's survival.

The drone attack persisted for over six and a half hours.

The Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine reported that, in the south, air defense successfully eliminated 22 Shahed-136 attack UAVs – 17 in Odesa, 3 in Kherson, and one each in Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad regions.

Ukrainian defense forces successfully eliminated two Russian fighters

In the Donetsk region, Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile units from the Air Force took down one Su-34, reported in the evening, and another Su-30SM was destroyed over the Black Sea.

Odesa region 

In Odesa, the wreckage of a downed UAV caused damage to technical premises within the port infrastructure. Additionally, in the Rozdilna district of the Odesa region, debris damaged an inactive administration building and a warehouse of a conserved facility during the crash. Thankfully, the fire was promptly extinguished, and no injuries were reported.

Kherson region 

In the Kherson region's Beryslav district, a drone struck a warehouse, leading to a fire that was quickly extinguished by firefighters.

Khmelnytskyi region 

The Air Force issued a warning at 9:47 p.m. that Russian UAVs were entering the Khmelnytskyi region, nearing Starokostyantyniv. 

Serhiy Tyurin, head of the Khmelnytskyi regional military administration, reported that air defense forces were actively operating in the district.

On the morning of December 25, the administration disclosed that, during a night air alert, the Air Defense Forces neutralized a Shahed-type UAV in the region. Fortunately, there was no information regarding casualties, injuries, or destruction.

Dnipropetrovsk region

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Ukrainian military took down five Russian drones on the night of December 24, as reported by the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration. Two were downed in the Synelnykove and Dnipro districts, with another in the Pavlohrad district.

"In the latter incident, debris caused damage to a utility room and a grain loader. In the Dnipro region, remnants of enemy artillery fell on the grounds of a non-operational facility. A single-story building caught fire, but firefighters successfully controlled the situation," the message explains.

Missile attacks on Kropyvnytskyi and Odesa

On the night of December 24, the Russian Federation's tactical aviation launched a Kh-59 missile toward Kropyvnytskyi and a Kh-31P missile toward Chornomorsk in the Odesa region. Air defense units eliminated both targets.

At around seven in the evening, the Air Force reported that occupiers fired a rocket towards Kropyvnytskyi. "Suspilne" documented explosions in the city. Later, Andriy Raikovych, the head of the military administration, confirmed that air defense forces were active in the region.

Furthermore, at 21:27, the Air Force reported another missile heading towards Odesa. "Suspilne" recorded an explosion. Around 9:00 p.m., a second explosion occurred in Odesa.