Ukraine to boost air defences as Russia targets energy infrastructure
Nov 20, 2023
Moscow [Russia], November 20: In his daily video message on Saturday evening, Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky has announced new steps to bolster Ukraine's air defences in the coming weeks.
Air defence will become more important in Kiev's defence plans as winter approaches. Kiev expects Moscow to launch more attacks against the Ukrainian electricity, heating and water supply this winter.
"The closer we get to winter, the greater Russia's efforts will be to step up its attacks," said Zelensky.
Energy infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhya and Odessa came under heavy Russian drone attack in the early hours of Saturday, the Ukrainian military said.
The air force reported on its Telegram channel that of the 38 drones that were launched, 29 had been intercepted.
The attacks caused a fire in an administrative building in an energy complex in Odessa, with one person injured, the Ukrainian southern command said. The fire had been extinguished, it said.
In Zaporizhzhya, four out of eight drones had been intercepted, the military governor, YuriyMalashko, said on Telegram. Some parts of the infrastructure had been hit and one fire had broken out, he said. There were no injuries.
The neighbouring Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, as well as Kiev and Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine also reported attacks.
Meanwhile Moscow's mayor said Russian air defences thwarted a Saturday night drone attack on the Russian capital. The attack on Bogorodskoye, in the eastern administrative district of the city of Moscow overnight on Saturday night was repelled, Moscow's mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on his Telegram channel early Sunday morning.
"An attempted drone attack on Moscow was foiled by air defence forces in the Bogorodsky urban district tonight. No damage or casualties as a result of the falling debris. Emergency services are working at the site," Sobyanin posted.
The Russian Ministry of Defence also announced on Telegram that the air defence had destroyed a Ukrainian drone over Bogorodskoye.
Source: Qatar Tribune
