Russia launches 111 UAVs at Ukraine from four directions: Air defense works

On New Year’s Eve, Russia attacked Ukraine with 111 drones from four directions. Most of them were shot down by air defense forces, the press service of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.

“On the night of January 1, 2025, the enemy launched an attack using 111 strike UAVs of the ‘Shahed’ type and other drones from the directions of Bryansk, Oryol, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Crimea,” the statement says.

Air defense response

The aerial assault was countered by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, mobile fire teams of the Air Force, and the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

“As of 09:30 a.m., the confirmed downing of 63 strike UAVs of the ‘Shahed’ type and other drones has been reported,” Ukraine’s military stated.

Air defense units operated in the Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, and Mykolaiv regions.

In addition, due to the defense forces’ active countermeasures, 46 enemy decoy drones were lost locally, and two returned to Russia and Belarus.

Russian attack on Kyiv on New Year’s Eve

Russian forces launched a drone attack on Ukraine on the night of January 1. Explosions were heard in Kyiv even into the late morning hours, and the region’s air defense systems were active.

The attack left its mark on the capital. During the interception of enemy drones, debris fell in the Pecherskyi city district. A fire broke out in a non-residential building, and the top two floors of a residential building were partially destroyed.

Initially, one injured woman was reported. However, the number of casualties in Kyiv has now risen to six, including a pregnant woman.

For more details about the consequences of the Russian attack on Kyiv on January 1, read our material on the topic.