Russia says it shot down 36 Ukrainian drones as preventing grinds on in Ukraine’s east

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian air protection shot down over 30 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula in a single day Saturday, Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned Sunday.

“The air protection methods in place destroyed 36 Ukrainian unmanned aerial autos over the Black Sea and the northwestern a part of the Crimean peninsula,” the ministry wrote on Telegram.

Native authorities within the southern Krasnodar area bordering the Black Sea mentioned {that a} fireplace broke out at an oil refinery within the early hours of Sunday, however didn’t specify the trigger. “The explanations for the incident are being established,” an announcement from native authorities mentioned, amid claims in native media retailers that the fireplace had been attributable to a drone strike or particles from a downed drone.

Drone strikes and shelling on the Russian border areas and Moscow-annexed Crimea are an everyday prevalence. Ukrainian officers by no means acknowledge accountability for assaults on Russian territory or the Crimean peninsula.

In Ukraine, the nation’s air pressure mentioned Sunday it had shot down 5 Iranian-made Shahed exploding drones launched by Russia in a single day.

Near the entrance line within the nation’s east, the place Ukrainian and Russian forces are locked in a grinding battle for management, 4 cops have been wounded when a shell fired by Russian troops exploded by their police automobile within the metropolis of Siversk, situated within the partly occupied Donetsk province.

British intelligence assessed this weekend that Russia had suffered a few of its greatest casualty charges to date this yr because of continued “heavy however inconclusive” preventing across the city of Avdiivka, additionally within the Donetsk province. The UK Ministry of Defence’s common intelligence replace on Saturday morning famous that Russia had dedicated “parts of as much as eight brigades” within the space because it launched its “main offensive effort” in mid-October.

Additionally on Sunday, a distinguished ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia may take motion to grab belongings of European Union member states it considers hostile if the EU proceeds with its plan to “steal” frozen Russian funds to assist Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction efforts.

“A variety of European politicians (…) have as soon as once more began speaking about stealing our nation’s frozen funds in an effort to proceed the militarization of Kyiv,” Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma, the decrease home of Russia’s parliament, wrote on Telegram.

Volodin made the assertion in response to an announcement on Friday by Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Fee, on a proposal to make use of earnings from frozen Russian state belongings to assist Ukraine in its rebuilding.

Volodin asserted that Moscow would reply with measures that will inflict vital prices on the EU if it have been to take motion in opposition to Russian belongings, a substantial portion of that are in Belgium.

“Such a choice would require a symmetrical response from the Russian Federation. In that case, much more belongings belonging to unfriendly nations can be confiscated than our frozen funds in Europe,” Volodin mentioned.

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