CRIMEA DRONE BARRAGE
Moscow’s forces then fired “multiple” ballistic missiles into Ukraine as part of a mass aerial attack on Jan 2, he added.
Russia rained down missiles on Ukraine’s two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, on that date, in fatal strikes that led Kyiv to hit back at the Russian border city of Belgorod, forcing schools to close.
Kirby said the development underscored the need for the US Congress to pass a package of vital military aid for Ukraine, without which the pipeline of support will soon run dry, Kirby added.
Air defences for Ukraine, which has come under a barrage of aerial attacks by Russia in recent days, were “absolutely” a priority, he said.
The United States said in October that North Korea had delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia, but it was the first time it had reported the use of such weapons.
Ukraine has substantially boosted its air defence systems compared to last winter, when systematic Russian strikes on energy infrastructure left millions in the cold and dark for extended periods.
Its air force said Friday Russia attacked Ukraine with nearly 30 Iranian-designed attack drones overnight, but that 21 of them had been downed.
Russia’s defence ministry meanwhile said earlier its forces had repelled a Ukrainian attack over Crimea, shooting down 36 drones over the peninsula annexed in 2014.
Kyiv has struck the Russian-controlled territory throughout the war, launching missiles and drones at Sevastopol, Crimea’s largest city, in a bid to suppress Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet.
Source: CNA
