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Russian defense ministry says it shot down 36 Ukrainian drones

by VOA News

   Russia's defense ministry said Monday the country's air defenses shot
   down 36 Ukrainian aerial drones that were involved in attacks on
   Russian regions along the border with Ukraine.

   The ministry said it downed 18 drones over the Bryansk region, nine
   over the Kursk region and nine more over Belgorod.

   Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regional governor of Belgorod, reported damage
   to houses in two villages, and said on Telegram that several areas were
   without power after the attacks.

   The governors of Bryansk and Kursk each said there were no reported
   injuries or damage in their areas.

   Ukraine's air force issued missile alerts Monday in southern and
   eastern Ukraine, which are frequent targets of Russian drone attacks.

   Serhiy Lysak, the regional governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said
   Monday on Telegram that Russian forces attacked with missiles and
   artillery, with a missile strike in the city of Dnipro injuring seven
   people.

   Lysak said Russian attacks late Sunday included artillery and kamikaze
   drones that damaged several buildings and a gas pipeline in Nikopol.

   Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his calls late
   Sunday for countries providing military aid to Ukraine to further relax
   restrictions on Ukrainian forces using Western weapons to strike
   military targets inside Russia.

   "Clear decisions are needed to help protect our people," he said.
   "Long-range strikes and modern air defense are the foundation for
   stopping the daily Russian terror. I thank all our partners who
   understand this."

   Some material in this report came Reuters and The Associated Press.

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