On Sunday, the Ukrainian air force reported that they had successfully destroyed eight out of nine attack drones that were launched by Russia overnight. This comes after Ukrainian officials claimed that it was the largest drone attack by Russia in the ongoing war.

No damage was immediately reported and there is no information about where the remaining drone had landed.

On Saturday, Kyiv experienced the biggest drone attack from Russia since their invasion of Ukraine in February of last year. According to Ukraine, they were able to successfully take down 74 out of the 75 Shahed drones, which were designed by Iran and launched by Russia during a six-hour air strike.

According to a post on Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko’s Telegram account, five individuals, including a child, were injured in the assault. The Ukrainian air force reported that they were able to take down 66 of the drones flying over Kyiv. The attack resulted in power outages for 17,000 people, as stated by a city official.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has issued a warning that Russia intends to target crucial infrastructure in an aerial campaign during the winter, similar to what happened last year.

“According to Serhiy Fursa, a well-known economist from Ukraine, it appears that we have witnessed the beginning of the winter season tonight.”

On Sunday, the Russian defense ministry reported that they had stopped 24 drones and brought down two Ukrainian S-200 missiles in the areas of Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Smolensk, and Bryansk.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that there was an attempted mass drone attack overnight. He also mentioned that Ukrainian drones were successfully brought down in multiple locations in the Moscow region.

The ministry stated that the missiles were intercepted above the Sea of Azov.

According to Alexei Dyumin, the governor of the region, a drone that was intercepted caused injury to an individual in Tula after hitting an apartment building.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, flights at Moscow’s primary airports experienced delays or cancellations due to a drone attack.

According to a Russian-appointed official in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk, Ukrainian troops allegedly targeted the energy infrastructure, resulting in a loss of heating and electricity for certain individuals.

Russian soldiers’ morale

As the conflict enters its second winter, an increasing amount of Russian troops are looking to leave Ukraine. This is evident in recordings of soldiers speaking to their families from the frontlines in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions of Ukraine.

Obtained by The Associated Press, these secret recordings provide a unique perspective on the war from a Russian standpoint. This viewpoint is often absent in Western media due to Russia’s censorship of critical discussions about the conflict in Ukraine. The recordings also shed light on the harsh realities and challenges faced by Russian soldiers on the battlefield.

One soldier explained to his brother that there was no honorable death in battle, stating “You simply perish, like a lowly earthworm.”

The individuals speaking in these phone conversations are men who were unable or unwilling to escape military recruitment. Some lacked financial resources, education, and opportunities. Others felt a sense of loyalty to their country.

The Associated Press confirmed the identities of individuals involved in the calls by interviewing family members and soldiers, some of whom are currently serving in Ukraine. Additionally, they conducted research using publicly available information associated with the phone numbers used by the soldiers.

There were also soldiers who were dedicated to the battle.

“While we are still needed, we will continue to fulfill our duties,” stated a soldier named Artyom during a May interview with AP from eastern Ukraine. He had been stationed there for eight consecutive months without any breaks. “Please refrain from asking me these foolish inquiries.”

Germany debt

Economists suggest that due to years of inadequate investment, Berlin may struggle to fund initiatives aimed at addressing pressing issues like climate change and the war in Ukraine, despite being the largest economy in Europe. This has resulted in the current state of stagnation.

According to Scope Ratings, there has been a deficit of approximately 300 billion euros in German investments compared to other AAA-rated economies over the past ten years.

Leaders in both the business and political arenas have begun advocating for fiscal responsibility in a public manner.

“I have been emphasizing for a while now that we should be concerned about the debt brake becoming an obstacle for our future,” stated Kai Wegner, Mayor of Berlin, on the social media platform X.

In Ukraine, Saturday marked Holodomor Remembrance Day, a day dedicated to reflecting on the widespread famine caused by Soviet policies in the 1930s, which resulted in the deaths of millions.

The Holodomor, also known as “death by starvation” in Ukrainian, was a deliberate policy implemented by Josef Stalin. While it is considered genocide by Ukrainians and over 30 other countries, Moscow denies this.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, stated that Russia has conducted 911 assaults, resulting in the deaths of 19 Ukrainians and injuries to 84 individuals throughout the nation in the past week.

He stated on the Telegram messaging app that the enemy is escalating their assaults in an attempt to annihilate Ukraine and its people. This is a deliberate action, reminiscent of the mass killings of our ancestors by Russia 90 years ago.

The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters contributed to the information in this article.

Source: voanews.com