Ukraine escalates attacks, Russia downs 11 Ukrainian drones
4 Min Read
Ukrainian forces escalated their attacks on the DPR with 32 attacks as eleven drones flew over four Russian regions before being shot down.
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An operator controls a reusable airstrike “Punisher” drone made by the Ukrainian company UA Dynamics during a test in Kyiv region on August 11, 2023. (AFP)
Ukraine shelled the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) 32 times in the last 24 hours, according to a statement from the DPR's representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of matters relating to Ukraine's war crimes.
"Over the past 24 hours, the office reported 32 cases of fire by Ukrainian armed units," the office said on Telegram.
It was reported that the Ukrainian military had fired 110 rounds of varied munitions, adding that the office also said three civilians had been wounded. The statement stated that 31 shelling attacks by Ukrainian troops were recorded the day before.
Later in the day, Denis Pushilin, the DPR's head, stated that Kiev was attempting to damage the republic's energy infrastructure. "Unfortunately, due to the scale of the attacks, not everything was shot down. There are reports of damage, and as a result, part of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic was de-energized," Pushilin said on Telegram.
Russia destroys 11 Ukrainian drones above Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk Regions: Ministry
Eleven Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russian air defenses over the districts of Kaluga, Bryansk, Tula, and Moscow, according to a statement issued by the Russian Defense Ministry.
"This night, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles on targets on the territory of the Russian Federation was stopped. Air defense systems on duty destroyed 11 UAVs over the territory of the Moscow, Tula, Kaluga, and Bryansk regions," the ministry said.
Later in the day, Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the Bryansk Region, reported that another Ukrainian drone had been fired toward the Bryansk area.
Read next: NATO prepping for 'high-intensity conflict' with Russia: Czech Rep.
"An attempt by Ukrainian terrorists to carry out an attack using a UAV was stopped. Air defense systems of the Russian Ministry of Defense destroyed an aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicle over the Bryansk region. There were no casualties or damage," Bogomaz said on Telegram.
According to their schedule, three Moscow airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo—had at least 29 delayed flights and three canceled in the morning after the accidents.
Later in the day, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports told Sputnik that their operations had returned to normal after temporary restrictions.
This comes after Former senior US Defense Department official, military historian, and retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor revealed that the United States has dispatched nearly all of its war stocks and ammunition to Ukraine.
We have sent almost all of our war stocks, weapons systems and ammunition to Ukraine.
— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) November 24, 2023
We don't have a great deal left.
The war in Ukraine is lost.
Make Peace you fools!
"We have sent almost all of our war stocks, weapons systems, and ammunition to Ukraine. We don't have a great deal left. The war in Ukraine is lost. Make peace, you fools!" Macgregor said in a post on X.
This is not the first time that the ex-Pentagon advisor has criticized the destination of US weapons in terms of the war in Ukraine.
On November 23, during a speech at a summit of the Visegrad Group, an informal political club that includes the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, Czech President Petr Pavel echoed Central Europe's support of Ukraine, as NATO views Russia as the biggest threat in Europe and is currently preparing for a major conflict, according to Pavel.
Pavel noted that he does not believe his counterparts have a differing view on the war in Ukraine, saying, “We’ve all agreed that it is in our imminent interest that Ukraine succeed,” as he called aiding Ukraine a “naturally human step.”
When asked about a potential threat to NATO from Russia, Pavel urged caution but argued it would take years for Russia to refurbish its military capabilities.
“On the other hand, there are many variables in the calculation that could change the situation. It will really depend on the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine,” he said, noting, “All armies are preparing for the possibility of a high-intensity conflict.”
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
