On the 14th of December, the Ukrainian army intercepted and destroyed 13 drones that Russia used in the attack on Kyiv, and the United States is considering the possibility of sending additional weapons to Ukraine, Reuters writes.
Kyiv mayor Vitaly Klitschko informed that the explosions shook the central part of the city, and two administrative buildings were also damaged. The air raid alert was in effect for three hours.
Residents of Kyiv said they heard the sound of an Iranian drone followed by a loud explosion. One of them, Yana, who was about to go to work at the time, said:
«I was already in the kitchen – I heard everything – I heard the buzzing and I ran into the bathroom. I want this all to be over… For Putin, that bastard, to die. Those are the only emotions.»
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the attacks were deliberately planned in the dark to make the drones more difficult to shoot down. However, he added that they managed to successfully shoot down 13 drones.
Ukraine has already received air defense systems from Western countries, and US officials reported that a decision on Patriot air defense system deliveries could be made as early as Thursday, December 15. The Kremlin has indicated that Patriot air defense systems will be considered targets in attacks on Ukraine.
Millions of civilians in Ukraine have to live with power, water, and heating interruptions at a time when the air temperature has dropped below zero. Repairs to power lines continue, but only two-thirds of the required amount of electricity is available in Kyiv.
Volodimir Zelensky has asked Russia to start withdrawing its army from Ukraine by Christmas, which would be the first step towards a peace deal, but the Kremlin announced on the 14th of December that it had not received offers for a truce during Christmas.
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