A volunteer clears the rubble of a destroyed house as a result of shelling in the village of Moshchun, Kyiv region, on Oct 29, 2022. (SERGEI CHUZAVKOV / AFP)
MOSCOW/KIEV – Russia's armed forces launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air- and sea-based weapons at Ukrainian military targets and energy facilities needed for the operation of Ukraine's defense industry, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
All the assigned targets have been neutralized after the attack, which was carried out on Thursday. The strike was able to stop the production and maintenance of Ukrainian military hardware and ordnance, and disrupt the redeployment of Ukraine's reserve forces from Western regions in Ukraine, it said.
The Kiev City Military Administration said on Telegram that five drones targeting the Ukrainian capital were shot down overnight
Also on Friday, Ukrainian air defense shot down all 16 drones launched by Russia in the new strikes overnight through Friday, said the Air Force Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Russia attacked Ukraine with Iranian-made kamikaze drones Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 from the southeast and the northeast directions, the Ukrainian Air Force Command said in a statement on Facebook.
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The Kiev City Military Administration said on Telegram that five drones targeting the Ukrainian capital were shot down overnight.
On Thursday, the air defense of Ukraine shot down 54 out of 69 missiles fired by Russia morning in a fresh wave of air strikes on Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, chief commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on Telegram.
The Russian military attacked targets in Ukraine with air and sea-based cruise missiles and anti-aircraft guided missiles to the S-300 systems, Zaluzhny said.
Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said that he sees no signs of any preparations for invading Ukraine from Belarus, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Thursday.
"As of now, I don't see any signs of preparations for an invasion of Kiev or northern areas from Belarus," Budanov said.
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Meanwhile, explosions were heard in Kiev on Thursday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry's Zvezda broadcaster reported, citing Ukrainian media outlets.
Eyewitnesses reported strong blasts in the northwest of the Ukrainian capital and its outskirts, and according to some people in Kiev, glass was shaking in apartment buildings, it added.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Thursday it stands ready to investigate the S-300 missile falling in the south of Belarus.
"The Ukrainian side, reserving the unconditional right to defense and protection of its own sky, at the same time, stands ready to conduct an objective investigation in Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement.
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The incident that occurred in the skies over the territory of Belarus is a result of repelling a massive Russian missile strike, according to the statement.
source https://netdace.com/latest-news/russia-assigned-targets-in-ukraine-neutralized-after-strike/