- Seven of them were heading towards Kyiv and nine between the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions.

File image of Shahed 136 drone batteries.

Ukrainian Air Force shoots down 16 'Shahed' kamikaze drones from Russia

The Ukrainian Air Force reported the shooting down on Thursday night of a total of 16 kamikaze drones that were attacking the country from the southeast and north.

"On the night of December 29-30, the enemy attacked Ukraine with Iranian-made 'Shahed-131/136' kamikaze drones. In total, 16 'Shaheds' were launched, attacking Ukraine from the south-east and north directions," according to the message on Telegram quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.

He adds that in order to overcome the Ukrainian air defense system, the Russian army tried to use the Dnipro riverbed.

"The 16 kamikaze drones were destroyed by the forces and means of the 'East' and 'Center' air commands, as well as by the anti-aircraft defense units of other components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces," he said.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitaliy Klitschko, reported the downing of seven kamikaze drones that were heading to the capital, although the fragments caused damage to the windows of two buildings, with no casualties reported.

"According to our air defense forces, seven kamikaze drones were heading towards Kyiv. Two of them were shot down on approach to the capital, five over Kyiv," he said in a Telegram message.

Ukrainian troops also shot down nine "Shahed" drones in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions.

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