Ukraine: Russian strikes thwarted, wreckage hits buildings

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian authorities say they thwarted a Russian attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region as their air defense system intercepted and destroyed 13 explosive-laden drones. A local official said wreckage from some of them damaged five buildings. No casualties were reported. The attempted strikes underline how vulnerable Ukraine’s capital remains to the Russian attacks that have devastated infrastructure in recent weeks, mostly in the country’s east and south. But they also highlighted Ukraine’s claims of increasing efficiency in intercepting weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces fired 13 Iranian-made drones, and all were intercepted. Ukraine’s snow-covered capital remained largely calm after Wednesday’s (Dec. 14, 2022) attack, which occurred around daybreak.