Ukraine says 45 Iranian-made drones shot down on New Year’s Eve

01-01-2023
Chenar Chalak @Chenar_Qader
A+ A-

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Ukrainian Air Force Command on Sunday said that Russia attacked the country with 45 Iranian-made drones on New Year’s Eve, but “did not manage to spoil the holiday” as all of the drones were successfully shot down.

The attack was carried out using “Iranian-made Shahed-131/136 kamikaze drones,” according to a statement from the command which noted that 13 out of the 45 drones were shot down in 2022, while the other 32 were shot down in 2023.

Photos published on social media by Andriy Nebytov, the head of Kyiv's regional police force, showed the wreckage of some of the drones that were downed by the Ukrainian forces, which had “Happy New Year” and “Boom” written on them in Russian.

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in December said that Russia has received a new batch of Shahed drones from Iran, numbering 250 items, adding that they are primarily used to attack the country’s energy sector.

Ukraine has received large amounts of military support and air defenses from its Western allies, making it difficult for Russian warplanes to target the country. Explosive drones have become a cheaper and more efficient weapon for Russia.

The US, UK, and European Union have imposed fresh sanctions on Tehran over the use of Iranian drones in Ukraine. Last month, Iran’s foreign ministry admitted that drones had been sent to Russia, but claimed the transaction had preceded the war in Ukraine which broke out in February.

 

Comments

Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.

To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.

We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.

Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.

Post a comment

Required
Required
 

The Latest

Young worker using a grinder on a roof. Photo: Rudaw/Blind T. Abdullah

Iraqi syndicate forms committee to investigate foreign labor practices

With millions of foreigners traveling into Iraq for pilgrimage at Shiite holy sites in Karbala and Najaf during Arbaeen this month, the head of the Iraqi workers’ syndicate has highlighted issues with foreign labor, undocumented workers, and the necessity of its investigatory body.