Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Ukrainian military said its air defenses shot down 50 of 72 drones launched by Russia. Further, it struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries.
President Zelenskiy said Moscow had employed 1,250 aerial bombs, around 750 attack drones, and approximately 20 missiles to strike Ukraine over the past week.
Only determination can stop such terrorists. We are constantly working with our partners to strengthen our defense capabilities and to reduce Russia’s ability to terrorize Ukraine,
Zelenskiy stated.
Long-range capabilities are crucial. Sanctions are essential. Lowering the price of oil is important. The key is to act in unity and protect lives with resolve,
he explained.
Moreover, Ukraine’s general staff stated its forces struck Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery again. Eruptions and fire were noted in the target site.
The Ryazan Oil Refinery is one of the four largest refineries in the Russian Federation,
it stated.
How has drone warfare escalated in recent weeks?
Earlier on January 20, 2025, Russian forces launched 141 drones into Ukraine that were intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses in 93 of them. In this attack, decoy drones were deployed and faced by various units in the Ukrainian army.
On January 24, 2025, Ukraine launched a mass drone offensive against the territory of Russia, which called into action a full-spectrum response from the Russian air defense systems. The attack on various regions of Russia, including Moscow, began when it launched 121 drones. It was one of the biggest drone attacks seen since the start of the conflict and mainly aimed to sabotage Russian military logistics and economic infrastructure, particularly targeting its oil facilities and military lines of supply.
In claims, the Ministry of Defense from Russia said 121 Ukrainian drones were intercepted in 13 Russian regions, as well as in Moscow and the Crimean peninsula. In a notable development, seven drones were intercepted in the capital region. Operations at airports have been temporarily grounded, including both Vnukovo and Domodedovo – two of them had to immediately stop operations out of fear of the incoming danger the drones posed.
