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Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk presents awards to the soldiers of the Air Force's anti-aircraft missile forces, who defend Kyiv Oblast and other areas on June 20, 2023. (Photo: Mykola Oleshchuk/Telegram)
This audio is created with AI assistance


Ukrainian air defenses downed 15 missiles and 14 Shahed-type drones during a Russian attack overnight on April 19, reported Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleschuk.

Russia launched a total of 36 missiles and drones overnight, targeting Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk and Odesa oblasts.

Russian missiles targeted residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the cities of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Synelnykove in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in the morning, killing at least eight civilians, including two children, and injuring over 30 other people.

According to the Air Force's report, 11 Kh-59/Kh-69 guided cruise missiles, and two Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles were downed by Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine was also able to destroy two Kh-22 anti-ship missiles and a Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bomber during a combat mission for the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion, Oleschchuk said.

Russian troops used in total 14 Shahed-type drones, 12 Kh-59/Kh-69 guided cruise missiles, six Kh-22 cruise missiles, two Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles and two Iskander-K cruise missiles

The drones were reportedly launched from the direction of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and Kursk Oblast, while the missiles were carried out from Ryazan, Kursk Oblast, the Azov and Black seas, and occupied Crimea.

Stocks of air defense in Ukraine are low across the country as U.S. military aid funding for Ukraine continues to be held up in Congress. In the meantime, Russia has stepped up targeted attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, overwhelming local air defenses and destroying some of Ukraine's largest coal-fired power stations.

Opinion: A look at the drone arsenal Russia uses against Ukraine
Drone combat in Russia’s war against Ukraine is changing warfare. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used at an unprecedented scale for which neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian armies were quite prepared. Both militaries have made significant progress with respect to drones, sometimes mode…
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5:04 AM

Senate Republicans pick John Thune as new majority leader.

In previous statements, Thune has expressed support for Ukraine, including backing continued U.S. aid to Kyiv amid a Republican-led congressional obstruction campaign. Recently, he has promised to cooperate with President-elect Donald Trump.
12:36 AM  (Updated: )

Trump nominates loyal backer Matt Gaetz as attorney general.

President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Republican Representative Matt Gaetz from Florida as the next U.S. attorney general. Gaetz's selection will need further confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate.
7:31 PM

Putin cuts payments for wounded in war against Ukraine.

The current maximum amount of compensation is 3 million rubles (nearly $29,000), but the severity of the injury is not considered for its allocation. The change approved by Putin classifies injuries into three categories.
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