EU defense commissioner takes shelter in Kyiv amid massive Russian aerial strike

Andrius Kubilius, the newly appointed European defense commissioner, spent the morning of Dec. 13 in a shelter in Kyiv during a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said on X.

Russia targeted Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, launching at least 93 ballistic and cruise missiles and over 200 drones, Mathernova said.

Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 out of 94 missiles and 80 out of the 193 drones launched by Russia, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as "one of the largest strikes on our energy grid."

Eighty-one missiles were intercepted, including 11 shot down by Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets. Zelensky noted that some of the missiles used in the attack were reportedly supplied by North Korea.

The strikes, which focused on energy and transportation networks, mark another escalation in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine's infrastructure.

Ukraine downs 161 of 287 Russian missiles, drones in mass aerial attack

Moscow deployed four Kinzhal air-launched missiles, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, one Kh-23 North Korean ballistic missile, 55 Kh-101 and Kh-55SM cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bomber planes, 24 sea-launched Kalibr missiles, seven Iskander-K cruise missiles, and one Kh-59/69 missile, the…

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy