Ukraine hit by over 3,000 Russian UAVs and glide bombs in one week

President Zelensky said Russia launched over 3,000 glide bombs and unmanned aerial vehicles into Ukraine in one week, asking allies to increase air defense missile aid.

"This week alone, Russia deployed over 1,700 suicide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 69 missiles of various types, and 1,380 guided bombs. That is why we need daily replenishment of air defense missiles, as well as continued cooperation with the US and Europe to better protect our skies," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated today.

His remarks followed the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), between US, Russian, and Ukrainian delegations, which ended without an agreement. This was the first direct trilateral meeting since the conflict began, aiming to discuss a peace plan proposed by former President Donald Trump.

Mr. Zelensky described the negotiations as "constructive", adding that Ukrainian and US officials agreed to meet again in the UAE next week. The Ukrainian president also announced that Washington had outlined a "potential framework to formalize elements for ending the conflict, as well as the necessary conditions to achieve that".

Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a blaze in the capital Kyiv after an attack on 24/1. Photo: Reuters

Moscow and Kyiv have regularly targeted each other's territory since the start of the conflict. However, Ukrainian officials consider Russia's attacks this winter to be the most intense. Unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles have overwhelmed the adversary's air defense network, damaging infrastructure and causing an energy crisis, leaving major cities without power or water in freezing temperatures.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command announced on the same day that Russia had launched two Iskander-M or modified S-300 tactical ballistic missiles, along with 102 suicide UAVs and decoys. "Air defense units shot down 87 aircraft; the remaining 15 units struck 10 locations. We are clarifying information regarding the two missiles," the agency reported.

In an attack one day earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed to have shot down 372 out of 396 targets, but acknowledged that two missiles and 18 UAVs had bypassed their defenses, and four other munitions were lost. "Heating systems in 1,676 apartment buildings ceased operation after the airstrike on 24/1," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated.

Recent Russian attacks have caused significant damage to Kyiv, forcing half a million people to evacuate. Sub-zero temperatures and continuous Russian attacks have also delayed efforts to restore power and heating systems.

The Russian Ministry of Defense affirmed that large-scale coordinated strikes were in retaliation for "Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets in Russia", adding that targets included defense industrial enterprises and energy infrastructure serving the Ukrainian military.