Russia launches three missiles and 28 drones at Ukraine, says Ukraine's Air Force

Russia launched three cruise missiles and 28 attack drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's Air Force said on Sunday.

The air force posted on Telegram that Russia fired Iranian-made Shahed drones from southern Russia and missiles from occupied Donetsk.  

Eleven people, including five children, were killed in the southern regions of Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk, according to reports.

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The attacks came on the eve of Orthodox Christmas as President Putin pledged to support soldiers defending Russia's interests "with arms in hands".

Last year, Putin called for a ceasefire to coincide with Orthodox Christmas, celebrated in Russia starting on the eve of 6 January, while this year he refrained from doing so.

According to Reuters, in the final days of 2023 and the initial days of 2024, Russia launched nearly 300 missiles and employed over 200 drones in various attacks.

Russian-backed authorities had accused Ukraine of shelling Donetsk.

Meanwhile, Vadym Filashkin, the governor of the Ukrainian-controlled part of Donetsk region said that a Russian missile strike killed 11 people on Saturday in Pokrovsk.

More than 100 residents of Belgorod, a Russian city bordering Ukraine have evacuated after 25 people were killed there in late December, according to reports.