Russia says Ukrainian rocket strike kills 63 Russian troops

Russia's defence ministry said Monday that 63 Russian soldiers have been killed by a Ukrainian strike on a facility in eastern Donetsk region where military personnel were stationed.

Ukrainian forces fired six rockets from a HIMARS launch system and two of m were shot down, a Russian defence ministry statement.

strike, using a US-supplied precision weapon that has proven critical in enabling Ukrainian forces to hit key targets, delivered a new setback for Russia which in recent months has reeled from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Ukrainian military has t directly confirmed strike, but tacitly ackwledged it. Strategic Communications Directorate of Ukraine's Armed Forces claimed Sunday that some 400 mobilised Russian soldiers were killed in a vocational school building in Makiivka and about 300 more were wounded.

That claim could t be independently verified. Russian statement said strike occurred "in area of Makiivka" and didn't mention vocational school.

Meanwhile, Russia deployed multiple exploding drones in ar nighttime attack on Ukraine, officials said Monday, as Kremlin signalled letup in its strategy of using bombardments to target country's energy infrastructure and wear down Ukrainian resistance to its invasion.

barr was latest in a series of relentless year-end attacks, including one that killed three civilians on New Year's Eve.

On Monday, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 40 drones "headed for Kyiv" overnight. All of m were destroyed, according to air defence forces.

Klitschko said 22 drones were destroyed over Kyiv, three in outlying Kyiv region and 15 over neighbouring provinces.

Energy infrastructure facilities were damd as result of attack and an explosion occurred in one city district, mayor said. It wasn't immediately clear wher that was caused by drones or or munitions. A wounded 19-year-old man was hospitalised, Klitschko added, and emergency power outs were underway in capital.

In outlying Kyiv region a "critical infrastructure object" and residential buildings were hit, Gov Oleksiy Kuleba said.

Russia has carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of "energy terrorism" as aerial bombardments have left many people without heat amid freezing temperatures. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is "weaponising winter" in its effort to demoralise Ukrainian resistance.

Ukraine is using sophisticated Western-supplied weapons to help shoot down Russia's missiles and drones, as well as send artillery fire into Russian-held areas of country.

Moscow's full-scale invasion on February 24 has gone awry, putting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin as his ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance. He said in his New Year's address to nation that 2022 was "a year of difficult, necessary decisions." Putin insists he had choice but to send troops into Ukraine because it threatened Russia's security — an assertion condemned by West, which says Moscow bears full responsibility for war.

Russia is currently observing public holidays through January 8.

Drones, missiles and artillery shells launched by Russian forces also struck areas across Ukraine.

Five people were wounded in Monday morning shelling of a Ukraine-controlled area of sourn Kherson region, its Ukrainian Gov Yaroslav Yanushevich said on Telegram.

Russian forces attacked city of Beryslav, official said, firing at a local market, likely from a tank. Three of wounded are in serious condition and are being evacuated to Kherson, Yanushevich said.

Seven drones were shot down over sourn Mykolaiv region, according to Gov Vitali Kim, and three more were shot down in souastern Dnipropetrovsk region, Gov Valentyn Reznichenko said.

In Dnipropetrovsk region, a missile was also destroyed, according to Reznichenko. He said that energy infrastructure in region was being targeted.

Ukraine's Air Force Command reported Monday that 39 Iranian-made exploding Shahed drones were shot down overnight, as well as two Russian-made Orlan drones and a X-59 missile.

"We are staying strong," Ukrainian defense ministry tweeted.

A blistering New Year's Eve assault killed at least four civilians across country, Ukrainian authorities reported, and wounded dozens. fourth victim, a 46-year-old resident of Kyiv, died in a hospital on Monday morning, Klitschko said.

Multiple blasts rocked capital and or areas of Ukraine on Saturday and through night. strikes came 36 hours after widespread missile attacks Russia launched Thursday to dam energy infrastructure facilities, and unusually quick follow-up alarmed Ukrainian officials.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an energy facility in Bryansk region that borders with Ukraine, Bryansk regional goverr Alexander Bogomaz reported on Monday morning. A vill was left without power as a result, he said. (AP) RDT