Ukraine says 30 missiles, 27 Iranian-made drones downed overnight

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ukraine’s air defense said on Sunday that it had downed all 27 Iranian-made Shahed drones and over 30 missiles launched by Russia overnight in separate attacks. 

“In total, the enemy used 70 air attack weapons” the air force said on Telegram, adding that 30 out of 40 missiles had been destroyed in addition to all 27 Shahed drones. 

Later in the day, Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said that Russian air defense forces had intercepted a drone over the capital. Drone attacks targeting Russia have become more frequent over the past few months.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a Russian strike on a blood transfusion center in Kharkiv, calling it a “war crime.”

Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones have been repeatedly used by Russia in its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, leading to a barrage of international sanctions and condemnations on Iran. Tehran said the drones it sent to Russia preceded the war in Ukraine, which broke out last February.

Ukraine’s armed forces last week said they had downed over 20 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia towards Ukrainian territory. 

Ukraine has received large amounts of military support and air defenses from its Western allies, making it difficult for Russian warplanes to target the country. Explosive drones have become a cheaper and more efficient weapon for Russia.

The US, UK, and European Union have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Tehran over the use of Iranian drones in Ukraine.