Ukraine Reports Downing 13 Russian Drones Overnight.

As air raid sirens screamed in Kyiv for hours, Ukraine’s air force said Monday that it had shot down 13 explosive drones fired from southern Russia overnight.

Russian troops fired 15 Shahed drones built in Iran from the Bryansk area northeast of Kiev, according to the air force’s Telegram post, of which 13 were shot down by Ukrainian forces.

Since October, Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s vital infrastructure with missile and drone strikes, leading Kyiv to strengthen its air defense systems with assistance from the West.

Early on Monday, air raid warnings were heard in Kyiv for many hours. According to the authorities, a “aerial target” set off the city’s air defenses.

Drones were on their way to Kyiv, but the country’s air defense troops shot them down without injuring anybody or damaging any infrastructure, according to Sergiy Popko, the chief of the city’s military administration.

After obtaining new missile defense systems from Western allies including the United States and Britain, including the Ukraine, Ukraine has improved its ability to resist Russian air raids.

Yet, a Russian drone strike in the city of Khmelnytski in western Ukraine in late February resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to three more.

After its agreement to supply its highly effective Patriot air defense missiles to Kiev in December, the US stated last month that it will provide $2 billion in further security support.

Recently, AFP photographers saw Ukrainian soldiers defending the city from drones equipped with pre-World War II machine guns outside of Kyiv.