Strana 20
by gunfire, but a confirmed kill was only
reported later with the use of R-73 missiles.
Additionally, footage surfaced of an incident in
which a Russian Su-25SM3 collided mid-flight
with a Zala reconnaissance drone. The aircraft,
with bort number "Red 07" and registration
RF-94678, suffered significant damage to
the front fuselage and shattered side cockpit
glass. Despite this, the pilot managed to land
the plane at its base. The collision reportedly
occurred somewhere in the Donetsk region,
though the exact date remains unknown.
Attacks During Christmas
Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities
continued almost every night. Here are a few
notable incidents:
On the night of Thursday, December 12,
to Friday, December 13, a massive attack
targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Four regions, including Kyiv, were hit, and
two experienced power outages—an act
which, in winter, translates into terrorizing
the civilians. Russia launched a total of
192 kamikaze drones and 94 missiles, including
cruise missiles. Ukrainian defenses shot down
80 drones, while another 105 were disabled
by electronic warfare systems. Additionally,
81 cruise missiles were destroyed, 11 of which
were taken down by Ukrainian fighter jets.
One pilot, in particular, distinguished himself
by shooting down six missiles: two with long-
range AMRAAM missiles, two with short-range
Sidewinder missiles, and the last two with his
onboard cannon after running out of missiles.
This highlights the advantage of the F-16
over older Soviet-made jets previously used
by Ukraine. Thanks to its advanced sensors
and electronic systems, an F-16 pilot has
better situational awareness and can identify
and engage multiple targets more quickly
and efficiently, even in high-density combat
environments. Another major attack occurred
cynically on Christmas itself, from the night
of Tuesday, December 24, to Wednesday,
December 25. Most Ukrainians now celebrate
Christmas on the same date as the Western
world, rather than according to the Orthodox
calendar. On this holiday, Russia launched
106 kamikaze drones and 78 missiles, including
cruise missiles, at Ukraine. Ukrainian defenses
intercepted 59 missiles and 54 drones, while
electronic warfare systems disabled another
52 drones. Despite these efforts, nearly
20 missiles broke through the defenses.
Kharkiv alone reported 11 explosions. In one of
the targeted power plants, a civilian technician
was killed, and half a million people were
left without heating on Christmas. The city
of Kherson, located directly on the front line,
A still from a video showing a Ukrainian Sea Baby naval drone firing a machine
gun at a Russian Mi-8 helicopter.
Footage from another video capturing the shootdown of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter with an R-73 missile launched from a Magura V5 naval drone.
A Ukrainian naval drone also dared to fire a machine gun at a fighter jet.
UKRAINE
INFO Eduard20
February 2025