Russian air defense forces shot down eight ATACMS missiles and 72 AFU drones in 24 hours

Russian air defenses have shot down eight ATACMS operational-tactical missiles and 72 drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) over the course of the day. This was reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on January 4.

"Air defense means shot down eight US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles and 72 unmanned aerial vehicles of aircraft type," the ministry said in a statement.

In total, 651 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 39,279 drones, 590 anti-aircraft missile systems, 20,221 tanks and other armored combat vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation.

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Earlier on January 4, the Russian Defense Ministry said that overnight air defense systems destroyed 16 Ukrainian UAVs over five Russian regions. Prior to that, on January 2, it was reported that four AFU missiles were shot down during the day by air defense systems in the skies over the Kursk region.

In late December 2024, The New York Times noted that the United States and NATO were recommending that Ukraine use more sparingly the U.S. long-range ATACMS missiles supplied to it, which are in limited supply.

The special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was made against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.

For more current video and details on the situation in Donbass, see Izvestia TV channel.