Multiple Russian drones shot down overnight, according to Ukraine air force

Russia launched 15 drones at Ukraine, mostly in the south of the country, overnight with air defences destroying 14 of them, according to the Ukrainian military on Sunday.

“As a result of air combat, Ukraine’s air force and defence forces destroyed 14 shaheds in Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro and Khmelnytskyi regions,” said the Ukrainian air force on the Telegram messaging app.

The drones were launched from the eastern coast of the Sea of Azov in Russia, it said.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

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No damage or casualties have been reported by military and civilian authorities.

Meanwhile, Russia appears to be paying close attention to the US election as its war in Ukraine is soon to enter a third year. As Washington looks ahead to the 2024 vote, US intelligence agencies last week released a report on the 2022 mid-term elections — a document that suggests what might be to coming.

Former president Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate, has expressed scepticism about Ukraine funding but President Joe Biden has argued that assisting Ukraine is in America’s interest. While bipartisan support for Ukraine remains, Russia is focused on weakening Democrats to prevent the US from providing further aid in the years to come.

In 2022, an intelligence report found, Russia attempted to denigrate Democrats, including by amplifying allegations of corruption by Mr Biden’s family, in large measure because his administration supports Ukraine.

“Moscow blames the US president for forging a unified western alliance and for Kyiv’s continued pro-western trajectory,” the report found.

Russia was distracted by its war in 2022, said officials, but the report explains how the fighting was intertwined with its efforts to influence American politics. Russia, according to the report, considered delaying its withdrawal from the southern region of Kherson to avoid giving Ukraine supporters in the United States “a perceived win before the election”.

Russia ultimately announced its retreat a day after the election.

With Republican opposition to Ukraine funding growing, officials believe that Moscow is likely to try to interfere even more in 2024. — Reuters/New York Times

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