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Ukraine war: Russia launches drone strike on Kyiv - as commander 'sacked for lying about war progress'

"Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons," says president Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y as he warns Russia wants to "spread fear and panic".

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, emergency services personnel remove part of a Russian missile that hit an apartment house during massive missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
Image: Emergency services remove part of a Russian missile that hit a Kyiv apartment last week. Pic: AP
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Russia launched a large drone attack on Kyiv overnight, with Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y warning the attack shows his capital needs better air defences.

Ukraine's air defence units shot down 50 of 73 Russian drones launched, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries as a result of the attacks.

Russia has used more than 800 guided aerial bombs and around 460 attack drones in the past week.

Warning that Ukraine needs to improve its air defences, Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y said: "An air alert has been sounded almost daily across Ukraine this week".

"Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state.

"But Russia still continues its efforts to kill our people, spread fear and panic, and weaken us."

Russia did not comment on the attack.

More on Russia

It comes as Russian media reported that Colonel General Gennady Anashkin, the commander of the country's southern military district, had been removed from his role over allegedly providing misleading reports about his troops' progress.

While Russian forces have advanced at the fastest rate in Ukraine since the start of the invasion, forces have been much slower around Siversk and the eastern region of Donetsk.

Read more:
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Russian war bloggers have long complained that units there are poorly supported and thrown into deadly battles for little tactical gain.

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Russia's ministry of defence has not commented on the reports.