New Delhi: Center for Strategic and International Studies has come up with a report saying battlefield losses and Western sanctions have left the Russian military in a state of decline, but Moscow will still have enough firepower to extend the war in Ukraine. “Russia can dip into Cold War-era and older stocks on the front lines to make up in numbers what it may have lost in technology, " the report added. According to a report in CNN, “The quality of the Russian military in terms of advanced equipment will likely decline, at least over the near term”. Meanwhile, Russia early Wednesday launched a drone attack on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa but Ukraine’s air defences destroyed most of the drones, authorities said, adding, there were no immediate reports of casualties. In a statement on Telegram, Yuriy Kruk, head of the Odesa district military administration, said, “At night, the enemy carried out an attack by UAVs of the Shahed-136 type on the Odesa region.” Kruk said some civilian infrastructure was hit but there were no casualties. “According to preliminary information, there were no casualties. Measures are being taken to contain the fire, units of the State Emergency Service and other structures are working on the spot.” The Shahed-136 is a small Iranian-made, self-detonating drone that can be programmed to fly automatically to a set of GPS coordinates with a payload of explosives. Russia’s drone industry has been hit by international sanctions and a number have been shot down since the start of the war – prompting Moscow to import drones from Iran. The Black Sea port of Odesa was a favourite holiday destination for many Ukrainians and Russians before President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February last year. Since the start of the invasion, Odesa has been bombed several times by Russian forces. It was also hit by a drone attack two weeks ago that caused some damage. In January, the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO designated the historic centre of Odesa a World Heritage in Danger site. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .
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