Russian Drone attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv
In a shocking turn of events, Russia launched its largest drone attack against Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv on Saturday since the start of its invasion, according to local officials. A total of nearly 75 Shahed drones were launched from two directions – Primorsko-Akhtarsk and the Kursk region of Russia. The primary target was the city of Kyiv, as reported by Ukraine’s Air Force.
The Air Force stated that it intercepted 71 of the Iranian-made drones across six regions of Ukraine, but the majority were intercepted in the Kyiv region. The defense mechanism involved anti-aircraft missile troops, tactical aviation, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units. A Kh-59 guided missile was also destroyed in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
Mykhailo Shamanov, a spokesman for the Kyiv city military administration, described multiple waves of drones attacking the capital. A CNN producer in Kyiv heard loud explosions and repeated bangs as drones buzzed overhead. The city’s military administration issued a warning to residents to take cover.
This recent attack on Kyiv left at least two people injured, and several locations in the Solomianskyi district caught fire, including a residential building and other non-residential premises. The attack also cut off power to 77 residential buildings and 120 establishments in the city center, according to the country’s energy ministry.
Last winter, Russia carried out a sustained campaign of missile and drone attacks to cripple Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Khmelnytskyi, in western Ukraine, has become a regular target of attacks, with the shockwaves from explosions damaging infrastructure in the region, including its nuclear power plant. The incidents highlight the ongoing dangers to nuclear safety and security during the military conflict.
DTEK, a Ukrainian energy company, has spent the last seven months restoring infrastructure, boosting output, and bolstering defenses at its facilities. Citizens have also been preparing for the possibility of a downed power grid, with a rise in demand for energy storage systems and generators.
This recent drone attack on Kyiv serves as a reminder of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the devastating impact it has on the Ukrainian people and infrastructure.