Russian Forces Launch Drone Attacks on Ukraine’s Capital, Kyiv
In the early hours of Sunday, Russian forces launched a series of drone attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. This marks the first aerial assault on the city by unmanned vehicles in nearly two weeks. However, according to Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, all the drones were destroyed by air defenses, preventing any loss of life. However, three homes in the region suffered damage from the debris, resulting in one injury.
Since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has frequently launched overnight attacks on Kyiv using drones and missiles. Ukraine’s air-defense network has become increasingly effective at intercepting these attacks. However, successful interceptions still pose a danger, as evident from a recent incident where falling debris from intercepted missiles caused casualties.
The latest attack on Sunday saw Russian forces utilizing Iranian-made attack drones to target Kyiv. According to Mr. Popko, this was the first time such drones were used in the past 12 days. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that a total of eight Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones and three cruise missiles were launched by Russia, all of which were successfully destroyed.
While the drone assault took place in Kyiv, heavy fighting was also reported in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have been engaged in a grueling counteroffensive to regain territory captured by Russia. Particularly, intense combat was reported near the destroyed Antonovsky Bridge in the southern region of Kherson. Natalia Humeniuk, the spokeswoman for the Ukrainian military’s southern command, described the fighting as primarily an attempt to eliminate Russian firing positions.
In recent weeks, fighting near the Antonovsky Bridge has intensified, with Ukrainian forces making efforts to establish a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River. Russia claimed to have destroyed Ukrainian units attempting to land on an island near the bridge. However, the situation remains complex, with conflicting reports from military bloggers and unverified claims.
Sources have revealed that Ukrainian soldiers have been spotted near the bridge, and Ukrainian forces appear to be expanding their presence in the surrounding river islands and swampy banks. The counteroffensive, which began last month, has been slow and demanding, with Ukrainian forces facing strong Russian defenses and significant casualties. However, some small gains have been made in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Ukrainian officials, along with their Western allies, who have provided support and training for the counteroffensive, have defended the pace of progress. They emphasize that the campaign is still in its early stages and warn that it will be a long and bloody conflict. General Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged the slow advance but affirmed that Kyiv’s soldiers are making steady progress in the fight for their lives.
In other news, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine visited the southern port city of Odesa, where he received an update on the situation in the Black Sea and Russia’s missile capabilities. Additionally, Poland announced that it will add 500 police officers along its border with Belarus in response to the tense situation caused by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin’s potential exile in Belarus. Currently, 5,000 border guards and 2,000 soldiers are stationed on the border.
The situation between Russia and Ukraine remains highly volatile, with ongoing military activities and escalating tensions on multiple fronts. The world closely watches as various actors navigate and respond to this crisis.