Russia Launches New Drones Barrage On Ukraine, Kyiv Shoots Down 72

Ukrainian personnel use searchlights as they search for drones over the city during Russian drone strike

Kyiv:

Russia launched a new overnight drone attack on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Saturday, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to issue a fresh appeal for more air defence and long-range capabilities.

Ukrainian air defences shot down 72 out of 76 Shahed drones over 12 regions in the centre, south and east of the country, the air force said.

“We need more capabilities to strengthen the air shield, air defence, and long-range capabilities to continue protecting life and our people,” Zelenskiy, who is due to travel to the United States later this month, said on the Telegram messaging app.

There were no immediate reports of casualties but authorities described damage to buildings in several parts of the country.

Kyiv city authorities said that drone fragments fell on a municipal building in the city’s Obolon district north of the centre early on Saturday, but no fire broke out at the site.

The governor of the region surrounding Kyiv said drone debris damaged several private houses and a commercial property, and also smashed windows at a high-rise residential building.

In the southern Odesa region, debris damaged several commercial buildings and private houses and also caused several fires.

Air alerts sounded for three to five hours during the night in many regions across Ukraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defence units had been in action in the capital during the night. Ukraine also deploys mobile groups of drone hunters and uses electronic warfare to repel frequent Russian drone strikes.

During nearly 31 months of the war, Moscow’s forces bombarded Ukraine with thousands of drones and missiles, killing thousands of civilians, damaging the country’s infrastructure and power sector and wrecking tens of thousands of residential and commercial buildings.

Moscow denies intentionally targeting civilians and says its long-range attacks aim to reduce Ukraine’s ability to fight.