Kyiv defence triumphs over most significant drone attack of the year
Russia has once again conducted a massive attack on Kyiv this month. It was the most extensive strike this year and one of the heaviest this year. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that they shot down all 89 drones and one missile launched by Russia overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
- This is the largest attack on the capital this year and the seventh time Russia has attacked Kyiv this month, military officials said on Wednesday. Ukraine's capital remained under fire for most of the night.
The strike lasted over seven hours, with the drones arriving in two waves. Kyiv's military administration reported that "not a single drone reached its target."
- By 6:30 AM ET, Ukrainian air defense systems had destroyed over 40 drones - said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration. Throughout the country, Ukrainians managed to shoot down a total of 89 Russian drones and one missile.
The largest attack this year. Massive strike on Kyiv
89 "Shahed" drones were shot down last night, all of those used by Russian terrorists during this attack. And this is an important result. Ukrainians can fully protect their skies from Russian strikes when they have sufficient supplies, wrote Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media.
According to CNN, Russia also attacked the Mykolaiv region with an X-59 guided missile from the airspace of the occupied Kherson region, which Ukraine also shot down. As a result of attacks on eastern and southern Ukraine, at least two people were killed.
The Kremlin did not comment on the overnight attacks on Ukraine.
The commander of the Ukrainian Air Forces, Mykola Oleshchuk, called the drone strike aimed at Kyiv "one of the largest Shahed drone attacks," comparing it to the Russian New Year's Eve attack during which 90 Shahed drones were launched.
