KYIV: Ukraine’s military reported on Thursday that it intercepted 66 out of 78 Russian drones launched in a series of overnight attacks across multiple regions. Additionally, all four guided missiles fired by Russian forces were successfully shot down. The interceptions took place over a wide area, covering the Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, and Vinnytsia regions, demonstrating the extensive reach of the assault.
In Kyiv, officials confirmed that air defenses neutralized about a dozen incoming Russian drones during the night. However, falling debris from the intercepted drones caused a fire at a residential building and damaged a gas pipeline, underscoring the continued risks to civilian infrastructure despite successful interceptions.
On the Russian side, the Defense Ministry claimed it shot down four Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region, two over the Kursk region, and another over the Bryansk region. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, reported that one person was killed when a drone struck a car, highlighting the conflict’s toll on both sides.
The recent escalation of drone warfare between the two nations indicates a persistent and evolving threat, with both militaries increasingly relying on unmanned aerial systems to strike deep into each other’s territories. As the conflict drags on, the resilience of air defense systems and the protection of civilians remain critical concerns for both Ukraine and Russia.
