Russian forces conducted a significant drone attack across 15 Ukrainian regions overnight, resulting in damage to energy infrastructure and residential buildings, according to authorities on Thursday.
The Ukrainian air force reported that it had successfully shot down 78 out of 105 Russian drones during the assault, with an additional 23 likely affected by active electronic jamming. The drones caused damage to power lines and substations' equipment in the Kyiv, Odesa, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions within the last 24 hours, as stated by Ukraine's energy ministry on the Telegram messaging app.
The attacks led to temporary disruptions in railway services in the southern Odesa region and power outages for households. Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper mentioned that power had been restored to over 3,000 consumers in his region following the overnight attack, although approximately 2,000 people still lacked power.
Authorities reported downing around 15 drones over Kyiv and its surroundings during an air alert that lasted more than five hours. The central Ukrainian regions of Poltava, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad experienced minor property damage.
Russia's defence ministry claimed that its forces had targeted Ukrainian energy facilities supplying power to Ukraine's armed forces' operations, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Moscow denies targeting civilians but has frequently struck towns and cities behind the front lines. A Russian guided bomb hit an apartment block in the eastern city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, causing fires and injuring at least 10 people.
More than two and a half years into its full-scale attack on Ukraine, Russia has persistently bombarded the country's energy infrastructure with drone and missile attacks while making gradual progress on the eastern front. The strikes, which have intensified as winter approaches, have led Kyiv to repeatedly urge its allies to lift restrictions on its use of Western long-range weapons to strike deep into Russia and limit its ability to launch attacks.
The Ukrainian military announced on Thursday that it had used ATACMS ballistic missiles provided by the US to strike a Russian radar station, aiming to diminish Moscow's capability to 'detect, track, and intercept' ballistic targets. The military did not specify when the strike occurred or the location of the 'Nebo-M' radar station.
