Ukraine on Thursday said that its air defenses intercepted all 42 drones launched by Russia in overnight strikes across various regions of the country. Additionally, Ukraine’s air force reported successfully shooting down a Russian guided missile. The drone attacks targeted areas including Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Rivne, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr, according to military sources.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have destroyed two Ukrainian drones over the Kursk region and another one over Belgorod. This aerial exchange followed a day after a Ukrainian drone struck a warehouse in Russia’s Tver region, igniting a significant fire and necessitating evacuations in the vicinity.
Extensive fires and explosions
A pro-Russian military blogger noted that an ammunition depot in Toropets had been hit, indicating extensive fires and explosions in the area. The governor of Tver, Igor Rudenya, communicated via Telegram that although the drones had been shot down and a fire was ongoing, the situation remained “under control.”
In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not specifically refer to the explosion but mentioned a “very important result” on Russian territory that had weakened the adversary.
Ukraine’s state security service previously indicated that the warehouse contained missiles, guided bombs, and artillery shells, while Russian media had described the site as a significant conventional arms depot.
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Russia targetting energy infrastructure in Ukraine
Russia has consistently targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since Ukraine launched an operation into Russia’s western Kursk region last month, claiming the capture of over 100 settlements.
According to a senior commander, Russian forces have regained control of two additional villages in Kursk, and they are reportedly making progress in eastern Ukraine as well.
Ukrainian air defenses were activated across nine regions overnight, as stated by the air force.
Russia claims it does not target civilians in Ukraine
The governor of Dnipropetrovsk reported that one missile was intercepted in his region without causing any injuries. Meanwhile, the governor of Kharkiv mentioned that six people were injured following a morning attack in the town of Kupiansk.
In Kharkiv, damage occurred to civilian infrastructure, including a school, a kindergarten, and ten apartment buildings. Additionally, an educational facility was reported to be damaged in the Cherkasy region, according to the local governor.
Russia has claimed it does not target civilians, despite extensive damage to towns and cities throughout Ukraine and the deaths of thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
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