KIEV, May 26 (Portal) – Ukraine shot down 10 rockets and over 20 Russian-launched drones in overnight attacks on the capital Kiev, the city of Dnipro and eastern regions, Ukrainian officials said on Friday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement that a fire broke out on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Kharkiv after an oil depot was hit twice and equipment used to pump oil products was damaged.
Russia has stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine this month, targeting logistics and infrastructure facilities ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 10 missiles launched from the Caspian Sea, 23 Iranian-made Shahed drones and two reconnaissance drones during the night’s attacks.
A total of 17 rockets and 31 drones were fired in the attacks, it said. The attacks began around 10:00 p.m. (19:00 GMT) on Thursday and lasted until 5:00 a.m. on Friday.
Multiple drones and multiple rockets hit targets in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials said.
Smoke rises in the sky over the city after a Russian missile attack, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kiev, Ukraine May 26, 2023. Portal/Gleb Garanich
There was no immediate news of any deaths.
“It was a very difficult night. It was noisy – the enemy launched a mass attack on the region with missiles and drones,” Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the Dnepropetrovsk region, told news app Telegram. “Dnipro suffered.”
Lysak said several homes, cars and private businesses, including a transport company and a gas station, were damaged. A worker at the gas station was injured.
Officials in Kiev said the roof of a mall, a private home and several cars were damaged.
The governor of the Kharkiv region also reported damage to several private homes and industrial facilities.
Russia, which began its full-scale invasion 15 months ago, has launched hundreds of missile attacks to destroy critical infrastructure and energy assets since last October.
According to military officials, the country has shifted the focus of its missile attacks to disrupt preparations for a Ukrainian counterattack.
Writing from Olena Harmash, Editor of Timothy Heritage
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