In the latest field developments, explosions were heard in areas under Kyiv’s control in the Kherson province, according to the Ukrainian newspaper “Obshchestvennoye Novosti,” which indicated that sirens were not activated in the city.
The Russian Ministry of Defense had previously announced that air defense systems shot down 64 Ukrainian drones over the skies of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Ryazan, Rostov, Tambov, Voronezh, Belgorod, Saratov, Lipetsk, Tula, and Samara provinces last night.
This comes after a large-scale Russian attack on residential areas around Kyiv overnight, killing at least 6 people inside one building, while the Ukrainian capital is suffering from a power outage, while Moscow confirmed that it shot down more than 200 Ukrainian drones over its territory.
Ukraine has witnessed intense strikes in recent weeks targeting electricity grids, gas facilities, and railway lines, raising fears of a harsh winter. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces recently confirmed that Ukrainian units are engaged in “grinding battles” to repel Russian attacks.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “Russia continues to terrorize Ukrainian cities,” adding that the main targets of the Russian bombing last night were residential areas in Kyiv and energy facilities. In return, Moscow confirmed that it targeted “facilities belonging to the military-industrial complex and energy.”
Russia, whose army surpasses Ukrainian forces in terms of equipment and capabilities, continues its offensive that began in 2022, with continued progress in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, where battles have been concentrated recently. Moscow has also intensified its shelling of civilian infrastructure, energy facilities, and railway networks as temperatures drop and winter approaches.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 430 drones and 19 missiles on the country, explaining that air defenses shot down 405 drones and 14 missiles, noting that “the main target is the city of Kyiv.” The Ukrainian government described the attack as one of the worst attacks on the capital in terms of the number of missiles used. Kyiv police reported that about thirty buildings were damaged overnight.
In a related context, Azerbaijan announced that it had summoned the Russian ambassador to Baku to protest the damage to its embassy in Kyiv. In Novorossiysk on the Black Sea, Russian authorities said that Ukrainian drones damaged an oil refinery, causing a fire before it was brought under control, and a residential building was damaged, its windows were shattered, and one person was injured. In the city’s port, a civilian ship was damaged and three of its crew were injured, according to the crisis cell.
Ukrainian drone attacks have repeatedly caused damage to oil and gas sectors and pipelines used to transport fuel, which has been reflected in rising fuel prices.
Peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv remain stalled, after the postponement of a meeting scheduled in Budapest between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
