Russia strikes energy facilities as Ukraine repels nighttime drone attack
Russian forces launched 56 drones and a missile at Ukraine, targeting Kyiv and Mykolaiv, with air defenses downing 22 drones and neutralizing 27 more.
Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine overnight on 16-17 October, deploying 56 strike drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of unidentified types, along with a Kh-59 guided air-to-surface missile, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The military reported that the occupiers launched the missile from Russia’s Kursk Oblast, while drones were launched from Kursk, Oryol, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia. Ukrainian defense forces, including aviation, air defense missile units, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups of the Air Force and Defense Forces, participated in repelling the attack.
According to the report, Ukrainian air defenders successfully shot down 22 drones across various regions, including Sumy, Kyiv, Poltava, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Odesa, and Ternopil oblasts. Additionally, 27 strike drones and UAVs of unidentified types were locationally lost “due to active electronic warfare countermeasures,” while two more UAVs flew towards Belarus.
The report’s figures suggest that at least five drones might have reached their targets in frontline oblasts.
In Mykolaiv Oblast, energy infrastructure was targeted, resulting in power outages. Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration, stated that energy workers had already restored power to most consumers, but work was ongoing.
In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that drone debris was found on the territory of a kindergarten in the Desnianskyi district, breaking a window in the building. No other damage or casualties were reported in this incident. The Kyiv City Military Administration added that Russian drones approached the capital in waves from different directions, with air raid alerts sounding four times throughout the night.
The attack also resulted in damage to a multi-story residential building in the Desnianskyi district of Kyiv, with windows and interior finishes damaged on three floors. No casualties were reported in this incident.
Related:
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