An 8-hour Russian drone barrage keeps Kyiv on edge as the war in Ukraine nears 1,000 days

KYIV, Ukraine -- Dozens of Russian drones targeted nan Ukrainian superior Kyiv successful a nighttime onslaught that lasted 8 hours, authorities said Thursday, arsenic Russia kept up its relentless pounding of Ukraine aft almost 1,000 days of war.

Russian forces fired lone drones and swarms of drones that entered Ukrainian airspace from various directions and astatine a assortment of altitudes, officials said, successful an evident effort to agelong aerial defense systems and unnerve metropolis residents.

Ukrainian aerial defenses “neutralized” 3 twelve drones, but falling debris caused harm to a infirmary and residential and agency buildings successful nan capital, section authorities said, including a blaze connected nan 33rd level of an flat building.

At slightest 2 group were reported injured.

Drone attacks connected Kyiv person precocious been occurring almost daily, pinch nan nighttime explosions and nan continuous buzzing sound of drones keeping nan metropolis connected edge. Russia is deploying astir 10 times much Iranian-made Shahed drones than it was this clip past year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week.

Ukraine’s forces are struggling to lucifer nan mightiness of Russia’s military, which is overmuch bigger and amended equipped. Western support is important for Ukraine to prolong nan costly warfare of attrition. The uncertainty complete really agelong that assistance will proceed has deepened, however, pinch nan predetermination of Donald Trump arsenic nan adjacent president of nan United States. He has many times taken rumor pinch U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

Russia, meanwhile, is trying to grind down Ukraine’s appetite for nan conflict and sap nan West’s support for Kyiv by drafting retired nan conflict.

The Russian barrages mostly impact Shahed drones. They are suited to terrorizing civilians, according to Andrii Kovalenko, caput of nan authorities Center for Countering Disinformation.

Russia is aiming to prevention and stockpile its missiles, which are overmuch much powerful than drones, Kovalenko claimed Thursday. Russia has utilized missiles efficaciously successful its run to knock retired Ukraine’s powerfulness grid.

Also, nan drone attacks gradually deterioration down Ukraine’s aerial defenses, making it much susceptible to early rocket launches.

Power outages were reported successful nan Zhytomyr region, which borders Kyiv to nan west, pursuing a Russian onslaught there, according to nan power institution Zhytomyroblenergo.

Another Russian drone onslaught injured 1 personification successful nan confederate metropolis of Odesa, location Gov. Oleh Kiper said, arsenic drone debris damaged an 11-story residential building.

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Follow AP’s sum of nan warfare successful Ukraine astatine https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine