Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, referred to the incident as an act of “wilful terror.”
According to Ukrainian officials, Russia launched more than 70 drones into Kyiv overnight, resulting in at least five injuries, making it the worst drone strike to date in the conflict.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on the Telegram app that “the Russian leadership is proud of the fact that it can kill” and referred to the attack on the capital as an act of “wilful terror.”
According to reports, the attack—which made use of Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones—started early on Saturday and continued in waves as the sun rose, striking various parts of Kyiv. The six-hour air raid warning was in effect.
71 of the 75 drones that were fired at Ukraine, according to Air Force Chief Mykola Oleschuk, had been shot down.
He lauded the efficiency of “mobile fire” units, which are essentially quick pick-up trucks with a flak cannon or machine gun installed on its flatbed. Oleschuk claims that they destroyed about forty percent of the drones.
Five persons, including an 11-year-old girl, were hurt in the incident, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, who made the announcement on Telegram. Additionally, structures in several parts of the city were damaged.
He claimed that pieces of a fallen drone had caused a fire in a kids’ daycare.
Russia goes against vital infrastructure
Although the attack’s goal was first unclear, Ukraine has issued warnings in recent weeks that Russia will launch another aerial assault aimed at destroying the country’s energy infrastructure.
According to Ukraine’s energy ministry, the attack caused power outages in roughly 200 buildings in the city, including 77 residential ones.
According to the Ukrainian air force, since the start of the conflict in February 2022, Russia has carried out the greatest drone strike.
Rob McBride of Al Jazeera reported from Kiev that Russian soldiers are attempting to damage vital infrastructure in Ukraine in time for winter.
“As Russia targets vital infrastructure and power supply, as they did last year, that is the concern for residents here in Kyiv and other cities,” he added.
As it pursues a counteroffensive it began in June, Kiev has also increased drone and missile assaults against Russian military positions in eastern Ukraine and in and around the Crimean peninsula.
According to local media, which cited Russia’s defense ministry, Russian missile defenses are believed to have shot down 13 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and three more over the Volgograd region early on Friday morning.
Zelenskyy stated on Friday that Ukraine needs to win three major “victories” overseas, such as the United States Congress’s and the European Union’s ratification of large assistance packages and the official opening of admission negotiations to the EU.
The West’s relations with Kyiv, which mostly depends on its allies for military, economic, and humanitarian help to fight the Kremlin’s forces, have become stale twenty months into Russia’s full-scale invasion.
SOURCE:-ALJAZEERA