Ukraine’s military says Russia has launched its largest drone attack since the start of the invasion

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On Saturday, Russia intensified its drone strikes on Ukraine, executing the largest such operation since the conflict’s commencement in 2022. The Ukrainian capital was the primary focus of this assault, as confirmed by Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, via his Telegram channel.

This extensive operation involved the deployment of 75 Shahed drones, manufactured in Iran, against Ukrainian targets. The Ukrainian air force reported successful interception of 74 of these drones. According to Serhii Popko, head of Kyiv’s city administration, this represented the most significant drone-based air attack on the city. Yurii Ihnat, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian air force, later confirmed that 66 aerial targets were neutralized over Kyiv and its vicinity.

The assault, which spanned several hours, resulted in injuries to at least five civilians and caused considerable property damage, including a kindergarten. Among the injured was an 11-year-old child, as reported by Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko.

In Kyiv’s Solomiansky district, the aftermath of the attack was evident, with a crater from drone debris observed in a residential area and nearby building windows shattered. The majority of the affected residents, primarily elderly, received onsite medical care. Some sought refuge in a nearby subway station, while others were engaged in cleaning debris and broken glass as the sound of approaching drones lingered.

The offensive began at 4 a.m. and lasted over six hours, disrupting power supply to numerous residential and institutional buildings. Serhii Popko noted power outages in 77 residential buildings and 120 institutions. The Energy Ministry of Ukraine reported that 17,000 residents in the Kyiv region experienced power cuts, attributing it to damage to four power lines. Power was restored by early afternoon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a Telegram post, acknowledged that while most drones were intercepted, some did breach defenses. He emphasized ongoing efforts to enhance air defense capabilities.

Notably, the drone attack coincided with Holodomor Memorial Day, which commemorates the devastating famine in Soviet Ukraine during 1932-1933, killing millions.

The offensive extended beyond Kyiv, targeting regions including Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad. Concurrently, in the southern Kherson region, shelling claimed one life and injured three others, as reported by regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, who also noted that the region had faced 100 shellings in the last day.

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• Analysis of power outages in Kyiv following the drone strike
• Historical context of Holodomor Memorial Day
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