Ukrainian officials say their defense systems downed ‘almost 15’ drones over Kyiv

KYIV (AFP): Almost 15 drones were downed during an overnight attack on Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said early on Thursday, in the second strike on the capital in as many days.

Air defense forces “detected and destroyed almost 15 air targets,” said Sergiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, without specifying who launched the attack.

Early information indicated no damage or casualties, he said.

Popko said the attackers had used a barrage of Shahed drones, in an onslaught that lasted three hours.

Russia has used Iranian-made Shaheds to attack Ukraine multiple times since invading its neighbor in February 2022.

The city’s military administration had earlier issued an alert for air attacks and warned residents to stay in shelters.

“It became the 820th (air alert) for Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion,” Popko said.

The strike was repelled a day after another “massive” overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital, Popko said.

More than 10 Shahed drones were downed over Kyiv on Wednesday, with debris hitting several districts including the busy Solomyansky, home to an international airport.

Also on Wednesday, Russian drones struck grain facilities in the port of Izmail which sits just across the Danube River from Romania, damaging silos, warehouses and administrative buildings.

Izmail is now the main export route for Ukrainian agricultural products via Romania, following Russia’s withdrawal last month from the Black Sea grain agreement.

Last week, Russia launched a nighttime drone attack on Kyiv, with all incoming drones shot down.