Russia launches major drone attack on Ukraine, several buildings damaged

Russian forces launched a major drone attack overnight on 15 Ukrainian regions, causing damage to commercial and residential buildings, local authorities said on Thursday, though there were no immediate reports of any casualties.

The Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down 78 out of 105 Russian drones during the assault, with 23 more likely impacted by active electronic jamming.

Authorities in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv said the air force had downed around 15 drones over the city and its surroundings during an air alert that lasted more than five hours.

Serhiy Popko, head of the capital's military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app that drone debris had fallen in the Desnianskyi district but said they had caused no fires.

However, the overnight attack caused fires in three other districts of the Kyiv region which have since been extinguished, regional authorities said.

An attack on the southern region of Odesa damaged power lines, regional governor Oleh Kiper said. Workers restored power to more than 3,000 consumers, though a further 2,000 people remained without power in one of the districts, he said.

Dozens of Russian drones also targeted the central Ukrainian region of Poltava, damaging six commercial buildings and shattering windows in a residential building and a kindergarten, governor Filip Pronin said on Telegram.

Another attack, on the central region of Kirovohrad, also damaged windows in a residential apartment and neighbouring garages, governor Andriy Raykovych said.

The airforce shot down 16 drones in the Cherkasy region and debris caused a forest fire which has since been put out, local authorities said.