Kiev has been targeted in a new wave of airstrikes carried out by Russian suicide drones (UAVs) after several consecutive days of fending off attacks aimed at anti-aircraft complexes.
The Ukrainian military announced in the early morning of May 20th that multiple Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were heading towards Kiev. Subsequent explosions were recorded in the capital city and the city of Chernihiv, northeast of Kiev, as the country’s air defense network opened fire to intercept them.
“All detected airborne targets have been destroyed by our air defense forces,” said Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kiev military agency, adding that this was the 11th airstrike on Kiev since the beginning of May.
Popko stated that debris from the UAV fell onto the streets of the Darnytskyi and Solomyanskyi districts, causing a fire on the roof of a 9-story apartment building in the Dniprovskyi district.
“Everyone should remain in the underground shelters until the danger subsides,” Popko advised. Currently, there is no information available on the extent of damage and casualties resulting from the attack.
Russia has been carrying out missile and suicide UAV attacks on Ukraine almost daily in recent days. On the night of May 18th to the morning of May 19th, Russia launched 6 cruise missiles and 22 UAVs into cities across Ukraine.
Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for the Southern Operational Command of the Ukrainian military, believes that Moscow is intensifying its airstrikes to assess and identify the positions of Ukrainian anti-aircraft complexes and to find ways to erode the enemy’s defense network.
On May 16th, Ukrainian officials reported that Russia conducted an “unusually fierce” airstrike targeting Kiev, with the highest number of missiles launched in the shortest period of time. Russia claimed to have destroyed a Patriot anti-aircraft complex in this attack, but Ukraine denied it, stating that the system only suffered minor damage.
A day later, the Ukrainian military continued to report that Kiev was experiencing “an unprecedented series of airstrikes in terms of strength, intensity, and form.” The British military assessed last month that Russia was seeking to destroy Ukrainian reserve units and a series of Western-supplied air defense systems, including the Patriot anti-aircraft missiles.