Mutual Attacks with Hundreds of Drones Between Ukraine and Russia

SadaNews - Russia and Ukraine launched mutual attacks today, Sunday, using hundreds of drones and missiles, while ground battles continue. One person was killed and others were injured due to a Russian attack on Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials reported that one person was killed and four others were injured due to a Russian drone attack on the city of Kherson in the south of the country.

The governor of the Sumy region stated that a Russian airstrike near the town of Krovyletz resulted in injuries to six people, including two in critical condition.

Ukrainian Targeting

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukrainian forces targeted two oil tankers belonging to what is known as the "Shadow Fleet" at the entrance to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea.

He confirmed that the tankers were actively used to transport oil "and are no longer doing so now," adding that Ukraine will continue to develop its long-range capabilities at sea, in the air, and on land.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced in a statement via the "Telegram" application that the Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or disabled 249 drones out of 268 launched by Russia during a wide-scale air attack targeting sites across the country overnight.

The statement explained that Russian forces also used a ballistic missile of the "Iskander-M" type launched from the Kursk region, along with drones of the "Shahed" and "Gerbera" and "Italmass" types and others. According to the statement, the attacks originated from areas in Kursk, Shatalovo, Oryol, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk within Russia, as well as positions in the Crimean Peninsula.

The Ukrainian Air Force added that the response to the attack was carried out through air defense systems and electronic warfare units, drones, and mobile fire teams from the Air Force and air defense, noting that interception operations continued until the early hours of dawn.

In a related context, the Ukrainian General Staff announced that the total losses of Russian forces since the start of the war in February 2022 have risen to about 1.33 million between killed and wounded, including 1,080 in the last 24 hours, in addition to the destruction of thousands of tanks, vehicles, artillery systems, and aircraft, figures that cannot be independently verified.

Russian Response

In contrast, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 334 Ukrainian drones during the period from Saturday evening to Sunday morning, over more than 15 regions, including Moscow and the Crimean Peninsula.

The ministry previously stated the downing of 5 guided aerial bombs and two "HIMARS" rockets, as well as 505 Ukrainian drones in a single day.

The governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, reported that Ukrainian drones attacked the Primorsk port on the Baltic Sea, resulting in a fire that was later extinguished without any oil spill being recorded.

He clarified that more than 60 drones were shot down in the region, confirming that combat operations are still ongoing.

Russian forces continue to advance toward the city of Konstantinivka in the Donetsk region, which is part of a fortified defensive line known as the "Fortress Belt."

The Ukrainian army commander confirmed that Ukrainian forces are resisting Russian advance attempts, while battlefield maps indicate that Russian forces have approached within about one kilometer of the southern outskirts of the city, with gray areas that are not fully controlled by either party.

This escalation reflects the increasing reliance of both sides on drones and long-range missiles amid a war of attrition that has lasted for more than four years, with diplomatic efforts stumbling and fighting continuing on several fronts.

Source: Agencies