Ukraine shoots down 36 drones from overnight Russian attacks

Ukraine said on Thursday (May 25) it had shot down all 36 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks which it said probably targeted critical infrastructure and military facilities. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it had been an "uneasy night". Ukrainian joint forces commander Serhiy Nayev has visited air defence troops. Army video released on Thursday showed Nayev with soldiers who operate German-made ‘Gepard’ self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. They also released video purporting to show a drone being shot down over the Kyiv night sky. Reuters was not able to independently verify the location of the footage nor the date it was filmed. Since last October, Moscow, which launched its full-scale invasion in February last year, has regularly sent waves of drones to attack targets in Ukraine. Although they are slow, drones are cheaper and more expendable than advanced missiles. "The enemy likely aimed to attack critical infrastructure and military facilities in the western regions of the state," the Ukrainian air force said on Telegram. It said Iran-made Shahed 136 and Shahed 131 drones had been used. The head of Kyiv's military administration said the capital had come under attack by several waves of drones but that all had been shot down. He said it was the 12th attack on Kyiv this month.

2023-05-25T16:32:19+00:00
Duration: 01:38