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Ukraine’s capital came under the heaviest drone attack since the start of the war early Sunday amid preparations for Kiev Day. Local officials informed that at least 1 person has died in this attack. It is believed to be a response to the drone attack on the Kremlin, Russia’s presidential office. In early May, a Ukrainian drone struck the Kremlin ahead of Russian Victory Day. Senior Ukrainian military official Serhiy Popko said Russia launched its “biggest-ever attack” on the city on Saturday night with the Iranian-made ‘Shahid’ drone. The attack continued for more than 5 hours during which Ukraine’s air defense systems destroyed more than 40 drones. Oleh Sinihubov, the regional governor of Kharkiv province, said a 61-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were killed in two separate attacks.
One killed by drone debris
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 41-year-old man was killed when debris from a drone fell on a seven-story non-residential building and caught fire. He told that a 35-year-old woman injured in the incident has been admitted to the hospital. Ukraine’s air force said on Saturday night that there had been more attacks by ‘martyr’ drones across the country than ever before. It claimed that out of 54 drones launched by the Russian military, 52 were shot down by air defense systems.
Russia attacked before Kiev Day
Kiev Day is the official foundation day of the capital of Ukraine. The day is usually celebrated with concerts, street fairs, exhibitions and fireworks. A limited number of celebrations are planned for the city’s 1,541st anniversary this year. Military officer Popko said that today the enemy has decided to congratulate the people of Kiev on Kiev Day with the help of their deadly drones. Local authorities in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region said air defense systems had destroyed several drones fired at the Ilsky oil refinery.
American patriots a boon for Ukraine
Kiev has been able to repel the attacks thanks to air defense systems acquired from the West, including US-made Patriot missiles. Apart from fighting in various areas, both sides have been targeting each other with long-range missiles. Since the start of the offensive by Russia in February last year, drone attacks have been taking place at regular intervals along the Russian border. The number of such attacks has increased in the last one month. Earlier this month, an oil refinery in Krasnodar was attacked by drones for two consecutive days.
Ukraine claims to have foiled Russian attack
Earlier, Ukraine foiled Russia’s fierce air attack on Kiev and shot down all the missiles. Meanwhile, the death toll in Friday’s missile attack on Dnipropetrovsk, the regional capital of Dnipropetrovsk province, has risen to four. The governor of the province, Serhiy Lysak, said the three missing had been confirmed dead. 32 people including 2 children were injured in this attack.