Russia launches overnight drone attack on Ukrainian president's hometown

[July 14, 2023]  KYIV (Reuters) - A 56-year-old man was injured in an overnight Russian drone strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's hometown, the central city of Kryvyi Rih, the regional governor said on Friday.  

The attack damaged a number of buildings in Kryvyi Rih but Ukraine's air force said 16 of the 17 Iranian-made Shahed attack drones launched by Russia overnight had been shot down in southern and eastern areas of the country.

Ukrainian servicemen of an air defence unit operate a Swedish RBS 70 portable air-defence system during their combat shift, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine June 27, 2023. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Falling debris damaged a municipal enterprise, two residential buildings and a transport company in Kryvyi Rih, regional governor Serhiy Lysak said on the Telegram messaging app.

City mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said windows had been blown out in apartment blocks and private houses, hospitals and schools.

The drone launches were the latest in a series of attacks in which the capital Kyiv came under attack on three successive nights this week. Russia did not comment on the attacks, and denies deliberately targeting civilians.

(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka and Kyiv newsroom, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.