Ukraine shoots down 10 missiles in Russian attacks, oil depot hit

[May 26, 2023]  By Olena Harmash and Gleb Garanich
 
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine shot down 10 missiles and over 20 drones launched by Russia in overnight attacks on the capital Kyiv, the city of Dnipro and eastern regions, Ukrainian officials said on Friday. 

An explosion of a missile is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 26, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office said in a statement that a fire had broken out on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Kharkiv after an oil depot was hit twice, and that equipment for pumping oil products had been damaged.

Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine this month, mainly attacking logistics and infrastructure facilities before an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 10 missiles fired from the Caspian Sea, 23 Iranian-made Shahed drones and two reconnaissance drones during the overnight attacks.

It said a total of 17 missiles and 31 drones had been launched in the attacks, which started at around 10:00 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Thursday and continued until 5:00 a.m. on Friday.

Several drones and several missiles hit targets in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions, officials said.

There was no immediate word of any deaths.

"It was a very difficult night. It was loud - the enemy launched a mass attack on the region with missiles and drones," Serhiy Lysak, the Dnipropetrovsk regional governor, said on the Telegram messaging app. "Dnipro has suffered."

Lysak said several houses, cars, and private companies, including a transport company and a gas station, had been damaged. A worker at the gas station was hurt.

Officials in Kyiv said the roof of a shopping mall, a private house and several cars had been damaged.

The governor of the Kharkiv region also reported damage to several private houses and industrial facilities.

Russia, which began its full-scale invasion 15 months ago, has launched hundreds of missile attacks since last October, seeking to destroy critical infrastructure and power facilities.

It has shifted the focus of its missile strikes to try to disrupt preparation for a Ukrainian counterattack, military officials have said.

(Writing by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

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