Ukraine says it downed six drones and two missiles during Russia's attack

[September 09, 2024]  KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's air force said on Monday it shot down six out of eight Russian-launched drones and two out of three missiles during an overnight attack over four Ukrainian regions.   

Ukrainian service personnel use searchlights as they search for drones in the sky over the city centre during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Kyiv authorities said an attack on the city, the fifth in September, had not done damage or caused injuries in the capital.

Russia has launched hundreds of missiles and drones to attack Ukraine in the past weeks, prompting Kyiv to reiterate to its Western allies the urgent need for air defense and long-range strike capacity to repel the attacks.

On Monday, the air defense shot down aerial targets in the Kyiv region with debris causing two fires in open areas which have since been put out, the regional authorities said.

Serhiy Lysak, the governor of the central region of Dnipropetrovsk, said air defense shot down two missiles there, in addition to one reconnaissance drone.

Russian shelling of the town of Nikopol in this region injured three people and killed a 16-year-old girl, Lysak said.

The governor of the central Cherkasy region said air defense destroyed one drone and debris caused a fire which has since been put out.

The energy ministry said Russian forces had also attacked energy facilities in seven regions within 24 hours. The statement did not detail the scale of damage at the facilities.

(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Sonali Paul and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

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