[1/5] An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky above the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
KYIV, June 20 (Reuters) – Russia launched a massive overnight air attack in Ukraine on Tuesday, targeting military facilities and infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities, officials said on Tuesday.
Ukraine said it shot down 32 of 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched from Russia’s Bryansk region and the Azov Sea.
There have been no reports of any casualties in the latest airstrikes launched by Moscow since Kyiv began a counteroffensive in which it says it has recaptured 113 square km (44 square miles) of land from Russian forces.
The air force said on the Telegram messaging app that air defenses are already operational in most regions of Ukraine.
“However, the main direction of the attack of Iranian drones is the region of Kyiv. More than two dozen Shaheds were destroyed here,” it said in the Telegram messaging app.
Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said the air alert in the capital lasted more than three hours. He did not give details of any injuries.
An unspecified critical infrastructure facility was hit in Lviv, about 70 km (43 miles) from the border with NATO member Poland, and some tram routes were altered during the morning rush hour, the official said.
“They hit a critically important facility. There were three hits,” said regional governor Maksym Kozytskiy.
The air force said Russia also hit the southeastern industrial city of Zaporizhzhia with Iskander and S-300 missiles.
Yuriy Malashko, head of the Zaporizhzhia region’s military administration, said Russia was targeting telecommunications infrastructure and agricultural and farming assets.
The Ukrainian military said that, according to preliminary information, Russia fired seven missiles at Zaporizhzhia.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.
Reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Timothy Heritage
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