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KYIV, Ukraine – Russia attacked Kyiv with nearly three dozen drones overnight, Ukrainian officials said Monday, one of the largest waves to directly target the Ukrainian capital and part of a wider aerial attack on cities and towns across the country.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down all 35 drones in Kyiv, the fourth large-scale attack aimed at the city this month. At least five people were injured when debris from a drone fell on a building, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said in a statement.
“This is the biggest drone attack on the capital during the entire war,” Mr Klitschko told reporters.
It was part of a wider Russian attack that also targeted the cities of Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa with 16 missiles in the past day, the Ukrainian military said in a statement on Friday.
“The likelihood of more Russian missiles and airstrikes in Ukraine remains high,” the military’s General Staff said.
Russian forces have stepped up attacks on Ukrainian civilians as Moscow encourages Kyiv to launch a counterattack now that winter is over. Ukrainian officials have warned that Moscow may attempt an attack scheduled for Tuesday, the annual May 9 Victory Day holiday that marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. President Vladimir V. Putin has for years turned the celebration into a showcase for modern Russia’s military might and a place to spread his vision of Russian nationalism.
The attack on Kyiv began after midnight. For nearly four hours, Ukraine’s air defense team fired on the drone, lighting up the night sky with gunfire tracers from anti-aircraft guns. Every time a drone is shot down, the explosion shatters windows and shakes buildings. Residents huddled in bomb shelters, hallways and bathrooms until the all clear.
An hour later, the air raid alarm sounded again.
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