Kyiv: Ukraine’s air force has reported that Russia executed a substantial overnight assault involving 67 Shahed drones. Ukrainian forces intercepted 58 of these drones, preventing further damage.
In response to Russia’s intensified attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed retaliation and announced plans to increase domestic military production. This includes the establishment of underground weapons manufacturing facilities to enhance Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.
The air force detailed in a Telegram statement that air defense units were deployed across 11 regions of Ukraine. Debris from the drones was discovered near the parliament building in Kyiv, with the legislature releasing several photographs and a statement on its official Telegram page.
The recent escalation in Russian missile and drone strikes has primarily targeted critical energy infrastructure across Ukraine, leading to severe consequences, including casualties in residential areas. Russia’s advanced long-range capabilities have become apparent, with ongoing attacks severely affecting Ukraine’s power grid, which has lost approximately 70% of its generation capacity and disrupted essential heat and water services.
Late Friday, President Zelenskyy announced that the death toll from the September 3 strike on the Military Institute of Communications in Poltava had risen to 55, with 328 people injured. He reiterated his demand for the removal of restrictions on Western-supplied weapons to target Russian territory and highlighted Ukraine’s efforts to increase its own weapons production.
“We are setting up underground weapons production facilities so Ukrainian soldiers can defend themselves, even if supplies from our partners are delayed,” Zelenskyy stated.
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“We have developed new drones and missiles, and we are gradually bringing this war back to Russia. Eventually, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will feel the pressure to seek only one thing: peace,” he added.
In retaliation, Ukraine has continued its own strikes against Russia. On Saturday, in the Russian border region of Voronezh, Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported that a drone strike had caused a fire and triggered the detonation of “explosive objects.”
Gusev declared a state of emergency in the Ostrogozhsky district and noted that several villages had been evacuated. He advised against sharing photos or videos of the fire that could reveal locations.
