Ukraine claims it downed 50 Russian drones in overnight attack

A statement by the Ukrainian Air Force claimed that a total of 73 drones were launched from Russia’s Oryol and Bryansk regions overnight.

The statement said that the drones were intercepted over the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as well as the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, and Zhytomyr regions.

It further said that it lost track of 19 of the drones, while four others still remain in the air.

Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said on Telegram that the air alert sounded over the capital last night lasted for more than three hours.

Popko claimed that more than a dozen drones threatening the city were shot down over the capital, adding that no damages or casualties were reported thus far.

Local authorities in the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava, and Zhytomyr regions did not report any casualties or damages.

"Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state. Yet, Russia persists in its attempts to destroy our people, sow fear and panic, and weaken us," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X, commenting on Russian airstrikes in his country during the past week.

Zelenskyy went on to reaffirm Ukraine's need for more air defense systems, adding that Kyiv is actively working with its partners to resolve this issue.

Russian authorities have not yet commented on the claims.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​