At least one civilian killed, 11 injured after Russian drone, missile attacks in southern Ukraine: Kyiv

At least one civilian has been killed and 11 others were injured after Russia overnight launched 42 drones and six missiles at Ukraine’s southern regions, said the Ukrainian military, on Thursday (Dec 14). Kyiv’s forces claimed to have shot down 41 out of 42 drones during the attack on the southern Ukrainian region of Odesa.

The attack also comes a day after 10 ballisticmissiles were fired at the Ukrainian capital, according to the Ukrainian military. Kyiv’s mayor said at least 53 people were injured in the “enemy attack,” the second offensive in a week after a long hiatus.

Drone and missile attacks in southern Ukraine

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“The defenders of the sky managed to shoot down 41 out of 42 Shahed-136/131 attack drones. The vast majority of them were shot down in Odesa region,” said the Ukrainian Air Force, in a post on Telegram.

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According to the Ukrainian forces, Russia also launched six S-300 anti-aircraft-guided missiles from the occupied Kherson region.

The wreckage from the downed drones damaged more than a dozen buildings in the southern city of Odesa and 11 civilians, including three children, were injured, said the Ukrainian military.

Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Kherson region, one person was killed following an overnight missile strike, reported Reuters citing emergency services. A medical facility, private house and garage were also destroyed, according to the news agency.

Russia’s attack on Kyiv

At least 53 people, including six children, were injured after the Ukrainian capital came under attack, on Wednesday (Dec 13), according to officials in Kyiv.

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Ukrainian air defence systems downed all 10 ballistic missiles that targeted the capital at about 3:00 am (local time), said Ukraine’s air force on Telegram.

In a social media post, the Ukrainian police said some 18 people had been hospitalised after the attack.

The missile strike also caused major damage to the infrastructure in Kyiv, including homes and a children’s hospital. According to Reuters, windows of residential apartment blocks were blown out and frightened residents streamed out onto the street to assess the damage.

The debris from the missiles also reportedly blew a large crater in the ground and destroyed parked cars.

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“There was no air raid siren. At around 4 a.m. (0200 GMT), I heard an explosion. We fled to the corridor, (the explosion wave) threw me into the doors,” Olena Ustinova, 45, a local administration clerk, told Reuters.

“I regained consciousness and started to shake the doors but they were blocked. I shouted for help from my balcony and emergency workers came to help me.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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