Russia launches 17 drones on Ukraine, 14 destroyed, says Kyiv
Ukrainian servicemen ride on a BMP infantry fighting vehicle on a road near Bakhmut.
Ukraine's Air Force command said early Tuesday (April 4) that Russia launched 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack the war-torn country overnight, adding that 14 of these drones were destroyed, the news agency Reuters reported. Taking to Telegram, the command said in a statement, "In total, up to 17 launches of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks were recorded, presumably from the eastern coast area of the Sea of Azov."
The drones struck the port of Odessa, local authorities said, adding there was damage. Taking to Facebook, the authorities said in a statement, "The enemy has just struck Odessa and the Odessa district with attack UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)." "There is damage," the statement said.
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Citing Yuriy Kruk, the head of the Odessa district military administration, the statement added that Ukraine's air defence forces were at work and warned of a possible second wave of attacks. The statement did not provide any further details.
Since the beginning of the Russian offensive in February last year, Odessa has been bombed several times by Russian forces. On March 9, local authorities said that Russian strikes targeted the southern Odessaregion.
Governor Maksym Marchneko said that missiles had hit the energy infrastructure of the region as well as damaged residential buildings. Marchneko added that there were no casualties, and that power supply restrictions were in place.
The latest drone strikes in Ukraine come as fierce fighting continues in and around Bakhmut. The battle for the city has been one of the bloodiest of the conflict with several casualties on both sides.
Last Sunday, Russian mercenary group Wagner's chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said that his troops raised a Russian flag on the city-centre administrative building. However, the Ukrainian military said, fighting was still raging around the city council building, as well as in other nearby towns.
Speaking to Reuters, Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, said on Monday, "Bakhmut is Ukrainian and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that."
"They raised the flag over some kind of toilet. They attached it to the side of who knows what hung their rag and said they had captured the city. Well good, let them think they've taken it," Cherevatyi added.
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