Regional officials in Ukraine report eight people were killed and at least 49 others injured between Thursday and Friday by Russian attacks on the country.
The Ukrainian air force reported it shot down 24 of 32 Iranian-made Shahed drones. In a report from its account on the social media platform Telegram, the Ukrainian air force reported another attacking drone was lost in Romanian airspace and still another was “lost in location” because of Ukraine defense forces countermeasures.
The air force statement said Russia fired a North Korean-made Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile from occupied Crimea and two Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 bombers from the Black Sea, all which were shot down by antiaircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups and electronic warfare units.
In the southern Odesa region, Governor Oleh Kiper reported from his Telegram account the Russian drone strikes hit the town of Izmail early Friday, killing three people and injuring at least 11. He said the drone strikes damaged private homes, residential buildings and other structures, as well as cars.
Video released by the Odesa regional emergency service showed firefighters battling several fires and searching through the rubble of buildings.
In Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported a total of four people were killed and 11 were injured Thursday. Filashkin said there were additional deaths and injuries in attacks on Mariupol and Volnovakha but provided no figures.
A Russian attack on the city of Kharkiv injured three women and two men, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Three men, ages 77, 74 and 46, suffered injuries after Russian attacks on Kupiansk, Vuzlovyi, Vovchansk and Ivashky in Kharkiv Oblast.
In Kherson Oblast, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported Russian forces Thursday targeted 24 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. He said one person was killed and 19 were injured, while critical infrastructure, including a school, residential high-rise buildings and private homes, were damaged.
Also Thursday, the Ukrainian military reported that a Ukrainian drone strike battalion foiled a Russian armored assault near the village of Pishchane in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Commander of the Achilles drone strike battalion, Yuriy Fedorenko, reported Russian forces had attempted to advance in the area, using around 50 armored vehicles and troops. Video released by Fedorenko showed repeated drone strikes on what he reported were Russian vehicles.
The commander reported the drone strikes damaged or destroyed a total of 40 Russian vehicles.
