Russia drones target Odessa port, Kiev

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Aug 2023 08:49
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Ukrainian officials claim that the drones entered Kiev from various directions, but all were reportedly detected and destroyed in time by the air defense forces.

Security personnel stand in front of a grain storage terminal at the Odessa Sea Port, in Odessa, Ukraine, on July 29, 2022 (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

More than 10 Russian drones were reportedly shot down during an attack on Kiev, according to Ukrainian officials. The drones entered Kiev from various directions, but all were reportedly detected and destroyed in time by the air defense forces.

The debris from the downed UAVs caused damage in several areas, including the Solomyansky district, which houses an international airport, as per the officials.

"Groups of drones entered Kyiv simultaneously from several directions. However, all air targets -- more than 10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) -- were detected and destroyed in time by the forces and means of air defense," said Sergiy Popko, head of the Kiev city military administration.

He further claimed that Russia had used a barrage of Iranian-made Shahed drones.

There were no casualties reported from the attack. In one district, parts of a drone caused a fire in a non-residential building. Residents were warned and advised to seek shelter during the drone attacks.

The Odessa region was also targeted in a separate drone attack. These incidents come after Russia downed Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow, Crimea, and Black Sea vessels, with a Moscow skyscraper being hit for the second time. Russia had previously threatened to intensify strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure in response to drone attacks on its territory, which they attributed to Kiev.

It is worth noting that Kiev has increased the amount of long-range missile and drone attacks against Russian cities and drones, coinciding with a failed counteroffensive on the frontline. Ukraine is suffering huge losses both in the air and on the ground as Ukrainian armed forces entrap themselves in minefields and artillery ambushes, losing essential Western equipment and vehicles.

The Washington Post has lately estimated that Ukraine's drone losses are around 10,000 drones a month, citing a UK-based think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, which gave the ten thousand estimate, contradicting Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who told the WP that Russian forces are bringing down only 1,000 drones a month.

In the month of July alone, Ukraine lost 20,824 soldiers and 2,227 pieces of military equipment, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday before a meeting with the defense ministry's leadership.

"Over the past month, as a result of the successful activities of our troops, the losses of the enemy amounted to more than 20,800 servicemen, to be exact, 20,824 people, and 2,227 pieces of various weapons," Shoigu said, adding that Kiev sustained the loss of an additional10 Leopard tanks.