In the early hours of Tuesday, Ukraine’s military revealed that Russia had unleashed a barrage of 28 kamikaze drones, targeting the southern port of Odesa and Kyiv. This incident occurred just hours before the commencement of a crucial NATO summit in Lithuania, which aims to address security challenges posed by Moscow.
Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed that 26 of the Iranian-manufactured Shahed drones launched by Russia were successfully shot down by their air defense systems. Of these, 22 were intercepted over Odesa, while two managed to strike an administration building within the port. Fortunately, prompt action prevented significant damage or casualties as the resulting fires at a grain terminal and another nearby terminal were swiftly extinguished, according to Governor Oleh Kiper, who shared the update on the Telegram messaging app.
Although all drones heading towards Kyiv were intercepted, debris caused some collateral damage to residential properties in the vicinity, as confirmed by the military. Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, expressed concern about this second airborne attack on Kyiv within the same month, emphasizing the gravity of the situation via a Telegram post.
Ruslan Kravchenko, the military head of the Kyiv region, reported on his Facebook page that 12 residential houses and one multi-storey building in the surrounding area incurred minor damage due to falling debris. Thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries resulting from the incidents.
The ongoing invasion by Russia into Ukraine, now extending into its 503rd day, remains an overarching theme of the summit in Vilnius. Leaders are expected to endorse NATO’s first comprehensive defense plans since the end of the Cold War, aimed at safeguarding against potential attacks from Moscow. Russia has openly criticized the alliance and its primary power, the United States, for their support of Ukraine. They have also issued stern warnings, promising a decisive response to any prospective NATO membership for Kyiv.
The invasion has ravaged Ukraine, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, the displacement of millions, and the devastation of numerous cities in the country’s eastern and southern regions, reducing them to ruins.
