Russia launches 24 drones, damages infrastructure in southern Ukraine
A barrage of Russian drone attacks have caused damage in the southern Ukrainian regions of Odessa and Mykolaiv, authorities said on Monday.
Debris from an intercepted drone wrecked a transport logistics facility and a petrol station in Odessa, while an electrical line was damaged by drone shrapnel, causing power outages in 14 villages in the Mykolaiv region to the east of Odessa. There were no casualties in the attacks.
A total of 17 out of 24 drones launched by Russia were shot down, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
In the Zaporizhzhya region further east, Ukrainian authorities reported three dead and three injured after artillery fire.
Zaporizhzhya is partially occupied by Russian troops and remains hotly contested more than two years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion. The region is also the location of Ukraine's biggest nuclear plant, which was threatened by a drone attack on Sunday.
Russia attacks its neighbouring country with drones and missiles on a daily basis. Kiev is asking for more air defence systems from the West in order to better protect its cities.
In addition to the airstrikes, there are also massive artillery battles in the east and south of Ukraine.
Ukrainian top military officials met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Monday to discuss further measures to protect the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, which has been the target of a constant barrage of Russian airstrikes recently.
"The main topic was Kharkiv, the defence of the city against Russian attacks and the possibility of strengthening our air defence and electronic warfare in the Kharkiv region," Zelensky wrote on Telegram after the meeting of the Stavka, the Ukrainian army's high command.
According to the Ukrainian military, the next major Russian offensive could be directed against Kharkiv.
"We are holding our positions, the main thing now is efficient logistics," Zelensky said, outlining the situation on the front.
In addition to military measures, diplomatic steps, such as the procurement of new air defence systems, were also discussed, the president said.
In recent weeks, Zelensky has repeatedly asked Western partners for additional air defence systems. In a television interview on Sunday, he said that his country needs at least 25 US Patriot air defence systems to adequately protect Ukrainian cities.
