Ukrainian air defense forces successfully intercepted and shot down over 10 Russian drones targeting Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday (29 August). This marks the third significant attack on the Ukrainian capital in just four days. Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, announced the attack in a Telegram post, emphasizing the intensity of the situation: The third air attack in Kyiv in the last four days! Mass attack again.
The drones were reportedly launched from Russian-occupied regions in Ukraine’s Kherson area and the Russian region of Kursk. Although the debris from the downed drones caused fires in some locations, these were quickly extinguished by firefighters. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.
The attack comes as part of an escalation in hostilities, with Russia intensifying its assaults on Ukraine following a Ukrainian military incursion into the Russian border region of Kursk earlier this month. Concurrently, fierce battles are taking place around Pokrovsk, an eastern Ukrainian city that holds strategic importance for supplying the Ukrainian army on the front lines. Russia is aiming to capture Pokrovsk to strengthen its control over the eastern region of Donetsk.
The ongoing war, which began on 24 February 2022, continues to take a heavy toll. Thousands of lives have been lost, and millions of people have been displaced. Russian President Vladimir Putin refers to the conflict as a “special military operation” intended to demilitarize Ukraine. In response, Western nations have imposed severe sanctions on Russia, aiming to cripple its economy.
The conflict shows no signs of abating, with both sides engaged in intense military operations as the war drags on.
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