Russia on Sunday downed over ten Ukrainian drones on their approach to capital Moscow, causing suspension of the work of two airports. Overall, 67 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia overnight, the Defence Ministry reported.
In yet anther attack, Ukrainian drones struck an explosive producing chemical plant in Tula region in Novomoksovks, south of the capital, causing large-scale fire due to falling debris. The regional governor Dmitry Milyaev said two people were injured in the attack on Azot plant and the situation was under control. Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center siaid the plant produces explosives, in particular TNT, which is used in artillery shells, aircraft bombs and missiles.
Russia also continued its air raids on Ukraine overnight, with the Ukrainian air forces reporting the downing of 40 drones. Overall, 49 drones and three missiles were fired into Ukraine last night. Recent weeks have seen the two sides scale up their drone offensive even as peace talks continue to end the three-year war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday evening that his army needed to urgently boost its air defences amid intensified Russian drone and missile attacks. “We are working to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence. We urgently need positive signals from the United States – concrete signals regarding air defence systems. We are still waiting for a response to our request to purchase systems that can help, concrete signals, not words,” Zelenskiy said, according to a readout posted on the president’s official website.
It should be noted that Ukraine’s second largest northeastern Kharkiv city was among cities targeted by Russia this weekend. At least three people were killed and twenty-three injured on Saturday as Russia launched the largest attack in the city since start of the war. At least for more people were killed in Russian barrages on other parts of Ukraine. Russia’s intensified attacks follow Ukraine’s Spiderweb operation that destroyed strategic bombers deep in Russia last week. Zelenskiy said Russia’s recent barrages cannot be excused as “retaliation” and urged to scale up pressure on Vladimir Putin.
On Sunday, Russian Defence Ministry reported its forces were advancing towards Ukraine’s industrial eastern Dnepropetrovsk region. It should be noted that the region is not among the five regions that have been publicly claimed by the Kremlin as Russian territory.
