Russia's air defence thwarts drone attacks amid deadly strikes on Ukraine

On the night of October 30, Russia’s air defence systems successfully intercepted a series of drone attacks across six regions, according to the Defence Ministry. 

In total, seven drones were downed over the Rostov Region, five over the Kursk Region, four over the Smolensk Region, three each over the Orel and Bryansk Regions, and one over the Belgorod Region, Caliber.Az reports citing the ministry.

Officials in the Rostov and Bryansk regions confirmed that there were no casualties or damage from the attacks.

Smolensk Governor Vasily Anokhin noted that no injuries occurred after three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were shot down in his area. Similarly, in Orel, the destruction of one drone resulted in no harm or destruction. An air alert was issued throughout the night in Kursk Region.

Meanwhile, Ukraine faced a devastating onslaught, with at least four fatalities and six injuries reported in overnight strikes on its largest cities, Kharkiv and Kyiv, on October 29. Additionally, in the morning shelling of Kherson city, two more individuals lost their lives and seven others were wounded, according to local officials.

Russian forces have consistently targeted Ukrainian regions with drone assaults, with the Ukrainian military indicating that they managed to shoot down 26 out of 48 drones launched in the recent barrage.

In Kharkiv, four people were killed during a bombardment in the city’s Osnovianskyi district, as stated by Mayor Ihor Terekhov on his Telegram channel. Local emergency services released footage showing rescuers sifting through the debris of a completely destroyed building, carrying a black bag typically used for the deceased.

This attack was preceded by a guided bomb strike on Kharkiv late on Monday, which severely damaged the iconic Derzhprom building, a landmark dating back to the 1920s.

In Kyiv, debris from a destroyed Russian drone injured six individuals and ignited a fire in a residential building, reported the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko. One person was hospitalized, and several vehicles caught fire as a result.

Ukrainian air defence units were engaged in repelling the drone attack, and debris also fell in the Sviatoshynskyi district, although no immediate damage was reported there.

In the morning bombardment of Kherson, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that a 62-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman were among the victims of the Russian shelling. The Kherson region, which is divided by the front line, frequently endures strikes from Russian artillery, drones, and missiles.

Russia has yet to comment on these recent attacks. Moscow maintains that it does not intentionally target civilians in the ongoing conflict, which erupted following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war, now spanning over two and a half years, has resulted in thousands of casualties, predominantly among Ukrainians, and has left cities and villages in ruins.

By Tamilla Hasanova