KYIV, Ukraine — Early Sunday morning, Ukrainian officials reported that Moscow launched an assault involving 96 drones and a guided missile. The Ukrainian Air Force disclosed that during this nighttime attack, 66 of the drones were intercepted and destroyed, along with the missile. Additionally, they noted that 27 drones appeared to have been lost over different territories, probably due to electronic jamming techniques employed by Ukrainian defense forces, while one drone traversed into Belarusian airspace. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties from this incident.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated on Sunday that over the past week, Russia has unleashed approximately 900 guided aerial bombs, 500 drones, and 30 missiles against Ukraine, signifying a surge in the scale of the attacks.
In a statement on social media platform X, Zelenskyy called on allies to supply Ukraine with “long-range capabilities” for enhanced security. He emphasized that these assaults would not have been feasible had Ukraine received adequate international support. Kyiv is eagerly awaiting responses from its Western allies regarding its constant appeals for long-range weaponry to enable offensive strikes on Russian territory, which includes targeting sites where North Korean troops are undergoing training.
Zelenskyy further urged international partners to implement “truly effective sanctions” aimed at thwarting Russia from acquiring vital components necessary for drone and missile manufacturing. This plea came after he reported on Saturday that in October alone, more than 2,000 drones and missiles employing Western components had been launched against Ukraine. He highlighted the urgency for stricter export controls to mitigate the risk of sanctions evasion.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the Defense Ministry stated that they managed to down 19 Ukrainian drones during the same early hours on Sunday across three Russian regions: 16 in Rostov, two in Belgorod, and one in Volgograd.
In tragic news, a man died as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike in the Belgorod region, as reported by regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.