KYIV, Ukraine — In a significant escalation, Russia launched an unprecedented assault by deploying 188 drones across many regions of Ukraine during the night, as reported by the Ukrainian air force. This operation marks the highest record of drones used in a single strike.
Despite the efforts of the air force, which succeeded in intercepting a majority of the drones, there was damage to residential buildings and vital infrastructure, including the national power grid. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of casualties across the 17 regions that were targeted in the attack.
Since mid-year, Russia has intensified its bombardment of civilian areas in Ukraine, utilizing a heavier arsenal of drones, missiles, and glide bombs. Meanwhile, on the ground, Russia has maintained control over the battlefield for the last year, particularly intensifying its offensive in the eastern Donetsk region, where Western military analysts claim significant tactical progress is being made.
As Ukraine braces for a challenging winter, concerns are mounting regarding the stability of the electricity supply in light of these relentless assaults, compounded by uncertainties related to U.S. support as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January.
During the night, air raid alerts in the Kyiv region persisted for over seven hours, reflecting Russia’s strategy to intimidate civilians and diminish their resolve amid the ongoing conflict that has reached nearly three years.
In response to the circumstances, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that their forces took down 39 Ukrainian drones overnight in areas close to the border with Ukraine. Simultaneously, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that approximately half of the confrontations along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front lines were concentrated near Pokrovsk and Kurakhove in the Donetsk region over the previous 24 hours.
Facing a critical manpower shortage on the frontlines, Ukraine is increasingly at risk as the incremental but consistent gains by the Russian army accumulate, resulting in the loss of ground for the Ukrainian forces. The advance poses threats to crucial supply routes within Donetsk, according to the Institute for the Study of War based in Washington.
However, the think tank has asserted that Ukraine’s defenses in Donetsk are not in immediate peril of being overwhelmed, while also observing that Russia needs to secure over 8,000 square kilometers (3,000 square miles) to fulfill the Kremlin’s aim of controlling the entirety of Donetsk.