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Air Force: Ukraine downs all 20 Russian drones overnight

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Air Force: Ukraine downs all 20 Russian drones overnight
Ukrainian military members of an air defense rapid response group track down Russian drones while on night duty in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine on March 1, 2024. Members of the group protect the Ukrainian sky from the Russian ‘Shahed’ (or ‘Geran’) drones. (Zinchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Ukrainian air defenses downed all 20 Shahed-type attack drones launched during a Russian attack overnight on May 17, Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said.

The drones were reportedly launched from the Russian port town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, located on the coast of the Sea of Azov, and from Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Aircraft, missile and electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force intercepted the drones over Kharkiv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odesa, and Mykolaiv oblasts, Oleshchuk said.

Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. In recent months, Russia has intensified attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, launching massive drone and missile strikes targeting critical facilities.

Ukraine introduced restrictions on energy supply across the country due to a "significant power shortage."

Russia claims fire at oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai after drone attack
A fire broke out at an oil refinery in the town of Tuapse in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai overnight on May 17 after a drone attack, the regional operational headquarters claimed.
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Kateryna Denisova

News Editor

Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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Ukraine is striking oil refineries deep inside Russia — but it’s not really the oil they’re after. The Kyiv Independent’s Dominic Culverwell explains how Ukraine’s drone campaign targets the high-tech equipment Russia cannot easily replace under sanctions.

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