Ukraine downs most Russian explosive drones, but other attacks kill at least 3 civilians

Overnight on 4-5 December, Russia launched 44 long-range explosive drones and two missiles at Ukrainian infrastructure. Ukraine’s air defense reportedly downed most drones, with the remainder either crashing or failing to reach their targets. While the missile and drone attack caused no casualties, other Russian assaults resulted in at least three civilian deaths and 21 injuries in several regions.

Russia continues its deliberate daily air attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Since October 2022, it has systematically targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with extensive missile and drone assaults, aiming to disrupt civilian life, particularly during the winter months.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that overnight on 4-5 December, Russia launched a drone assault involving a combination of Shahed-series one-way attack UAVs and drones of “other types,” launched from Russia’s Oryol and Kursk oblasts. Additionally, two Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles fired from Rostov Oblast targeted Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

According to the Air Force, air defense units and mobile fire groups downed 30 of 44 drones in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Odesa oblasts. The Air Force also reported the disappearance of 12 more drones from radars – implying their crash, while one drone exited the Ukraine-controlled airspace in the direction of Belarus.

The Air Forces figures suggest that two missiles and at least one drone might have reached their intended targets.

Local authorities didn’t report injuries or damage linked to the Russian Shahed drone attack.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

One of the Ukraiinan airspace monitoring channels reported a strike comprising two ballistic missiles targeted Pokrov city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast west of Nikopol around 23:00 yesterday.

The Dnipropetrovsk Oblast authorities reported that overnight, Russian forces targeted Nikopol, Pokrov’s city and rural areas, and the Marganets community with missiles, Shahed drones, and artillery. The attacks caused damage to an agricultural firm, private homes, an outbuilding, and a vehicle. Gas pipelines and power lines were also affected, but caused no casualties.

Other Russian attacks, including artillery strikes, FPV drone and KAB guided bomb assaults injured and killed civilians in other regions.

Kherson Oblast

The Kherson Oblast Administration reported that on 4 December, Russian attacks killed two people and injured another ten.

On 5 December morning, Russian forces attacked a civilian car in the Dnipro district of Kherson, injuring a 53-year-old man. A 34-year-old man also sought medical attention after being injured in shelling the previous day, according to the Administration.

In Antonivka, a 51-year-old man was injured by a Russian drone strike and received treatment for mine-explosive injuries. Later, two other residents of Kherson, aged 64 and 58, were reportedly also injured in shelling and received outpatient care.

Other Russian attacks

In Kharkiv Oblast, on the evening of 4 December, a 40-year-old man was killed by a Russian KAB-guided bomb in Kupiansk. Additionally, a 65-year-old man was injured by a Russian FPV drone strike in the same city, according to local authorities.

In Donetsk Oblast, various Russian attacks injured four civilians on 4 December, as reported by the oblast administration.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on 4 December, a 78-year-old woman was injured as a result of a Russian attack in the Zaporizhzhia district. During the day, Russian forces carried out 389 strikes on 10 settlements in the oblast, the authorities said.

On 5 December, the Sumy Oblast Administration (ODA) said that eight Shahed drones were downed over Sumy by the region’s air defense forces overnight. Sumy Oblast authorities also reported three separate Russian attacks, which included six artillery explosions and KAB-guided bombs. Fortunately, there were no casualties or damage reported.

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