Russia launches drones on south Ukraine cities

Ukraine says its offensive is going to plan and the main thrust is still ahead

- Yaroslav Trofimov

Russia launched 35 Iranian-made suicide drones at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight as Ukrainian forces engaged in heavy battles in the south of the country as part of their attempt to advance.

Russia, which intensified cruise-missile and drone strikes on Kyiv over the past two months, lobbed the majority of the Iranian-made Shahed drones at the Ukrainian capital. While all the drones that headed to Kyiv were shot down, Ukraine's military said, three others managed to hit their targets elsewhere in the country.

The mayor of Lviv in western Ukraine reported a drone strike on a critical-infrastructure site in the city. In addition, according to the Ukrainian military, Russia hit the southern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight with ballistic missiles, either S-300 or Iskander M. There were no reported casualties.