Russia launches 24 attack drones overnight, Ukraine says

KYIV — Russia launched more than two dozen attack drones on Ukraine, hitting critical infrastructure in the central Zhytomyr region and damaging logistics facilities in the south, officials said on Monday (April 8).

The Zvyahel city council in Ukraine's Zhytomyr region urged people to stay indoors after Russia's air attack on the critical infrastructure object resulted in air pollution.

"Russia struck an infrastructure object of the community overnight," the city council said on the Telegram messaging app.

"There are no casualties among the civilian population. Currently, there is a direct threat of air pollution, so it is recommended to stay indoors with closed windows."

Officials provided no further details.

Russia has intensified its drone and missile strikes against Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, causing significant damage and threatening Ukrainians with a repeat of the blackouts they experienced in the first year after Russia invaded in February 2022.

The Ukrainian air defence downed 17 out of 24 Iranian-produced Shahed drones Russia used in its attack, over the regions of Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app.

A Russia-launched Kh-59 guided air missile was destroyed over the Dnipropetrovsk region, it added.

Four drones were destroyed over the southern region of Odesa, said Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, adding that a logistics and transport facility and a gas station were damaged.

There were no casualties in the attack, he added.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

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