On Wednesday, Ukraine’s military successfully repelled one of Russia’s largest drone assaults by intercepting all 89 drones launched overnight.
The Ukrainian air force also destroyed a Russian-guided missile aimed at the Mykolaiv region.
Kyiv was the primary focus of the droning onslaught, according to Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration.
He reported on Telegram that the capital’s air defenses eliminated over forty drones over Kyiv and its outskirts in two separate waves, with no injuries or damages reported.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, a drone attack resulted in one fatality and one injury.
Authorities in central Cherkasy and southern Dnipropetrovsk also downed several drones.
On the Russian side, the defense ministry acknowledged downing 19 Ukrainian drones, including 11 near the Belgorod region on the Russia-Ukraine border.
The Bryansk region governor noted that Russian air defenses intercepted four drones without causing any casualties or damage.
Additional drone interceptions occurred over Russia’s Kaluga and Rostov regions, as well as in occupied Crimea.
The European Union (EU) has provided Ukraine with €1.5 billion in revenues sourced from the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank, which is part of the extensive sanctions against Russia.
This financial aid, where 90% will support Ukraine’s purchase of weapons, ammunition, and air defense systems, is crucial for combating the eastern invasion.
The remaining 10% is allocated for rebuilding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, severely impacted by Russian attacks. This concern in Brussels arises from fears that the destruction could lead to a humanitarian and migration crisis in the winter.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed on Friday that supporting Ukraine serves as a poignant use of Russian funds to enhance safety across Europe.
This transfer marks the initiation of a unique funding mechanism that taps into the approximately €210 billion of Russia’s blocked assets within the EU.
The process took several months to finalize after the EU member states agreed on the legal framework in May. Despite Hungary’s initial threats to veto this military support, a legal workaround was employed after Hungary abstained from the agreement, disqualifying its participation in subsequent actions.
