Russia Launches More Than 2,000 Drones To Attack Ukraine Throughout October

Russian drones fall in Ukrainian territory. (Wikimedia Commons/National Police of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Russia launched more than 2,000 drone attacks on civilian and military targets across Ukraine last month, the Kyiv military said on Friday, as Kremlin forces launched a massive offensive on the front lines of their invasion in February 2022.

Moscow has carried out routine airstrikes in Ukrainian cities, with the capital Kyiv attacked 20 times in October alone, city officials said.

Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement they had intercepted 1,185 of the 2,023 drones launched last month and another 738 were "disappeared on site".

"In total, since early 2024, the enemy has launched 6,987 UAV attacks on Ukrainian territory. Most of the enemy drones target civilian infrastructure and are important," he said.

Ukraine said on Friday it had destroyed 31 drones and one missile in Russia's latest attack at night, which damaged residential buildings in at least two areas and a fire station in the southern region of Odesa.

Russia itself denies targeting civilians, saying power facilities are a legitimate target if they are part of Ukraine's military infrastructure.

Ukraine is preparing for the next blackout season amid the threat of a new Russian attack on the country's energy system, which has been weakened by a series of attacks earlier this year.