Russia hit Kyiv with unmanned aerial vehicles in the early hours of the day, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The city’s air defence detected and destroyed around 20 incoming aerial targets, according to Ukraine’s Ukrinform news agency.
Kyiv’s military administration said on the Telegram social messaging app, as quoted by Ukrinform: “Another massive air attack on the capital. This time, according to preliminary information, the enemy used UAVs - Shahed barrage ammunition. This is the second attack by Iranian-made drones on Kyiv since the beginning of the month and the first in the last 18 days."
Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, told reporters that drones had entered the capital in waves, from various directions.
The air alert in Kyiv lasted more than three hours, Ukrinform reported.
Russia strikes critical infrastructure in Lviv
Meanwhile, Russia also struck critical infrastructure facilities in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, early on Tuesday morning, The Kyiv Independent website reported.
First responders were at the site of the strike where a fire had broken out, the governor of the Lviv region, Maksym Kozytskyi, said on Telegram, without providing further details.
As of 7 a.m. local time, no casualties were reported, according to The Kyiv Independent.
The Lviv region has been largely spared Russian attacks, but is subject to occasional drone and missile strikes on critical infrastructure, with the previous UAV attack coming on May 19, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Large-scale Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia
Russia also launched a large-scale strike on Ukraine’s southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia overnight, damaging utilities and private property, the Ukrainska Pravda website reported.
Yurii Malashko, the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, said on Telegram: "Another insidious large-scale attack by the enemy shook Zaporizhzhia and its suburbs."
It added that the Russian attack targeted "utilities, property, and equipment belonging to an agricultural and farming business, as well as a popular resort. Fortunately, there were no reports of casualties."
Ukraine downs 32 Russian drones: officials
In all, Ukraine’s defences took down 32 of 35 kamikaze drones fired by Russia overnight, according to officials.
Russian forces launched 35 Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs from Bryansk Oblast and from the Azov Sea, targeting military and civilian infrastructure, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Ukraine’s Air Force shot down 30 drones, with the other two destroyed by ground forces, officials said.
Russia also fired seven S-300 anti-aircraft missiles against Zaporizhzhia City and its outskirts, officials said, adding that the consequences of the strike were being determined, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
Russia’s troop losses highest since March: UK
Meanwhile, Ukraine said it had killed or injured 4,600 Russian soldiers as part of its counteroffensive, Britain’s The Guardian newspaper reported.
Russia’s troop losses are at their highest level since the height of the battle for the city of Bakhmut, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, in March, according to the UK’s military intelligence.
Assessing the progress of the counteroffensive so far, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said her country had to be prepared for a “tough duel” but that “the biggest blow is yet to come,” The Guardian reported.
Malyar described the situation in eastern Ukraine as “difficult,” with Russia having amassed a significant number of units there, but said that Ukraine’s forces were “preventing their advance,” according to the UK newspaper.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Tuesday is day 482 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: PAP, Ukrinform, The Kyiv Independent, The Guardian