Ukraine under heavy Russian drone attack: Lutsk, Sumy, and Odesa targeted
At least two cities have already reported the aftermath (Photo: facebook.com/DSNSPOLTAVA)
Russian forces launched massive drone attacks on Ukraine on the night of December 31 to January 1. Lutsk, Odesa, and Sumy have already come under strike.
Key takeaways:
- In Lutsk, a large-scale fire has broken out.
- In the Odesa region, energy infrastructure was damaged, causing a fire.
How Russia is attacking
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russians have been launching drone attacks on Ukraine throughout the evening and night.
In the past several hours, drones have been spotted in Chernihiv, Kyiv, Sumy, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Volyn, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions.
Lutsk
The first explosions in Lutsk were heard around 1:04 a.m. Kyiv time. Before this, Mayor Ihor Polishchuk had warned that a Shahed drone was heading toward the city.
Subsequent explosions were heard 30 and 40 minutes later. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force urged residents to remain in shelters. According to the mayor and military sources, drones were once again approaching the city.
By 1:56 a.m. Kyiv time, Polishchuk reported that instead of New Year’s fireworks, Lutsk had a fire caused by the Russian attack, and he shared footage showing the flames.
Odesa and the Odesa region
Late on December 31, at 11:28 p.m., explosions were heard in Odesa. Thirty minutes later, Odesa region Governor Oleh Kiper reported that just minutes after the New Year, Russia had attacked the region’s energy infrastructure, causing a fire at one facility.
“As a result of the attack, power outages are being reported at critical enterprises that support the city of Odesa. All relevant services are operating in an intensified mode to eliminate the consequences,” wrote the governor.
Around 2:00 a.m., explosions were heard again in Odesa. Kiper confirmed that the Odesa region was under a massive drone attack.
Other cities
During the night, explosions were also heard in Sumy and Kovel (Volyn region). Additionally, at 1:18 a.m., drones were detected in the Kyiv region, and air defense forces were active.
Information about casualties or damage in these cities has not been released yet.
The report is based on data from the Ukrainian Air Force and local authorities.
