Russia fires over 100 drones at Ukraine as Kremlin dismisses transport chief after travel chaos

KYIV – Russia fired much than 100 drones astatine civilian areas of Ukraine overnight, authorities said Monday, arsenic the Kremlin dismissed the country’s transport main aft a play of question chaos erstwhile Russian airports grounded hundreds of flights owed to the menace of Ukrainian drone attacks.

At slightest 10 civilians were killed and 38 injured, including 3 children, successful Russian attacks implicit the erstwhile 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said.

Russia precocious has intensified its aerial strikes connected civilian areas aft more than 3 years of war. Over the past week, Russia launched immoderate 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and astir 1,000 almighty glide bombs astatine Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday.

Russia’s bigger service is besides trying hard to interruption through astatine immoderate points on the astir 1,000-kilometer (620 miles) beforehand line, wherever Ukrainian forces are severely stretched.

The strain of keeping Russia’s penetration astatine bay, and the deficiency of advancement successful direct bid talks, has compelled Ukraine to question much subject assistance from the U.S. and Europe.

Zelenskyy said connected Saturday that Ukraine had inked deals with European allies and a starring U.S. defence institution to measurement up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives “hundreds of thousands” much this year.

“Air defence is the main happening for protecting life,” Zelenskyy wrote connected Telegram connected Monday.

That includes processing and manufacturing interceptor drones that tin halt Russia’s long-range Shahed drones, helium said.

Extensive usage of drones has besides helped Ukraine compensate for its unit shortages connected the beforehand line.

One idiosyncratic was killed successful the confederate metropolis of Odesa, 27 were injured successful northeastern Kharkiv and falling drone debris caused harm successful 2 districts of Kyiv, the capital, during nighttime drone attacks, Ukrainian authorities said.

Russian short-range drones besides killed 2 radical and injured 2 others successful the bluish Sumy region, officials said. Sumy is 1 of the places wherever Russia has concentrated ample numbers of troops.

Also, 9 radical were injured and 7 killed successful the eastbound Donetsk region, determination Gov. Vadym Filashkin said. He didn’t specify the benignant of weapons used.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Monday that its troops changeable down 91 Ukrainian drones successful 13 Russian regions overnight, arsenic good arsenic implicit the Black Sea and the Russian-annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

The Kremlin dismissed Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt connected Monday, an bid published connected the Kremlin website said.

The announcement did not springiness a crushed for Starovoyt’s dismissal. Over the weekend, hundreds of flights were canceled oregon delayed astatine Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo airports. Other airports successful occidental and cardinal Russia besides faced disruptions due to the fact that of Ukrainian drone attacks.

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Associated Press writer Katie Marie Davies successful Manchester, England contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s sum of the warfare successful Ukraine astatine https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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