Kamikaze drones hit Zaporizhzhia as rocket strikes Kyiv, Ukrainian officials say
Ukrainian officials say the southern city of Zaporizhzhia came under attack again from Russian forces early Saturday, in an assault involving kamikaze drones and missiles.
The city was struck by “10 or more” C300 missiles Saturday morning, following four strikes by “kamikaze” drones overnight, said Oleksandr Starukh, the head of Zaporizhzhia’s regional military administration.
“As a result of the Shahed-136 UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attack, infrastructure facilities in the city of Zaporizhzhia were destroyed. Fires broke out, which were contained in time by our rescuers. There are no casualties,” Starukh said.
The city’s acting mayor Anatoliy Kurtev also reported what he referred to as an “insidious attack on Zaporizhzhia with kamikaze drones” in a Telegram post.
Kamikaze drones, or suicide drones, are a type of aerial weapon system. They are known as a loitering munition because they are capable of waiting for some time in an area identified as a potential target and only strike once an enemy asset is identified.
Russia’s ‘kamikaze drones’ are the latest threat for Ukraine. Here’s what we know about them
The Ukrainian military and US intelligence say Russia is using Iranian-made attack drones in Ukraine.
US officials said in July that Iran had begun showcasing Shahed series drones to Russia at Kashan Airfield south of Tehran the previous month.
The drones are capable of carrying precision-guided missiles and have a payload of about 50 kilograms (110 pounds).
The city of Zaporizhzhia houses Europe’s largest nuclear plant and shelling in the area has previously sparked fears of a nuclear disaster.
The apparent attacks on the city came as Ukrainian officials claimed the capital Kyiv had been hit by an apparent Russian rocket.
Civilians in and around the capital, Kyiv were warned to remain in shelters until air raid sirens stopped.
“All services are working, rescue teams are on site,” said the head of Kyiv regional state administration Oleksiy Kuleba in a Telegram post.
“Stay in your shelters until the air raid sirens stop. Do not record the place of impact and do not post photos and videos on social networks.”
Kuleba said no casualties had been reported.
A major energy infrastructure facility in the Kyiv region was also left severely damaged after a Russian missile attack early Saturday, according to Ukraine’s energy operator.
Ukrenergo warned about the possibility of rolling blackouts on Telegram, urging local residents to save electricity from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm local time Saturday so specialists could carry out essential restoration work.