by the associated press: Russia scored 30 runs cruise missiles In the latest night test of Ukrainian air defense against various parts of Ukraine early Thursday, 29 of them were shot down, officials said.
A Russian missile killed one person and wounded two in the southern region of Odessa, according to Serhiy Brachuk, a spokesman for the region’s military administration.
Loud explosions were heard in Kiev as Kremlin forces targeted the capital for the ninth time this month, in an apparent escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive using newly supplied advanced Western weapons .
A garage complex caught fire as debris fell in two Kiev districts. Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kiev military administration, said in a Telegram post that there was no immediate information about any casualties.
Read this also | Zelensky makes surprise visit to Paris, Macron pledges more military aid to Ukraine
According to officials, Ukraine also shot down two Russian explosive drones and two reconnaissance drones.
The missiles were launched from Russian sea, air and land bases, Ukrainian commander in chief General Valery Zaluznyy wrote on a telegram.
He said that between 9 pm on Wednesday night and 5:30 am on Thursday, several missiles were fired into the territory of Ukraine.
Kiev officials said the Russian military used strategic bombers from the Caspian region and fired missiles of the X-101 and X-55 types, apparently developed during the Soviet era. After this, Russia deployed reconnaissance drones over the capital.
In the last major air raid on Kiev on Tuesday, Ukrainian air defenses bolstered by sophisticated systems supplied from Western countries shot down all incoming missiles, officials said.
Read this also | Kremlin blocks resignations of high-ranking officials as Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates: report
That attack used hypersonic missiles, which have been repeatedly touted by Russian President Vladimir Putin as providing a significant strategic advantage. The missiles, which are among the most advanced weapons in Russia’s arsenal, are difficult to detect and intercept due to their hypersonic speed and maneuverability.
But sophisticated Western air defense systems, including US-made Patriot missiles, have helped shield Kiev from the kind of destruction that was seen along the country’s main front line in the east and south.
While the ground fighting is largely at a standstill along that front line, both sides are targeting each other’s territory with long-range weapons.
Meanwhile, Kremlin-installed officials in occupied Crimea reported eight train cars derailed on Thursday due to an explosion.
Russian state media reported that the train was carrying grain.
Read this also | Russia-Ukraine conflict: G7 to tighten Russia sanctions; France, Germany pledge massive aid to Ukraine
Citing a source in the emergency services, state news agency RIA Novosti said the incident occurred near the city of Simferopol. Crimean Railways reported that the derailment was caused by “interference by unauthorized persons” and that there were no casualties.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-based premier of Crimea, said train services were suspended on the affected section of the line.
In addition, two people were wounded in a drone strike in Russia’s southern Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, the regional governor reported on Thursday.
In a Telegram post, Roman Starovoy claimed that the Ukrainian military dropped an explosive device from a drone on a sports and entertainment complex.