Ukraine suffers deadly weekend after multiple Russian drone attacks

Russia launched a barrage of 45 drones Sunday night in a 5½-hour attack that spanned nine different regions of Ukraine, including the outskirts of the capital city of Kyiv. According to a statement by the Ukrainian air force, the attacks originated in Crimea, specifically Balaklava and Cape Chauda. The air force said the barrage consisted of 45 Iranian-made Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones, 40 of which were shot down by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s military said the drones targeted agricultural facilities and coastal infrastructure, and at least two people were injured. One of those injuries was caused by falling debris from a destroyed drone, according to the head of the military administration for Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.

Sunday’s barrage followed a deadly attack that took place late Friday night in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The head of the prosecutor’s office in Kharkiv said three drones hit an “infrastructure object” at around 11 p.m. local time. Seven people died in that attack, including three children, and many homes were damaged.

Have there been any additional changes to Ukraine’s military leadership since the shakeup last week? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday appointed former Deputy Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Alexander Pavlyuk to replace Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander of Ukraine’s ground forces. Syrskyi was promoted on Thursday to replace Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi as Ukraine’s top general. Zelenskyy abruptly removed Zaluzhnyi from leadership, citing a need for a new military strategy. Zelenskyy also announced new leadership for Ukraine’s combined forces, air assault forces, and territorial defense forces.

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