[1/5] On June 20, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine, a drone exploded over the city during a Russian drone strike amid Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
KYIV, June 20 (Reuters) – Russia launched a widespread overnight airstrike on Ukraine on Tuesday, targeting military and infrastructure facilities in Kiev and other cities, officials said on Tuesday.
Ukraine says it has shot down 32 of 35 Iranian Shahed drones launched from Russia’s Bryansk region and the Sea of Azov.
No casualties have been reported in recent airstrikes by Moscow since Kiev launched a counteroffensive that it claims has recaptured 113 square km (44 sq mi) of territory from Russian forces.
Air defenses are active over most of Ukraine, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app.
“However, the main direction of Iranian drone strikes was the Kiev region. Two dozen Shaheds were destroyed here,” it said on the Telegram messaging app.
Serhii Babko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said the air alert in the capital lasted more than three hours. He did not provide details of the damage.
An unspecified critical infrastructure facility was affected in the city of Lviv, 70 km (43 miles) from the border with NATO member Poland, and some tram routes were diverted during the morning rush hour, officials said.
“They hit an important facility. There were three hits,” regional governor Maksym Kozytskiy said.
Russia also hit the southeastern industrial city of Zaporizhzhya with Iskander and S-300 missiles, the air force said.
Yury Malashko, the head of the Zaporozhye region’s military administration, said Russia had targeted telecommunications infrastructure and agricultural and agricultural assets.
According to initial reports, Russia fired seven missiles at Zaporizhia, Ukraine’s military said.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.
Reporting by Olena Harmash in Kyiv and Lydia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Timothy Heritage
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