Photo: LIBKOS/AP

On Thursday night, Russian troops launched a massive attack on southern Ukraine, firing 56 drones and one missile at the energy infrastructure of Mykolaiv region.

Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Regional Administration, said that the attack had partially disrupted power supply, but that no casualties had been reported.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, five energy infrastructure facilities in regions near the frontline were hit. The Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed 22 drones, but another 27 drones went out of control and probably crashed on Ukrainian territory. Two unmanned systems reached Belarus.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that the wreckage of one of the drones fell on the territory of a kindergarten in the capital. Despite this, no damage to critical infrastructure or injuries were reported.

In Sumy region, a drone attack set an administrative building on fire and damaged two cars, local officials said.

Amid the growing threat of new attacks on critical targets, especially in the run-up to the winter season, Ukraine is once again asking its allies for more air defence equipment. Russia continues to deny targeting civilians, even though thousands of people have been killed in the more than two and a half years of war.