Kyiv Faces Largest Drone Assault of 2024; Russian Artillery Strikes Kill Four
Story by Sededin Dedovic • 1d • 4 min read
Ukrainian air defense systems shot down dozens of Russian drones that attacked Kyiv early on Wednesday in what the capital's military administration described as the "largest attack of 2024." Meanwhile, Russian artillery strikes on the Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Kherson regions killed at least four people, local officials said.
During the air raid alert in Kyiv, which lasted more than seven hours, Russian drones attacked the capital in two waves from all directions, said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that its air defense destroyed all 89 drones launched at the capital, as well as a guided Kh-59 missile, according to the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe."This is one of the largest drone attacks," wrote Ukrainian Air Force Commander General Mykola Oleschuk on Telegram. This was the seventh attack on Kyiv this month, Popko said, adding, "At this moment, according to the operational report, there are no casualties or damage in Kyiv." The Ukrainian Emergency Service reported that in the wider Kyiv region, a house caught fire from drone debris and was partially destroyed, but there were no casualties, and the fire was extinguished.
In a Russian artillery strike, one resident of the town of Toretsk was killed, reported Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov stated that two civilians were killed by Russian artillery in the past 24 hours.In the southern city of Kherson, one person was killed and another wounded in a Russian artillery strike across the Dnipro River, said the head of the city's military administration, Roman Mrochko. Ukrainian soldiers liberated Kherson in November 2022, but Russian forces that retreated across the Dnipro have continued to attack the city daily, causing civilian casualties and destroying infrastructure.
Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have systematically targeted Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure, causing casualties and extensive damage.In response, Ukraine has begun targeting oil refineries and other energy infrastructure within Russia that primarily serves the military. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that its air defense had destroyed 19 Ukrainian drones that attacked five of its regions, as well as the Ukrainian region of Crimea, which is occupied by Moscow.
"Air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 11 drones over Belgorod, four over Bryansk, one over Kursk, Kaluga, and Rostov regions, and one in Crimea," the Ministry said on Telegram, according to RFE.
Russian Military Begins Third Phase of Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons Deployment ExercisesThe Russian military announced today the start of the third phase of exercises for the deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons, during which the readiness of units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for the combat use of these weapons will be tested."In accordance with the decision of the President of the Russian Federation, the third phase of the non-strategic nuclear forces exercise has begun," the Ministry of Defense announced. Soldiers from the Southern and Central military districts will train on how to deploy dummy warheads for the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile systems and secretly move them to launch sites, the ministry added.
"The current phase of the exercise aims to maintain the readiness of personnel and equipment of Russia's non-strategic nuclear weapon combat units to carry out combat tasks," the ministry stated. According to Interfax, the first and second phases addressed the preparation of units from the Southern and Leningrad military districts, the Aerospace Forces, and the navy for the combat use of non-strategic nuclear weapons.Russia conducted the first phase of the exercises in May, and Belarus joined the second phase in June.
Ukrainian Military Claims to Have Spotted New North Korean Combat Vehicle Near KharkivUkrainian troops have reported the first sighting of the North Korean self-propelled anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system known as the Bulsae-4 M-2018 somewhere in the Kharkiv region.It was spotted by a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone, and a photo of the vehicle was posted on the Telegram channel @KUPua01 on July 30. The Bulsae-4 launcher consists of a rotating package of eight missile containers mounted on the chassis of the North Korean M-2010 armored personnel carrier, with its distinctive 2+4 wheel drive configuration.The M-2010 is essentially a shortened version of the BTR-60/BTR 80 armored personnel carrier. It is powered by a powerful diesel engine, which, combined with its unusual wheel arrangement, gives it relatively good off-road performance.It reportedly has a maximum road speed of approximately 90 km/h and an operational range of around 500 kilometers. The system is classified as "non-line-of-sight" (NLOS), meaning it does not require a direct line of sight to the target, and uses an unnamed fiber-optic guided missile system designed to engage helicopters and armored targets at distances claimed to be over 10 kilometers.It also shares some similarities with the Chinese AFT-10. The missile is designed to strike armored vehicles where protection is most vulnerable. It is believed that serial production of the system began around 2018, although North Korean state television showed a similar missile being launched from a Mi-2 helicopter in 2016.
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