[Kyiv's Nine-Hour Air-Raid Alert and Record Drone Attack]

Russia launched a record number of drone attacks on Ukraine in the early hours of May 18, resulting in casualties.

In the early morning of the 18th, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 273 Shahed model drones. This is a new record for the single-night launch of drones by Russia. The previous record was 267 on February 23, 2025. The Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 88 enemy drones in the east, north, and center, while another 128 decoy drones disappeared from radar without causing damage (loss of positioning).

Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's anti-fake news center, described the situation that night as difficult, pointing out that Russia uses attacks to intimidate: "It was a tough night. Russians always use war and attacks to intimidate everyone during negotiations. That’s why they strive to avoid ceasefires, because war is their tool of manipulation."

The air-raid alert in Kyiv lasted for 8 hours and 54 minutes (the longest record being 9 hours and 56 minutes). There are images circulating online showing crowds gathering at subway stations due to drones flying over the city at dawn.

Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv at night, with air defense forces continuously operating. Fortunately, there were no casualties from the attack, but two areas reported consequences of the attack:

-- Holosiivskyi district: Debris from the downed drone damaged the roof of a non-residential building;

-- Solomianskyi district: Windows of a residential building were damaged.

** Situation in the Kyiv Region **

The attack resulted in the death of one woman and others injured. Local authorities and emergency services reported structural damage and fires in several communities:

-- Obukhiv district: A residential building was destroyed, a 1997-born female died, and three people were injured (born in 1966, 1964, and a child born in 2019). Police said five high-rise buildings and a car were damaged, and a garage caught fire.

-- Fastovskyi district: A 500-square-meter warehouse and its auxiliary buildings were destroyed, a private residence was damaged, and a medical center suffered a 5000-square-meter fire.

The police and prosecutor's office in Ukraine said the injured include a 4-year-old boy, while the emergency services recorded it as a child born in 2019.

Serhiy Rezak, governor of Dnipro, said that the air defense forces shot down five drones on the evening of the 17th. The Mezhevsk community in Sineelnikovskyi district was hit, with auxiliary buildings and private residences damaged.

The Ukrainian Air Force also reported damage in Donetsk Oblast caused by drone attacks, but specific details have not been disclosed.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832450806748428/

Disclaimer: This article represents only the views of the author.