Ukrainian servicemen of the 30th Kostiantyn Ostrozkyi Separate Mechanized Brigade fire from a T-80 main battle tank captured earlier from Russian troops, in a field near the front line town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 19, 2023.  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Serhii Nuzhnenko via REUTERS
Ukraine

Russia launches widespread air attack on Ukraine

Russia launched a widespread overnight air attack on Ukraine targeting the capital and cities from east to west as most of the country spent the night with air raid sirens blasting for several hours.

(Reuters) -Russia launched a widespread overnight air attack on Ukraine targeting the capital and cities from east to west as most of the country spent the night with air raid sirens blasting for several hours.

The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said that according to preliminary information, Ukraine's air defence systems shot down 28 out of 30 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched.

About 20 enemy targets were identified and destroyed by the forces and our air defence in the airspace around Kyiv, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

"Another massive air attack on the capital," Popko said.

The military administration of Lviv, a city of about 700,000 people and 70 kms (43 miles) from the border with the NATO country of Poland, said Russia hit a "critical infrastructure" in the city, sparking fire.

An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 20, 2023.

According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties.

Yuriy Malashko, head of the military administration of the Zaporizhzhia region in southeast Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app that Russia's raid targeted telecommunication infrastructure and agriculture and farming properties.

There were no casualties reported in Zaporizhzhia.

The top military command said that Russia launched seven missiles in the attack on Zaporizhzhia, according to preliminary reports.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Kim Coghill and Michael Perry)

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