The capital of Kyiv was hit on Monday by Kamikaze drones, Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's staff, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Mayor Vitalii Klitschko confirmed two attacks in Kyiv and said that residential buildings in Shevchenkivskiy district of the capital have been damaged in the attack.

The timing of the explosions is reported at around 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT). "Russians think it will help them," Yermak said on Telegram.

The Gurdian reported missile strikes in Sumy Oblast as well, in the country’s north-east and in Dnipropetrovsk where a fire broke out at an energy facility.

Kamikaze drones were also in the news last weekend after Ukrainian authorities claimed that Russia killed 11 civilians in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia through these drones and missiles. Russia stepped up the use of kamikaze drones in its brutal assault against the former Soviet Republic.

Kamikaze drones

The Kamikaze drones are manufactured by Iran which it is now supplying to Russia. These "suicide" drones are also known as a "loitering munition" as they can hover for hours before diving into targets and exploding. These drones are portable and small in size and can be easily launched to target behind enemy lines.

The name “kamikaze” refers that the drones are disposable in nature. Kamikaze drones can carry precision-guided missiles and a payload upto 50 kgs.

US officials in August reported about the supply of these drones to Russia. Iran, however, denies supplying them to Russia. Ukraine had earlier claimed that Russia has also ordered 2,400 Iranian Shahed-136 drones.

The attack comes a week after the capital was hit by several Russian missiles which left 19 dead. On October 10 and October 11, Russia had launched 84 cruise missiles and 24 drones two days after a large explosion that damaged the Crimean bridge.

According to the media reports, Russia reportedly used the Kh-101, Kh-555, Caliber, Iskander, S-300, and Tornado-S missiles in the attacks. According to Forbes Ukraine estimates, the attack cost the Russian government between $400-700 million.

This current attack in Kyiv comes after Putin said that there's “no need for more massive strikes” on Ukraine.

More details awaited.

Also Read: How much Russia splurged on latest revenge strikes in Ukraine

First Published:Oct 17, 2022 10:46 AM IST