On Thursday, Ukraine Says Downed Its Drone In Kyiv After Device ‘Lost Control’ a series of explosions shook the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv following a wave of Russian attacks overnight. The Ukrainian air force has said that it downed its drone that had lost control during a scheduled flight in the Kyiv region at around 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). The target was destroyed, and the cause of the “likely” technical malfunction is being established.
AFP journalists at the scene saw air defence attempting to shoot down the drone when the explosions occurred. The Kyiv city military administration announced the end of the air raid alert just as a cloud of black smoke was seen in the air. The explosions resonated for about 15 to 20 minutes in Kyiv, causing panic among residents.
Following the explosions, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that firefighters had put out a fire on the ground floor of a four-storey shopping center in the Solomyansky district. The fire spread over 50 square meters (538 square feet), causing superficial damage but no victims were reported.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukraine accusing Russia of massing troops along its border and in annexed Crimea. Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region since 2014, and a ceasefire agreement signed last year has failed to stop sporadic clashes.
The situation in Ukraine has raised concerns among Western countries, with the US and its NATO allies expressing support for Ukraine and warning Russia against further aggression. The European Union has also called for a de-escalation of the situation and has expressed concern about the deployment of Russian troops.
The downing of the drone by the Ukrainian air force suggests that the country is taking the threat of Russian aggression seriously and is taking steps to defend itself. However, the situation remains tense, and there are fears that a full-scale conflict could erupt if diplomatic efforts fail to de-escalate the situation.
