Russia launched 40 missiles, drones overnight: Ukraine

KIEV

Russia launched dozens of attacks over Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Saturday, as Kiev pushes for more air defence.

"A total of 40 means of enemy air attack were recorded," the air force said, adding it destroyed eight missiles.

Ukraine's air force said Russia attacked with a wide-range of weapons including cruise, ballistic, anti-aircraft missiles as well as drones.

"More than 20 devices" failed to reach their targets due to "active measures by means of electronic warfare," it added.

Spokesperson Yuri Ignat later clarified.

"Either they fell in the fields, they were detonated in the air, or they were affected by means of radio-electronic warfare of our defence forces," he said on television.

Authorities have not yet reported any fatalities.

A missile attack in the northeastern Sumy region wounded one civilian and damaged 26 buildings, Ukraine's prosecutor general said.

In the central Poltava region, an unexploded missile fell in a residential house's backyard, governor Philip Pronin said.

Ukraine's neighbour Poland had briefly activated air defence systems due to the increased level of threat.

Ukrainian territory close to the frontline was also targeted by Russian artillery.

Shelling wounded one civilian in Beryslav, on the shores of the Dnipro river in southern Kherson, on Friday evening.

"A 71-year-old woman was found under the rubble of an apartment building" and is being provided with medical help, the region's governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Saturday.