Ukraine shot down 45 drones, but a Russian drone strike on Ukraine still damaged schools and homes in 14 locations, the Ukrainian Air Force says. The attack hit Kryvyi Rih and Sumy, damaging critical civilian infrastructure and leaving large areas temporarily without power, officials confirmed.
Ukraine intercepts 45 drones, but 26 strike across country
According to the Air Force Command of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russian forces launched a total of 71 drones— Shahed-type and decoy drones—overnight on 23 July, beginning around 20:00 on 22 July. The Iranian-designed Shaheds are one-way attack kamikaze drones, capable of carrying up to 90 kg of explosives. The drones were launched from multiple directions, including Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, and Chauda in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down 27 drones and used electronic warfare to suppress or jam 18 more. Still, 26 drones struck targets across 14 locations. Debris from intercepted drones also caused damage at five other sites. Russian drone strike on Ukraine has become a daily tactic, often involving dozens of drones deployed simultaneously from various axes.
Russian Shaheds strike civilian infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih
In Kryvyi Rih, eight drones were intercepted over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. However, the city itself suffered direct impacts. According to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s Defense Council, the Russian drone strike hit a wide range of civilian infrastructure. Among the damaged sites were private residences, six apartment buildings, a school, an administrative building, a church, a sports complex, and a business facility.
Vilkul said fires erupted following the strikes, but emergency services have since extinguished them. He added that no casualties or injuries were reported.
Power outages in Sumy after drones hit energy facilities
In Sumy, the drone strikes caused significant disruptions to the city’s power grid. Acting mayor Artem Kobzar stated that several parts of the city lost electricity after Russian drones targeted civilian infrastructure. He confirmed that some hospitals had to switch to generator power to continue operations.