Ukraine faced a night of fire and destruction as Russia launched 152 drones in a single wave, striking the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kramatorsk regions, despte air defenses downing 126.
Late in the evening of Sept. 23, Russia began strikes against Kharkiv. According to Mayor Ihor Terekhov, the first explosion occurred at approximately 10:10 pm, with the attack lasting about an hour.
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Seventeen explosions were reported in the city, with 16 of them centered on the Kholodnohirsky district with the State Emergency Service (DSNS) reporting the breaking out of four fires in the district as a result of the strikes.
“A store building, an outbuilding and other objects were on fire. Private residential buildings and cars were damaged. One person was injured,” the agency said.
Later, Terekhov confirmed that Russia had attacked Kharkiv with a total of 18 drones, hitting two districts.
“The enemy’s main blow fell on an energy infrastructure facility, which affected the supply of electricity to the city residents,” the mayor said.
He added that residential buildings, shops, and several cars were damaged, but there were no casualties.
The attack on the energy facility disrupted electric-powered trams and trolleybuses in parts of the Kholodnohirsky and Shevchenkivsky districts with replacement buses being deployed to allow travel to continue.
According to Terekhov, hot water supplies may also be affected in some areas due to electricity shortages, but added that specialists were working to restore services.
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In the early morning of Sept. 24, the town of Chuhuiv in the Kharkiv region also came under drone attack. DSNS reported fires at two addresses, with a residential building, a garage, and cars destroyed, and one person injured.
Nearby, in the village of Buhaivkaa residential building and outbuildings also caught fire.
On the same morning, Russian forces again struck Zaporizhzhia. Two high-explosive aerial bombs (FABs) hit the city, sparking fires and damaging homes. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, one apartment building and three private houses were damaged.
The night before, on Sept. 23, Zaporizhzhia had endured more than six hours under air raid alert as Russia attacked with Shahed drones and guided aerial bombs (KABs). One strike hit a local enterprise, sparking a fire. One person was killed, and 15 others required medical attention.
Meanwhile, Russian forces also carried out a double strike on Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. According to the city council, the first strike occurred at around 03:30 a.m., when a drone hit an open area near a residential building, shattering windows, balconies, and facades.
At 4:15 am, a Russian Molniya-2 drone struck a multi-story residential building, igniting a fire in one of the apartments, which firefighters quickly extinguished and with no casualties being reported.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 152 strike drones of various types, including about 80 Shaheds over the country between 18:00 on Sept. 23 and the morning of Sept. 24.
Ukraine’s air defenses – supported by aviation, missile troops, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups – shot down or suppressed 126 drones of Shahed, Gerbera, and other types by 09:00 a.m.
Still, 26 drones struck seven locations, with debris from downed UAVs also causing damage in a further two areas.
