Ukraine launches nearly 1200 drones at Russia

Detailed summary

Russia and Ukraine say have sustained severe drone attacks on several cities, with multiple casualties.

Ukraine has fired almost 1200 drones at Russia in one of its biggest aerial attacks since the Russian full-scale invasion nearly five years ago.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces downed 1198 Ukrainian long-range drones between late Thursday and early Friday.

However, strikes on three Russian regions killed seven people, including a 12-year-old, and wounded 17, local officials said.

Ukraine's General Staff said it hit an oil refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd, starting a fire.

The refinery has a capacity of about 110 million barrels per year, it said.

Ukrainian forces are using drones and ground robots to help defend against Russia's army along the 1200km front line snaking down eastern and southeastern Ukraine.

Russia launched 117 drones against Ukraine, killing at least two people including a 17-year-old, authorities said.

A single Russian attack on Friday on southern Zaporizhzhia hit two five-story apartment blocks and wounded 30 people, including six children, officials said.

The war has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of civilians, analysts and humanitarian organisations say.

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