Ukraine, Russia trade claims about drone, missile attacks
Both sides report damage, downed drones after overnight strikes
A view of the destruction following a Russian drone attack on Odesa, which damaged a children's clinic, a kindergarten, high-rise buildings, and road vehicles in Ukraine on February 19, 2025.
ISTANBUL
Ukraine and Russia exchanged claims Thursday about a wave of drone and missile attacks, with both sides reporting damage and military successes following overnight strikes.
Ukraine’s Air Force said on Telegram that it downed 80 Russian Shahed drones and neutralized 78 decoy UAVs during a large-scale attack targeting critical infrastructure across multiple regions.
The early Thursday assault involved 14 missiles, including cruise and ballistic types, and 161 drones launched from various directions, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
The strikes hit areas in Kharkiv, Sumy, Odesa and Kyiv, causing damage to infrastructure. In Kherson, a guided bomb struck a residential building, injuring civilians, it said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said on Telegram that its forces carried out a “group strike” using long-range precision missiles and drones, targeting Ukraine’s gas and energy infrastructure, which it claimed supports the military-industrial complex.
It said all designated targets were hit and claimed its forces inflicted heavy losses on Ukrainian troops in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, destroying military equipment and "Western-supplied artillery."
There has been no independent confirmation of the claims from either side.
