Russia unleashes drones, bombards southern Ukraine overnight.

Russian forces have launched drone attacks and shelled front-line towns and villages in southern Ukraine over the past day[1] and night, leaving at least one civilian injured, local authorities reported on the morning of July 15. Russia unleashed Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 drones at Mykolaiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts overnight, the Ukrainian military's Southern Operational Command spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk said[2] on television. Ukraine's air defense shot down all three Shaheds in Mykolaiv Oblast, but there's been a hit in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, she added, without disclosing what was hit.

Russian forces attacked the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia city twice, and a 62-year-old man was wounded, according[3] to Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Yuriy Malashko. Neither the local authorities nor the military reported what the drones or their shot-down parts hit in the region. The Air Force reported[4] shooting down six Shahed drones flying from the south overnight.

It did not mention how many drones were unleashed in total. In addition to the drone attacks, Russia continued its routine shelling of southern Ukraine. Malashko said that Russian forces shelled front-line towns and villages in Zaporizhzhia Oblast 45 times, targeting areas like Huliaipole, Orikhiv, and the liberated[5] villages of Novodarivka.

According to the official, 27 residential and social infrastructure facilities in 15 towns and villages suffered damages. Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said[6] on July 15 that Russian forces shelled the liberated areas of his region - including Kherson city - 70 times over the past day, using mortars, artillery, tanks, Grad rockets, aviation, and drones. He did not report any casualties.

More than half a year after Ukraine liberated the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, the area continues to suffer from daily Russian shelling. Zaporizhzhia Oblast is one of the axes of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, but Russian shelling has long targeted areas near the southeastern front line since the early days of the full-scale war.

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Reporter

Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor's degree in Business Administration at William Woods University in Missouri, U.S.A.

She is the winner of the 2023 George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded for "excellent investigative and courageous research activities" as part of Germany's prestigious Axel Springer Prize.

References

1. ^ past day (kyivindependent.com)
2. ^ said (www.pravda.com.ua)
3. ^ according (t.me)
4. ^ reported (t.me)
5. ^ liberated (kyivindependent.com)
6. ^ said (t.me)
7. ^ Russia after Wagner revolt: Will Putin stay afloat or face more turmoil?The rebellion organized by Russia's Wagner mercenary group in June is seen by many analysts as a sign of weakness and fragility of Vladimir Putin's regime.

   First, several thousand armed mercenaries managed to march for hundreds of kilometers from Rostov to the vicinity of Moscow, and no one (kyivindependent.com)