Suicide drone attacks on Ukraine

Ukraine said Saturday it had been hit by a barrage of shelling from explosive drones, some of which reached the relatively quiet Lviv region in the west of the war-torn country.

Russia repeatedly bombards Ukraine with rockets, artillery and drones, often causing widespread power cuts and depriving residents of heating their homes or drinking water.

"At approximately 21.00 on March 17, 2023, the Russians attacked Ukraine with suicide attack drones of the Shahed-136/131 type," the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement on Twitter.

He said 11 of the 16 planes were "destroyed."

According to the Air Force, the attack originated from the Sea of Azov and from Russia's Bryansk region bordering Ukraine.

Some of those marches targeted the Lviv region of western Ukraine.

Regional Governor Maxim Kzwitzky said: "At around 1.00 a.m., our region was attacked by Shahed 136 suicide drones.

According to preliminary information, there were six marches.

Three marches were shot down and the other three "hit non-residential sites" in the Yafurev region, causing damage but no casualties, he said.

In Ukraine's southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, air defenses shot down three drones, according to Mykola Lukachuk, head of the regional council.

"Two other marches hit a vital infrastructure facility in Novomoskovsk."

The attack caused fire and "severe" damage, he said.

According to Lukachuk, the fire destroyed four houses and damaged six others. No casualties were reported.

Strikes at marches targeted the capital, Kiev, according to the city's administration.

The department said on social media that "air defense forces destroyed all air targets" without causing casualties or damage.