Hits in Kharkiv as Russia launches overnight missile, drone attacks on Ukraine

On Tuesday evening, December 19, Russian terrorists launched Shahed drones to attack Ukraine. The ballistic missile threat was announced in some regions

The Air Force reported the launch of the Shaheds at 6:56 p.m.

At first, a group of attack UAVs was reported moving in Odesa region, in particular Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Zatoka.

At 9:31 p.m., new UAVs were spotted moving from the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

The UAVs were then flying over Kirovohrad and Cherkasy regions. As of 10:58 p.m., there was a threat to Kyiv, Kyiv region, Chernihiv and Vinnytsia regions.

At 11:01 p.m., the Kyiv Military Administration reported that air defense was in operation. Kyiv's military administration said they were trying to shoot down the Shaheds in the suburbs of the capital.

At the same time, the Air Force warned of a UAV strike threat in Zhytomyr region, and the movement of Shaheds group to Dnipro region and from there to Kirovohrad region.

At half past one in the morning, the air raid alert was cancelled in Kyiv, and the head of the Kyiv Military Academy Serhiy Popko informed that air defense had shot down all enemy drones on their approach to Kyiv. According to the preliminary data, there were no casualties or damage in the capital. "The fifth air attack on Kyiv in December. And the second one in a row by drones," he noted.

At about 1:00 a.m., the air force reported a UAV moving toward Cherkasy region. An air alert was sounded in the region. At the same time, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions announced the threat of using ballistic weapons. At 01:22 a.m., the air force announced that the threat of ballistic missile use had been lifted. At two o'clock in the morning, the Shaheds moved in the direction of Vinnytsia region. An hour later, a group of UAVs moved in the direction of Khmelnytskyi region.

At 4:05 a.m., the UAVs announced the threat of using ballistic weapons in Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad regions. Suspilne reported that before the ballistic threat was announced, explosions were heard in Kropyvnytskyi. Half an hour later, the threat of the use of ballistic weapons was over.

Hit in Kharkiv

At 1:05 a.m. Suspilne reported that a series of explosions had occurred in Kharkiv.

Later, the mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, reported on the preliminary consequences of the attack. "At least two hits in one of the most affected areas of Kharkiv, near residential buildings. Rescuers of the State Emergency Service are now working at the scene. Information about the victims and destruction is being clarified," he wrote.

Later, Terekhov wrote that the Russian forces had attacked the territory of one of the transport depots, "where there is not a single place left untouched by enemy shelling." The mayor noted that this is a purely civilian facility. Also, the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said that the occupiers had struck Kharkiv twice at night, first with S-300 missiles. "At 1 a.m. a hit on a residential building was recorded. At 1:07 am. a civilian transportation company was hit. Property was damaged. There were no casualties," he informed.

Khmelnytskyi region

According to the regional military administration, 2 enemy drones were destroyed in Khmelnytskyi region. According to available information, civilians, property and critical infrastructure were not affected.

Kirovohrad region

The head of the Kirovohrad Regional Military Administration, Andriy Raikovych, said that air defense forces were also working in the region. Preliminarily, there were no casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure.

Kyiv region

Air defense forces also worked in the Kyiv region. According to Ruslan Kravchenko, the head of the regional military administration, there were no hits to critical and civilian infrastructure and no casualties.