Russia Launches Scores of Drones on Kyiv, Other Ukrainian Regions

 In this image taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Russian 120mm mortar crew change a position after firing toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this image taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Russian 120mm mortar crew change a position after firing toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
TT

Russia Launches Scores of Drones on Kyiv, Other Ukrainian Regions

 In this image taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Russian 120mm mortar crew change a position after firing toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this image taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Russian 120mm mortar crew change a position after firing toward Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Russia launched a series of drone and missile attacks overnight targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, igniting a fire at an industrial facility in the western Ukrainian region of Ternopil, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.

By 0440 GMT, Russia launched some 136 attack drones targeting Ukraine and three missiles, with Ukraine's air defense destroying 51 of the drones, Ukraine's air force said on the Telegram messaging app.

Twenty of the drones were still in Ukrainian skies while 60 were unaccounted for, possibly intercepted by Ukraine's warfare, the air force said.

Most of Ukraine was under air raid alerts Wednesday morning, with the Kyiv region remaining under alert since 1730 GMT on Tuesday, according to military data. The air force said Russia was launching drones in several waves and in different directions.

The 51 drones were destroyed over 14 Ukrainian regions, including the Kyiv region.

It was not clear what happened to the three missiles.

The "large-scale fire" in the Ternopil region has since extinguished, but it involved 46 fire fighters and 12 units of special equipment to put it out, the military administration of the region said on the Telegram messaging app.

"There were no injuries," the administration added.

It was not immediately clear what facility was on fire.

All drones targeting Kyiv earlier in the night were destroyed and there were no reports of damage or injuries, but there was fresh risk of attacks, Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration said on Telegram.



An Earthquake Measuring 5.9 Hits Eastern Türkiye

Türkiye's Hatay region a year after the devastating earthquake that struck in February 2023. (Getty Images)
Türkiye's Hatay region a year after the devastating earthquake that struck in February 2023. (Getty Images)
TT

An Earthquake Measuring 5.9 Hits Eastern Türkiye

Türkiye's Hatay region a year after the devastating earthquake that struck in February 2023. (Getty Images)
Türkiye's Hatay region a year after the devastating earthquake that struck in February 2023. (Getty Images)

A moderately strong earthquake struck eastern Türkiye on Wednesday, causing widespread panic, officials said. No serious injury or significant destruction was reported.

The earthquake with a magnitude 5.9 struck the town of Kale in Malatya province at 10:46 a.m. (07:46 GMT), according to the government-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, known as AFAD.

The earthquake was felt in nearby provinces including Diyarbakir, Elazig, Sanliurfa and Tunceli, as well as in some parts of northern Syria.

People rushed out of homes and offices in fear throughout the region. More than an hour after the quake struck, many were still waiting in the streets and parks, reluctant to return indoors. Schools were ordered closed in Malatya and Elazig.

In Elazig, about a dozen people sustained minor injuries after jumping out of windows in panic, Mayor Sahin Serifogullari said. Around 20 such incidents were reported in Malatya, HaberTurk television reported.

Malatya was one 11 provinces that was devastated by a powerful earthquake that hit struck parts of Türkiye and northern Syria last year. More than 53,000 people were killed in Türkiye.

Many buildings at risk of collapse had already been either torn down or evacuated after the 2023 earthquake, Malatya Gov. Seddar Yavuz said.

AFAD said a total of four buildings in Malatya, Sanliurfa and Elazig were damaged on Wednesday. In Elazig, four people were rescued unhurt from a building that was partially damaged, it said.

Türkiye is crossed by two major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent. More than 17,000 people were also killed in a powerful earthquake in northwestern Türkiye in 1999.