Ukraine Strikes Russian Drone Sites in Donetsk, Crimea and Zaporizhzhia as Russian Attacks Hit Kyiv
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces hit Russian strike‑drone storage, preparation and command sites near Donetsk, in Chornomorske in occupied Crimea, and in Zaliznychne in Zaporizhzhia, while Russian attacks on Kyiv killed at least three people and wounded 16, according to local officials.
Ukraine’s military says it has struck several Russian sites used to store, prepare and control drones, even as Russian missile and drone attacks continue to cause casualties and fires in Kyiv and other cities.
Ukraine’s General Staff reported that on 7 September and overnight into 8 September, Defense Forces hit a facility near Donetsk used for storing, preparing and launching Russian strike drones. It also said Ukrainian forces struck unmanned aerial vehicle command posts in Chornomorske in occupied Crimea and in Zaliznychne in Zaporizhzhia region, as well as a separate Russian command post near Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk region.
The General Staff noted that Russian losses and the extent of damage from these strikes were still being clarified.
On the ground, Ukrainian special forces reported localized operations against Russian troops. Ukrainian operators from the “Shadow Pack” unit of the 3rd Special Operations Regiment’s Alpha group said they infiltrated an area, established observation, identified an enemy movement route and ambushed three Russian soldiers, killing two and taking one prisoner.
In a separate account, a Ukrainian SIGNUM drone unit reported hitting trucks and Russian logistics around a highway route from Crimea into Zaporizhzhia, an important supply line for Russian forces in the south. Another report described a Russian soldier losing both feet after being hit in the legs by an FPV drone.
While Ukraine targeted Russian positions and infrastructure, Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities continued. In Kyiv, mayor Vitali Klitschko and regional police chief Ivan Vyhivsky said the number of dead and wounded from Russian strikes had risen to three and 16 respectively. They reported that Russian forces struck a warehouse building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where a fire broke out.
Earlier, authorities had declared a red‑level drone threat for Kyiv before lifting the alert. The Kyiv city military administration said an office building was burning in the Solomianskyi district after another strike and that there were calls for medical assistance in both districts.
In Chernihiv region, a Banderol glide bomb hit an Epicenter shopping center in Pryluky, causing serious damage. In Nikopol, emergency services reported that an FPV drone struck rescuers who had arrived to extinguish a fire, injuring two and damaging a fire‑and‑rescue vehicle.
The exchanges underline how both sides are using drones and missiles to hit targets deep behind the front lines. For Ukrainian planners, strikes on drone depots, launch sites and command posts are intended to reduce the volume and coordination of future Russian attacks. For civilians in cities like Kyiv and Pryluky, the immediate concern remains the risk that office buildings, warehouses and shopping centers could be hit with little warning.
Key developments to watch include any confirmation from Ukrainian or Russian sources about lasting damage to the targeted drone and command sites, and whether the pace and scale of Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities change in the coming days.
Sources
- OSINT