Odesa and Zaporizhzhia struck as Ukraine faces huge drone barrage

Ukraine faced one of its largest recent drone attacks on 29 May, with Russian forces launching 232 drones overnight against targets across the country. According to Ukraine's Air Defence, 217 drones were intercepted, but several strikes still caused damage in the southern cities of Odesa and Zaporizhzhia. In Odesa, regional governor Oleh Kiper said air defences destroyed most incoming drones, yet attacks left around 4,000 people without electricity. There were no reported fatalities. Russian drones also struck three commercial vessels sailing along Ukraine's maritime corridor in the Black Sea, injuring two crew members. Further east, in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine’s emergency services and local authorities said three people were injured after a strike hit a residential area on Friday morning. An elderly woman was among those hurt, while apartment buildings, vehicles and local infrastructure sustained damage. Firefighters were deployed to extinguish blazes caused by the attack, including a fire linked to a damaged gas pipe. The latest assault underlines the sustained pressure on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, despite the high interception rates claimed by Kyiv and the gradual reinforcement of the country’s air defences with Western systems. It also forms part of a broader pattern of Russian strikes around the end of May, which have hit multiple regions and reinforced Ukraine’s calls for additional long‑range air‑defence capabilities.