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An apartment building damaged during a massive Russian drone strike in Kyiv, May 30, 2023
Russia launched its 17th mass air attack this month targeting Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, the third in as many days, this time using only Iranian-supplied drones.
Kyiv City Military Administration said that at around 5 am on May 30 several waves of Iranian Shahed drones were launched from different directions against the capital. No missiles were used this time.
"The attack was massive, came from different directions, in several waves," Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on the Telegram.
"A massive attack!" Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app. "Do not leave shelters."
Air defenses intercepted over 20 Shahed drones, but falling debris caused casualties and fires. Damage to a high-rise building in Kyiv’s Holosiivkyi District killed one person and injured three others, Kyiv Independent reported.
Russia has used hundreds of the Iranian supplied Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) since last September to attack Ukraine’s infrastructure, civilian targets and try to overwhelm air defenses.
Russia has repeatedly attacked Kyiv in May using a combination of drones and missiles, mostly at night, in an apparent attempt to undermine Ukrainians' will to fight after more than 15 months of war.
Although the United States and its European allies have strongly condemned Iran for supplying drones and other weapons to Russia, major European countries have so far have only announced some sanctions but have not designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist entity.
The air attacks come as Ukraine prepares a counter-offensive backed with Western weapons to try to drive Russian occupiers out of territory seized since Moscow launched its unprovoked invasion in February 2022.
