The Ukrainian Air Force Command reported on 3/9 that Russia attacked the country with 502 Geran-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and decoy aircraft, along with 16 Kalibr cruise missiles and eight Kh-101 missiles.

"Ukrainian air defense units shot down 430 UAVs, 14 Kalibr missiles and seven Kh-101 missiles. The remaining three missiles and 69 UAVs hit 14 locations, with UAV debris falling in 14 areas," the agency said. "The attack is not over, more enemy UAVs are appearing in Ukrainian airspace. People must follow instructions and stay in shelters."

Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a fire at a warehouse area in Ivano-Frankivsk province on 3/9. Photo: DSNS Ukraine

Ukrainian firefighters extinguish a fire at a warehouse area in Ivano-Frankivsk province on 3/9. Photo: DSNS Ukraine

Ukrainian officials and media reported that air raid alerts were issued in nine of the country's 24 provinces. Poland, Ukraine's neighbor and a NATO member, scrambled military aircraft as a precaution against stray Russian missiles and UAVs.

Ukraine's national railway company reported that the attack delayed dozens of trains by up to seven hours. At the Znamianka railway hub in the central province of Kirovohrad, five people were injured, including four railway workers who were hospitalized, and 28 houses were damaged.

In the northern province of Chernihiv, about 30,000 households lost power and much critical infrastructure was damaged, according to Governor Viacheslav Chaus. Public transport in the western city of Khmelnytsky was significantly disrupted due to the attack, fires broke out in many places, and some apartment buildings were damaged.

Meanwhile, firefighters in Ivano-Frankivsk province are battling a blaze that has destroyed 9,000 m2 of warehouse space, according to local emergency services.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said Ukraine also launched a UAV attack on multiple targets within Russian territory.

Russian air defenses claimed to have shot down 105 Ukrainian fixed-wing UAVs in the provinces of Rostov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Smolensk, the Krasnodar region, over the Crimean peninsula, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea, but did not specify the total number of UAVs used by Ukraine in the attack.

Location of some Ukrainian cities. Graphic: RYV

Location of some Ukrainian cities. Graphic: RYV

Russian Railways reported that UAV debris falling near the Kuteynikovo station in Rostov province caused a power outage, delaying 26 trains by more than four hours.

Ukraine has not commented on the reported UAV attack against Russia.

Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly attacked each other's critical infrastructure, including railway systems and energy facilities. Both sides have accused each other of attacking civilian facilities, while claiming to target only military objectives.

The attacks came as former US President Donald Trump is pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. On 2/9, Trump said he was "very disappointed" that President Vladimir Putin had not reached an agreement with Ukraine, but did not specify what consequences Russia would face.

Nguyen Tien (According to Reuters, RIA Novosti, AFP)