In a concerning development, Ukraine has reported the downing of more than two dozen Russian drones over the capital city, Kyiv, as Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the destruction of eight Ukrainian drones near the annexed Crimean peninsula. The clashes in the skies above these regions escalated tensions in an already volatile situation.

The exact extent of damage resulting from these duelling drone attacks early on Sunday remains unclear. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported at least one person wounded in the historic Podil neighbourhood, where a fire also erupted near one of its parks. Debris from the downed drones fell across several districts, including Darnytskyi, Solomianskyi, Shevchenkivskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Podil, according to Klitschko and the city’s military administration.

In the Shevchenkivskyi district, debris ignited a fire in an apartment, but it was quickly extinguished, with no immediate reports of injuries, as stated by Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, on the Telegram messaging app.

The Ukrainian air defence forces successfully intercepted and destroyed more than two dozen enemy UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), according to Popko, who mentioned that the precise number would be announced by Ukraine’s air force. The skies above Kyiv echoed with at least 10 explosions, as reported by AFP.

As of now, there has been no official comment from Russia regarding these drone attacks. However, Russia’s defence ministry acknowledged the downing of eight Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula by its air defence systems. The ministry, in a statement on Telegram, did not provide immediate details about any resulting damages or injuries.