Ukraine downs Russian drones but some get through due to gaps in air protection

By SUSIE BLANN
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say the country’s air defenses have downed 32 of 35 Shahed exploding drones Russia launched overnight. Most of them were taken down in the Kyiv region. The attack was part of a wider bombardment of Ukrainian regions that extended as far as the Lviv region in the west of the country near Poland. It exposed gaps in the country’s air protection. Ukraine’s air force spokesman says air defense assets can’t cover such a broad area. In other Ukraine news, the country’s military intelligence chief claimed Russia has mined the cooling system of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant’s six reactors are shut down but still need cooling.