Ukraine-Russia war – latest: Putin ‘shoots down’ 20 drones over Crimea as elderly woman killed in Kharkiv

Moscow said it had destroyed 20 Ukrainian drones launched towards the Crimean Peninsula early on Saturday, while an elderly woman was killed in Kharkiv due to shelling by Russian troops, a local official said. Kharkiv governor Oleh Synehubov said on the Telegram messaging app: “This morning, around 5:10, the enemy fired on Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi village in Kupiansk district. A residential building was damaged. A 73-year-old woman died.” Meanwhile, there were no casualties nor damage as a result of the alleged attack on the Russian-annexed peninsula of Crimea, the Russian defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging app, adding that 14 drones were destroyed by air defence systems and six were suppressed by electronic warfare. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for such attacks but has said destroying Russia’s military infrastructure is crucial for Kyiv’s counteroffensive. On Friday, a Ukrainian military spokesperson warned that Russia should expect “daily attacks”. Andriy Yusov told Kyiv Post that “the concept of security is increasingly distant from the residents of Moscow”, adding that the Russian air defence system is “ineffective, outdated, and cannot adequately respond to modern challenges”. Read More Ukrainian troops launch surprise raid across Dnipro River and break through some of Russia’s defences Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting rescue workers in latest missile strikes Pokrovsk reduced to rubble after Russian strike hits hotel, killing eight What Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska wants the world to know