On the night of February 10, the Russian military attacked Ukrainian cities with kamikaze drones. Explosions sounded in Kharkov, Dnieper and Zaporozhye. In Ukraine, a large-scale air alert was announced. Some had air defense. It was noted that rockets and Shahedas were shot down.
Explosions in Kharkov at night were reported by local publics, later confirmed by the head of the Regional State Administration Oleg Sinegubov:
“Attention! Residents of Kharkov and the region, the invaders strike again! Do not ignore the alarms. Stay in shelters!”
In Kharkov, because of the shelling, the light went out in some areas. Sinegubov later wrote that the Russian military carried out 10 strikes on Kharkiv’s critical infrastructure. In the city, according to him, interruptions in electricity, water and heat supply are possible. Information about the wounded and the extent of damage is being established.
Zaporozhye authorities announced the largest attack on the city since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the secretary of the city council Anatoly Kurtev, 17 strikes were recorded in Zaporozhye in an hour. According to him, the Russian military attacked energy infrastructure facilities. Currently, information about the destruction and victims is being specified.
Local authorities warned residents of the Dnepropetrovsk region about the drone attack.
“According to the available data, an attack by kamikaze drones in the direction of the region is likely,” said Serhiy Lysak, head of the Dnepropetrovsk regional military administration.
Chairman of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council Nikolai Lukashuk noted that Iranian drones are sent from the Zaporozhye direction. “Shaheds are coming to us from the Zaporozhye direction. Remember the safety rules and take care of yourself. Dear administrators of tg channels: no photos or videos,” he wrote.
The day before, CNN reported that Iran had probably modified its combat drones, which the country supplies to Russia, so that they could cause maximum damage to infrastructure in Ukraine. According to the TV channel, small metal fragments were added to the warhead of the drone, which scatter over a long distance during the explosion.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal, citing its sources, wrote that Russia and Iran plan to launch on Russian territory an enterprise for the production of Iranian-made drones, similar to those that the Russian army uses in attacks on Ukraine.
Kyiv accuses Moscow of using Iranian Shahed-136 drones in attacks on civilian and energy facilities. The Russian side officially denies these accusations. However, in October, a representative of the Public Council under the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation let slip about the use of Iranian weapons during a live broadcast on the RBC TV channel. Later, Iran admitted that it supplied Russia with drones.