Overnight on 8 February, Russia attacked Ukraine’s southern regions with Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 11 out of 17 Shaheds in the oblasts of Odesa, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, and Dnipropetrovsk, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. The attack injured two police officers and damaged several buildings. The reports noted that the Russian forces launched the 17 Shahed-136/131 UAVs launched from Cape Chauda, occupied Crimea.
For several months now, Russia has been launching suicide drone attacks against Ukraine almost every day, targeting various cities and often causing civilian casualties.
During the night in Vinnytsia, debris from downed UAVs caused a fire at an infrastructure site, as reported by the Ukraine South Defense Forces. The fire has been successfully contained, with no injuries reported. Confirmation of the debris and infrastructure damage was also provided by the municipal council’s website. USDF said two Shaheds were downed in the skies of Vinnytsia Oblast.
Air defenders destroyed five Shahed drones in Odesa Oblast. Two patrol policemen were injured in the attack, reportedly sustaining mine-blast injuries. The attack damaged an unfinished building and an educational institution were hit, with shattered glass and damage to roofs, ceilings, and windows, says Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration.
