BLASTING THE SKY
DESPERATE Ukrainians have been using guns in a bid to shoot down Russian kamikaze drones before they slam into buildings in Kyiv.
Vladimir Putin unleashed a blitz on the Ukrainian capital with multiple explosions rocked the centre of Ukraine's capital for the second time in a week.
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Three people were killed in the drone onslaught with 19 people rescued from the rubble, said Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.
A man was killed alongside his 6-months pregnant wife in the attack on the residential block, according to the boxer.
Footage shows police officers on a street corner straining their eyes to see if they can spot any of the Iranian-supplied drones flying overhead.
As one appears over a building, they open up with their guns in a desperate bid to shoot it down before it can kill civilians.
The terror weapons then slams into the ground causing huge explosion as the frustrated cops can he heard cursing their bad luck.
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Other footage shows a drone slam into the ground causing a huge fireball, also accompanied by a hail of gunfire from desperate defenders.
Ukraine officials said Kyiv had been struck four times in the early morning attack.
They said the attack began at 9am local time and damaged a residential building and targeted the central train station.
The Shahed-136 drones also struck the country's energy provider in the Shevchenkiv district as air raid sirens wailed.
The bombing raid comes seven days after the tinpot tyrant launched deadly revenge raids for the Kerch Bridge bombing - killing at least 25 people.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky defiantly said the attacks won't break the country.
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"All night and all morning, the enemy terrorises the civilian population," he said.
"Kamikaze drones and missiles are attacking all of Ukraine. The enemy can attack our cities, but it won’t be able to break us.
"The occupiers will get only fair punishment and condemnation of future generations. And we will get victory."
The explosions hit the same central Kyiv district where a week ago a missile struck a children's playground and an intersection near the Kyiv National University's main buildings.
The attack follows reports elite Iranian troops were now helping to train Russian forces in using the drones as Putin steps up his drone blitz.
Klitschko said several residential buildings were damaged along with sites belonging to Ukraine's energy provider as plumes of smoke rose above the city.
The president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on social media: "The capital was attacked by kamikaze drones.
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"The Russians think it will help them, but it shows their desperation.
"We need more air defence systems and as soon as possible. More weapons to defend the sky and destroy the enemy.
"The enemy can hit our cities, but he will not be able to break us. Only fair punishment and condemnation of future generations awaits the occupiers. Victory is ours."
Other videos showed residents running for their lives as a fireball rose from an apartment block.
Klitschko posted images showing the burnt fragments of one kamikaze drone that attacked the city.
Ukraine's armed forces said they have destroyed 15 kamikaze drones and 3 cruise missiles in attacks on the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
They said Russia also attacked critical infrastructure in the eastern direction with cruise missiles of various types. Three missiles were destroyed by anti-aircraft missile units.
Overnight strikes also hit other Ukraine cities including Mykolaiv and Odessa whilst energy facilities were targeted overnight in Zaporizhzhia.
Emergency power outages have begun in Dnipro.
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Zelensky urged the country to ration power usage between 5pm and 11pm as Putin attempts to turn out the lights.
Last night, the roads in Kyiv were plunged into darkness as street lights were switched off.
President Zelensky said: "Due to the Russian missile terror in some cities and regions of Ukraine, energy companies have to limit the supply of electricity - so that the entire system works stably.
"But it will be possible to avoid such stabilisation shutdowns if all of us in Ukraine consciously treat our consumption during peak hours.
"This is an insignificant thing for every person's life - but it is very important within the limits of the entire energy system."
He said residents of the Chernihiv region limited their electricity consumption by 20 percent whilst Kyiv had only cut it by seven.
"This is a step that, along with others, will ensure the defeat of Russian terrorist plans. I thank everyone who protects Ukraine!
"Thank you to everyone who fights, works and helps for our victory! Unity and joint actions are our strength! Glory to Ukraine!"
Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south near Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
The enemy can attack our cities, but it won’t be able to break us.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
The Iran-made self-destroying Shahed-136 - also known as a Heran 2 - that were developed as suicide craft that could loiter above targets before attacking them.
The drones, which are guided by satellite navigation, come equipped with an explosive warhead and can fly at a range of up to 2,500km at 185km/h.
A weapons expert has compared the killer drones with the terrifying V1 or V2 rockets, Hitler used in the Second World War.
It is believed thousands of V2 rockets were launched by the Germans during the war causing around 9,000 deaths in the UK alone.
Dr Matthew Powell, an expert in Strategic and Air Power Studies at the Royal Air Force College and the University of Portsmouth, told the Daily Star: "What we really see is that this is a development from the V1 or V2 rockets used in the Second World War.
"But with more sophisticated technology, better propulsion."
The V1 rocket, which was known as the Doodlebug thanks to its distinctive sound, was used in attacks in the UK and mainland Europe.
Dr Powell said Putin's new drones sound like small light propeller aircraft, but are more accurate thanks to precise GPS systems.
He also said they would be most effective against "attack formations in the field."
He added: "You don't have any controls from the ground with this apart from the GPS signal and the targeting that you have but it can stay in the air for a prolonged period of time causing confusion amongst air defence.
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"You're not sure what he's going to target until potentially the last minute.”
The use of kamikaze drones in the past has been seen by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
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