Ukraine says it downed 149 Russian drones as Kyiv's power grid buckles

Ukraine's Air Forces said Saturday they intercepted 149 Russian drones overnight. Russia launched 172 in total, a mix of Shahed, Gerbera and Parodiya types, according to a Telegram post from the military. The Air Forces added that four Russian missiles were also neutralized.

Moscow didn't dispute the scale of its own barrage — it advertised it. Russia's defense ministry said it struck military-industrial, energy and transport infrastructure in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, facilities it claims are used to support the Ukrainian army. It described a massive strike with high-precision ground-based weapons and long-range strike drones, according to RIA Novosti.

The damage landed hard on civilians. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the capital is facing an extremely difficult energy situation after overnight attacks damaged energy facilities in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions, disrupting electricity, heating and water systems. He gave no timetable for restoring services. The attack also damaged the city's Northern Bridge and injured at least five people in the capital, Klitschko said earlier.

Russia's defense ministry, meanwhile, claimed its forces downed 411 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones. It said the drones were taken out over Bryansk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Kursk, Lipetsk, Oryol, Rostov, Saratov, Samara, Tula, Crimea, and the Azov and Black Seas. Neither side's tally can be independently verified.

It's the latest blow in a bruising week for Kyiv, where repeated strikes on energy infrastructure have already caused severe power and water outages. With no repair timeline from the mayor, residents are staring down another stretch of disrupted heat and water — while both militaries keep trading drone claims.