Russia fires over 100 drones at Ukraine as Kremlin dismisses transport chief after travel chaos

By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press KYIV Ukraine AP Russia fired more than drones at civilian areas of Ukraine overnight functionaries announced Monday as the Kremlin dismissed its transportation chief after a weekend of voyage chaos when airports grounded hundreds of flights during the busy vacation season due to the threat of attacks from Kyiv At least civilians were killed and injured including three children in Russian attacks over the previous hours Ukrainian representatives disclosed Paramedics help residents evacuate their house that was destroyed by a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv Ukraine Monday July AP Photo Andrii Marienko Russia in the last few days has intensified its airstrikes on civilian areas after more than three years of war In the past week Russia launched particular drones missiles and almost powerful glide bombs at Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared Monday Russia s bigger army is also trying hard to break through at specific points along the roughly -kilometer miles front line where Ukrainian forces are severely stretched The strain of keeping Russia s invasion at bay the lack of progress in direct peace talks and last week s halt of several promised U S weapons shipments has compelled Ukraine to seek more military help from the U S and Europe Zelenskyy announced Saturday that Ukraine had signed deals with European allies and a leading U S defense company to step up drone production ensuring Kyiv receives hundreds of thousands more this year Air defense is the main thing for protecting life Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday That includes growing and manufacturing interceptor drones that can stop Russia s long-range Shahed drones he explained Extensive use of drones has also helped Ukraine compensate for its troop shortages on the front line One person was killed in the southern city of Odesa were injured in northeastern Kharkiv and falling drone debris caused damage in two districts of Kyiv the capital during nighttime drone attacks Ukrainian officers reported Russian short-range drones also killed two people and injured two others in the northern Sumy region authorities explained Sumy is one of the places where Russia has concentrated large numbers of troops Also nine people were injured and seven killed in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine regional head Vadym Filashkin explained He didn t specify the weapons used Related Articles Trump and Netanyahu may take a success lap on Iran but the Gaza war looms over their meeting Yemen s Houthi rebels claim attack on bulk carrier Magic Seas which is now sinking in the Red Sea EU commission chief von der Leyen faces a no-confidence vote this week The present day in History July Reagan nominates O Connor for the US Supreme Court King Charles III leads the UK in marking years since the deadly London bombings More Russian long-range drone strikes Monday targeted military mobilization centers for the third time in five days in an apparent attempt to disrupt recruitment Ukraine s Army Ground Forces command commented Regional officers in Kharkiv and southern Zaporizhzhia stated at least people were injured Meanwhile Russia s Defense Ministry revealed Monday that its troops shot down Ukrainian drones in Russian regions overnight as well as over the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula which was illegally annexed by Russia in Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Delivery Minister Roman Starovoyt on Monday an order published on the Kremlin website reported Putin named Starovoyt s deputy Andrey Nikitin as acting conveyance minister Nikitkin was the governor of Russia s Novgorod region until February The announcement gave no reason for Starovoyt s dismissal Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on it Over the weekend hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at Moscow s Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg s Pulkovo airports and thousands of travelers faced long waits Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions because of Ukrainian drone attacks Associated Press writer Katie Marie Davies in Manchester England contributed