Photo: facebook.com/DSNS.GOV.UA
On May 13, Russian forces switched to a tactic of prolonged combined strikes. After a nighttime assault, a new large-scale wave of attacks is ongoing and, according to intelligence and the president, may last throughout the day.
Key points
- Kyiv and region: drone debris fell in Obolon; a house fire reported in Vyshhorod district.
- Rivne region: strike on a residential building and infrastructure — 2 killed, 4 injured, partial power outage.
- Lutsk: multiple explosions, reported hits.
- Odesa: drone hit a residential building roof — around 200 windows damaged, 2 injured.
- Kherson region: strike on civilians in Komyshany — two critically injured, traffic restrictions in Kherson.
- Khmelnytskyi region: 3 hospitalized.
- Ivano-Frankivsk & Chernivtsi regions: explosions reported; emergency blackouts in Kolomyia.
- Zhytomyr region: explosions.
- Cherkasy region (Smila): damaged houses, 3 injured.
Attack timeline
Between 08:00 and 11:00, Russia launched over 100 drones simultaneously from the north, south, and east. Shahed drones moved in “chains” to overload air defense systems.
- First strikes hit Zhytomyr and Khmelnytskyi.
- By midday, air raid alerts covered Kyiv; air defense operated over Podil, debris fell in Obolon.
- Drones then moved along the Belarus border and targeted western regions — explosions in Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kolomyia.
- Around 13:00–14:00, the attack expanded — explosions in Rivne and Lutsk, drones reached Lviv region.
The focus later shifted to western Ukraine, while new drone groups entered from the Black Sea toward Odesa.
Current consequences
- Kyiv: no casualties reported.
- Khmelnytskyi: injured in stable condition.
- Kherson: two civilians in critical condition after drone strike.
- Odesa: residential damage and injuries confirmed.
- Rivne: civilian infrastructure hit, casualties reported.
- Cherkasy: multiple injuries from drone debris.
What comes next
According to Ukraine’s military intelligence, the attack is multi-stage:
- First wave: drones to exhaust air defenses
- Next phase: cruise and ballistic missiles
Targets remain unchanged: energy infrastructure, defense industry facilities, and government buildings.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that further waves are expected throughout the day.
Russia is also using a new tactic — launching drones in long chains along the Belarusian border to overload Ukrainian air defenses and ensure deeper penetration.
