Ukrainian air defenses down 18 Russian drones

Ukraine’s military said Tuesday it shot down 18 of 19 drones that Russia used in overnight attacks targeting central and western Ukraine.
Ukrainian air defense shot down the drones over the Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Ternopil and Vinnytsia regions.
Russia also fired two ballistic missiles from the occupied Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine’s air force said.
Oleh Kiper, governor of Odesa, said on Telegram that the attack in his region lasted four hours. He reported the drone assault caused fires at three floors of an apartment building in the city of Chornomorsk, as well as a fire at an administrative building in the Odesa district.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it shot down 14 Ukrainian drones over the Belgorod region, located along the Russia-Ukraine border, as well as two drones over the Black Sea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he is discussing Ukraine’s “victory plan” this week in a series of meetings and negotiations with “every country that can really help bring peace closer.”
“We invite our partners to define how they envision the end of this war, Ukraine’s place in the global security architecture, and the joint steps that can steer this war toward a conclusion,” Zelenskyy said in his daily address.
The victory plan is set to be formally presented at the upcoming Ramstein meeting in Germany with Ukraine’s allies, where Zelenskyy said, Ukraine “will try to convince our partners … of the urgent need for significant reinforcement of our capabilities and positions right now, during these autumn months.”
Long-range equipment and the production of weapons, drones, shells and electronic warfare systems are among the country’s most pressing needs, he said.
Some information for this story was provided by Agence France-Presse and Reuters.