<div style="text-align: justify; "><b><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Ukraine said today that it had destroyed at least six Russian military planes at an airbase in the southern Rostov region in a barrage of overnight drone attacks.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kyiv launched one of its largest overnight attacks in weeks, firing more than 50 drones at Russian territory, according to Russia’s defence ministry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A security source in Kyiv told AFP that an attack on the Morozovsk airbase in Russia’s southern Rostov region had destroyed at least six Russian planes and “another eight were heavily damaged”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“This is an important special operation that will significantly reduce the combat potential of the Russians,” the source said, adding that the attack was carried out by the SBU security service and the military.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was no immediate response from Russia and AFP was unable to verify the claims.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia said 44 of the 53 drones Kyiv fired overnight targeted the southern Rostov region, which sits just across the border from Ukraine and is home to a number of major military sites, including its command headquarters for the offensive.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“During the night and on the morning of April 5, the Kyiv regime tried to commit several terrorist attacks with aerial drones which were foiled,” the defence ministry said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rostov’s governor Vasily Golubev said a drone attack on the Morozovsk district, where the airbase is located, had caused “insignificant damage” to a power station that had cut electricity supplies to around 600 residents.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also reported windows were blown out in an apartment building but made no mention of the air base.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia rarely comments on Ukrainian claims of successful strikes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kyiv has stepped up its aerial attacks on Russian territory in recent months, targeting both military sites and energy facilities in a bid to disrupt Russia’s supply of fuel and equipment for its invasion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Tuesday, Ukrainian drones hit the central Tatarstan region – around 1,100km from the countries’ shared border – in one of the deepest Ukrainian attacks of the two-year war.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kyiv said the strike hit a major oil refinery and a factory assembling explosive drones.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Other Ukrainian drone attacks in the early hours today targeted the Belgorod and Kursk border regions, as well as Saratov and Krasnodar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Saratov, the governor said a drone had targeted Engels, a city around 500km from the border that is home to a major Russian airbase that has previously been hit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine’s air force meanwhile said Russia launched five missiles and 13 drones at its territory overnight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kyiv said it downed the 13 drones, but did not say anything about the missiles, which targeted the northeastern Kharkiv region.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russian-installed authorities in areas of Ukraine occupied by Moscow’s forces also reported Ukrainian strikes on Friday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Five people were injured, two seriously, in a drone attack on the Russian-controlled part of the southern Kherson region, while seven were injured in a strike on Gorlivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Moscow-appointed officials said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the battlefield, Russian forces are seeking to press their advantage with Ukraine facing shortages of both manpower and ammunition amid delays to the delivery of Western aid.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russian-installed officials have claimed Moscow’s forces are advancing on Chasiv Yar, a town in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers with links to the armed forces said today that Russian troops had reached the outskirts of the town. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/fas</div>