Zelenskyy Calls Air Force Response ‘Unsatisfactory’ as Russia Steps Up Drone Attacks

Last Updated:February 06, 2026, 20:41 IST

Zelenskyy criticized Ukraine’s air force response to Russian drone attacks, as strikes caused blackouts and casualties in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Bryansk, and Belgorod.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said the performance of the country’s air force in some regions was “unsatisfactory," acknowledging shortcomings in Ukraine’s response to large-scale Russian drone barrages targeting civilian areas.

Zelenskyy said discussions were underway with Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk on strengthening air defence measures, though he did not disclose specific steps being planned.

Russia has intensified aerial assaults in recent months, focusing heavily on Ukraine’s power grid. The attacks have triggered widespread blackouts and disrupted heating and water supplies for families during a harsh winter. Zelenskyy said more than 1,200 residential buildings in Kyiv have been without heating for days because of damage to energy infrastructure.

The UK Ministry of Defence said Ukraine’s electricity network is experiencing its most severe crisis of the winter.

According to Kyiv’s air force, Russia launched 328 drones and seven missiles overnight and into the early morning hours, claiming that air defences intercepted 297 drones. Despite the interceptions, casualties and damage were reported across multiple regions.

In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, one person was killed and two others injured in a Russian attack involving drones and glide bombs, said regional military administration chief Oleksandr Hanzha.

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, an early-morning Russian strike injured eight people and damaged 18 apartment buildings, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said. A dog shelter in the regional capital was also hit, killing 13 dogs, according to city council secretary Rehina Kharchenko. Seven other animals were injured and are receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, Russia said its air defences shot down 38 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 26 over the Bryansk region. Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said the attack briefly knocked out power to several villages.

In the Russian border city of Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Ukrainian strikes damaged power facilities, disrupting electricity supply in parts of the city. Local reports said a power plant and an electrical substation were hit.

Fighting has continued along the front line despite freezing temperatures. Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the front line now stretches roughly 1,200 kilometres across eastern and southern Ukraine. He warned that advances in drone technology on both sides have expanded the so-called “kill zone", the area of greatest danger for troops, to as much as 20 kilometres in depth.

As the war approaches its fifth year later this month, following Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy said there has been no breakthrough in US-led peace efforts. However, he added that further US-brokered talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are expected in the near future, likely to take place in the United States.

News world Zelenskyy Calls Air Force Response ‘Unsatisfactory’ as Russia Steps Up Drone Attacks

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