The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 67 out of 73 drones and one of three missiles launched by Russia

Russia launched several waves of drones targeting Kyiv early on Monday, with air defence units successfully defending the city during the attack which lasted over five hours, Ukraine's military said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that Kyiv would create a new branch of Kyiv's military, known as the Unmanned Systems Forces, dedicated exclusively to drone warfare. "Drones, unmanned systems, have proven their effectiveness in battles on land, in the sky and at sea," the Ukrainian leader said.