Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone attacks overnight, while Russian forces increased the intensity of strikes on the ground.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 163 drones of various types overnight.
Of the 163 drones launched, the Ukrainian Air Force claims to have shot down 89. According to information from the Air Force, 51 drones failed to hit their targets, most likely as a result of electronic warfare countermeasures.
In the past 24 hours, Russian troops have carried out shelling and airstrikes on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and dozens of settlements in the area, the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on Friday.
Kherson is a flashpoint because it is close to the front line, and residents live under constant threat from drones and artillery strikes.
Three people are reported to have been killed and 12 others injured in the latest shelling in Kherson.
Meanwhile, Ukraine attacked the Russian cities of Saratov and Engels overnight, with local residents reporting multiple explosions in the sky, Russian Telegram channels reported.
Saratov Oblast is a frequent target of Ukrainian drone attacks, particularly due to an important military airfield near the city of Engels.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 78 Ukrainian drones in the early hours of Friday.
As the United States leads diplomatic efforts to try to bring peace to Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Friday that Russian troops have increased their activities on the ground, reporting 209 clashes in the past 24 hours.
The largest number of Russian attacks were in the direction of the strategic town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, according to a report from the General Staff.
The Ukrainian General Staff also announced that since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has lost 910.750 soldiers, including 1.860 in the last 24 hours.
The British Ministry of Defense said on March 5 that Russia had probably suffered around 2025 casualties, killed or wounded, so far in 90.000. The ministry added that since the start of the war, Russia had probably suffered 875.000 casualties.
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