An 8-hour Russian drone barrage keeps Kyiv on edge as the war in Ukraine nears 1,000 days

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Dozens of Russian drones targeted the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in a nighttime attack that lasted eight hours, authorities said Thursday, as Russia kept up its relentless pounding of Ukraine after almost 1,000 days of war.

Russian forces fired lone drones and swarms of drones that entered Ukrainian airspace from various directions and at a variety of altitudes, officials said, in an apparent attempt to stretch air defense systems and unnerve city residents.

Ukrainian air defenses “neutralized” three dozen drones, but falling debris caused damage to a hospital and residential and office buildings in the capital, local authorities said, including a blaze on the 33rd floor of an apartment building.

At least two people were reported injured.

Drone attacks on Kyiv have recently been occurring almost daily, with the nighttime explosions and the continuous buzzing sound of drones keeping the city on edge. Russia is deploying about 10 times more Iranian-made Shahed drones than it was this time last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week.

Ukraine’s forces are struggling to match the might of Russia’s military, which is much bigger and better equipped. Western support is crucial for Ukraine to sustain the costly war of attrition. The uncertainty over how long that aid will continue has deepened, however, with the election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. He has repeatedly taken issue with U.S. aid to Ukraine.

Russia, meanwhile, is trying to grind down Ukraine’s appetite for the fight and sap the West’s support for Kyiv by drawing out the conflict.

The Russian barrages mostly involve Shahed drones. They are suited to terrorizing civilians, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of the state Center for Countering Disinformation.

Russia is aiming to save and stockpile its missiles, which are much more powerful than drones, Kovalenko claimed Thursday. Russia has used missiles effectively in its campaign to knock out Ukraine’s power grid.

Also, the drone attacks gradually wear down Ukraine’s air defenses, making it more vulnerable to future missile launches.

Power outages were reported in the Zhytomyr region, which borders Kyiv to the west, following a Russian attack there, according to the energy company Zhytomyroblenergo.

Another Russian drone attack injured one person in the southern city of Odesa, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said, as drone debris damaged an 11-story residential building.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

A relative lit candles and brings flowers and flags at the graves of the Ukrainian soldiers who died in the war with Russia on All Saints' Day on the Mars Field at Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Mykola Tys)

In this photo taken from a video released by Russian Defense Ministry press service on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, a Russian serviceman fires gun towards Ukrainian positions at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo taken from a bodycam video released by Russian Defense Ministry press service on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, a Russian servicemen takes part in a combat training for assault units at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, rescuers clear the rubble of a damaged building which was resulted from Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, rescuers put out a fire resulted from Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, a rescuer puts out a fire resulted from Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, rescuers put out a fire of a building which was resulted from Russian drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 7, 2024--

HTEC, an end-to-end digital product development and engineering services company headquartered in San Mateo, announced today the acquisition of eesy-innovation, embedded hardware and software engineering company based in Munich, Germany, and Granada, Spain. This acquisition is part of HTEC’s overall strategy to further enhance its capabilities in embedded and IoT technologies, and AI solutions, creating additional value for clients and providing growth opportunities for the talent of both companies. At the same time, this acquisition further strengthens HTEC’s footprint in the EU, and especially DACH region.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241107374117/en/

Since its inception in 2008 in Belgrade, HTEC has been attracting and developing top talent. HTEC’s growing team fuses Silicon Valley-based design thinking with world-class software engineering, supporting global clients with end-to-end digital product development, from strategy and conceptualization to digital product design and sophisticated engineering.

Eesy-innovation, founded in 2015, in Munich, works with some of the most innovative companies in the world, such as semiconductor giant Infineon Technologies. Eesy-innovation has earned its outstanding reputation for developing scalable solutions, transforming innovative ideas into tailored IoT solutions that enhance the intelligence of business of all sizes. From concept engineering to embedded hardware and software development, they provide seamless integration with cloud services and dashboards, as well as the application of artificial intelligence algorithms, covering the entire IoT solution lifecycle.

“I am thrilled to welcome the eesy-innovation team onboard. This partnership is part of HTEC’s broader strategy of expansion and investment in providing embedded and AI solutions to enterprise customers in partnership with largest chip manufacturers such as AMD and others. Joining forces with eesy-innovation, we are expanding our capabilities to deliver broader range of tailor-made solutions that drive innovation and adoption of AI across different use cases and spreading our presence to new markets. As a team, we remain committed to providing exceptional growth opportunities to the professionals we hire worldwide while empowering our customers with the latest technologies so they can innovate rapidly in an ever-changing environment. It brings me great joy to see eesy-innovation become an integral part of the HTEC team.” - said Darko Todorović, VP of Engineering and Delivery at HTEC.

The global success of both companies is a result of their ability to attract exceptional professionals and provide outstanding customer service for their clients, from high-growth start-ups to the Fortune 500.

“For eesy-innovation team, this acquisition brings opportunity for professional development and career growth, collaboration with talent across more than 20 development centers, and the chance to work in different geographies and industries on technically highly demanding projects.” - Günter Maximilian Hefner, founder of eesy-innovation.

By joining forces, HTEC and eesy-innovation will combine their unique strengths, enabling the development of transformative technology for world's top high-tech companies, fast-growing startups, and global enterprises.

ABOUT HTEC

HTEC Group Inc. is a global product development and digital engineering company powering the technological evolution of the world’s most impactful organizations—from disruptive startups to the Fortune 500. HTEC combines premium engineering expertise with remarkable creativity, enabling its customers to innovate, design, and develop disruptive technologies and new digital products and platforms across different industries.

ABOUT eesy-innovation

Eesy-innovation, company based in Munich, Germany, and Granada, Spain, provides comprehensive services that enhance the intelligence of businesses of all sizes. They deliver reliable quality by transforming innovative ideas into tailored IoT solutions through a collaborative approach. Their expertise encompasses research, development, integration, and execution, guiding you through the implementation of your vision. By fostering collaboration among their teams, they ensure optimal quality and rapid solutions that help clients achieve their key objectives. Their offerings include end-to-end solutions for complete sensor data capture, standardization, analysis, and real-time data visualization, all under our 360° Smart Solution initiative. From concept engineering to embedded hardware and software development, they provide seamless integration with cloud services and dashboards, as well as the application of AI algorithms, covering the entire IoT solution lifecycle.

Photo: Darko Todorović (VP of Engineering & Delivery, HTEC), Katarina Urošević (Chief of Staff, HTEC), Srđan Jovanović (VP of People, HTEC), Cuc Huynh-Le (Head of Finance and HR, eesy-innovation), Günter Maximilian Hefner (Founder, eesy-innovation), Anja Majstorović (Managing director, eesy-innovation) (Photo: Business Wire)