Russia targets Ukraine with massive 300-drone overnight barrage
Russia launched a massive overnight assault against Ukraine using an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 293 attack drones fired from six different directions. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted and shot down or suppressed 264 of the hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across the northern, southern, and eastern regions of the country, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The multi-pronged attack featured a diverse mix of weaponry launched from Russian regions including Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as occupied Crimea. The strike arsenal included jet-powered Shahed variants, Gerbera and Italmas drones, Banderol loitering munitions, and Parodiya decoy drones designed to overwhelm air defenses. While Ukraine's combined defense forces—including aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile fire groups—neutralized the vast majority of the threats, the ballistic missile and 24 drones managed to strike 11 locations, with falling debris recorded at 12 other sites, News.Az reports, citing RBC-Ukraine.
This latest bombardment comes amid a massive escalation in Russian drone manufacturing, with domestic production jumping 117% this April compared to the previous year. Moscow aims to produce 7.3 million FPV drones alongside 7.8 million UAV warheads annually. While Russia has significantly ramped up its assembly of Shahed drones, intelligence reports indicate that a major share of this domestic manufacturing still relies heavily on electronic components sourced from China.
By Aysel Mammadzada
Similar news
