Photo: Depositphotos
On the night of Saturday, 22 February, Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine using 162 Shahed attack drones and imitation drones of various types. The attack lasted all night, covering at least 13 regions of Ukraine. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force.
Scale of attack and defence
According to the Air Force, the enemy drones were launched from the directions of the Russian cities of Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. The Ukrainian defence forces deployed aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare (EW) units and mobile fire groups.
82 enemy drones were destroyed in the following areas:
– Kharkivska
– Poltava
– Sumy
– Kyiv
– Chernihivska
– Cherkassy
– Kirovohradska
– Zhytomyrska
– Vinnytsia
– Mykolaivska
– Kherson
– Zaporizhzhya
– Dnipropetrovska
In addition, 75 imitation drones were“lost” due to electronic warfare, i.e. disabled without the need to destroy them.
Affected regions and consequences
Despite the successful work of air defences, the attack was not without casualties and destruction. Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad and Dnipropetrovs’k regions were hit.
– In the Kyiv region, the attack targeted Boryspil district, where an employee of Ukrzaliznytsiawas killed by a drone strike.
– In Kharkiv,infrastructure damage wasreported after a series of explosions.
– In Kirovohrad region, dronescaused local fires that were quickly extinguished.
– Residential buildings and energy facilities have been damaged in Dnipropetrovska oblast.
Kyiv air defence under fire
Last night, Kyiv heard powerful explosions caused by the air defence system. The city authorities confirmed that the main threat came from Shahed-136s targeting critical infrastructure.
Statement by the Air Force
“The enemy used an extremely large number of attack drones, but our forces repelled the main wave of the attack. The Ukrainian air defence system demonstrated high efficiency even during the massive shelling,” the Ukrainian Air Force said in a statement.
What’s next?
The authorities urge citizens not to ignore air raid warnings and remind them of the importance of following safety rules during shelling.
Russia is expected to repeat a massive attack with drones and missiles in the coming days, so air defence forces remain on full alert.
