Photo: Depositphotos
KYIV, 17 March – On the night of 17 March, the army of the aggressor country Russia launched a massive attack with Shahed drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles on the territory of Ukraine. A total of 174 enemy UAVs were launched, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
The attack was carried out from the territory of Bryansk, Kursk, Orel, Smolensk regions and Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation.
Air defence performance: more than half of drones destroyed
As of 9:00 am, Ukrainian aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups:
– 90 drones were destroyed
– 70 UAVs were knocked off course (lost in location) without any negative consequences
The air defence system operated in Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa regions.
In which regions were the hits recorded?
Despite the successful operation of air defences, the strikes caused damage in seven regions:
– Odesa
– Kharkivska
– Dnipropetrovska
– Kirovohradska
– Sumy
– Chernihivska
– Kyivska
The authorities of Poltava region also reported that debris hit infrastructure facilities in Kremenchuk district.
What is known about the consequences?
Information on casualties and damage is currently being updated. The authorities are working to eliminate the consequences of the attacks, and the military is analysing the tactics of the enemy, who uses not only attack drones but also imitators to complicate the work of Ukrainian air defence.
The attack was one of the largest ever
Russia has stepped up its air attacks in recent months, and this night’s attack is one of the most massive using Shahed.
The Ukrainian Air Force urges citizens not to ignore air raid alerts, as the enemy uses various tactics to break through defences.
