Photo: Depositphotos
Kyiv, 1 May 2025. On the night of 1 May, the Russian army carried out one of the largest air attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, firing five Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 170 attack UAVs and imitator drones. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force on its Telegram channel.
According to official data, Ukrainian air defence forces managed to shoot down 74 Shahed attack drones, while another 68 imitator drones were “lost locally” – that is, they did not reach their targets and did not cause damage.
Direct speech of the Air Force:
“As of 08:30, 74 Shahed-type attack UAVs (and other types of drones) have been confirmed downed in the east, north, south and centre of the country. 68 enemy imitator drones were lost locally (without negative consequences).”
The geography of the impact:
The following regions were affected by massive shelling:
- Odesa region
- Kharkiv region
- Sumy region
- Donetsk region
- Kyiv region
The Iskander-M missiles were launched from the occupied Crimea, and the drones were launched from the territory of Russia (in particular, from the areas of Kursk, Millerovo, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk), as well as from Cape Chauda in Crimea.
Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, mobile fire groups and electronic warfare equipment of the Ukrainian Defence Forces were involved in repelling the air attack.
Context:
This attack was another attempt by Russia to destroy Ukraine’s energy and critical infrastructure against the backdrop of intensified hostilities in the east and south of the country. At the same time, the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defence once again confirms its high adaptability to hybrid attacks, including those using simulators to “distract” air defence attention.
