War in Ukraine, Photo: LIBKOS/AP

On the night of 3 January, the Russian occupiers launched a massive attack on Ukraine, launching 93 drones, including Shahed attack drones and various types of imitators. Ukrainian air defence forces successfully shot down 60 of them. Another 26 imitator drones were lost locally, and one was destroyed in the air, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.

The attack was carried out from the directions of Bryansk, Millerovo and Orel. Air defence forces were reportedly operating in nine regions of Ukraine: Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Donetsk and Dnipro.

They were used to repel an air attack:

• aviation,
• anti-aircraft missile troops,
• electronic warfare (EW) units,
• mobile fire groups of the Air Force and the Defence Forces of Ukraine.

This is yet another attempt by the Russian occupiers to damage Ukrainian infrastructure and sow panic among the civilian population. Despite the sophistication of the attacks, Ukrainian air defence forces have demonstrated high efficiency in defending the country’s skies.

Details of the damage and possible casualties are being clarified.