In the early hours of May 25, Russia executed a significant aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying a total of 262 drones from seven different directions. The attack, which began at 5:30 PM on May 24, resulted in ten confirmed hits across various locations.
The military reported that the drones included various types, notably the Shahed models, including their jet variants, as well as ‘Gerbera,’ ‘Italmas,’ and imitation drones termed ‘Parody.’ These launches originated from several regions in Russia, such as Oryol, Kursk, Shatalovo, Bryansk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, along with the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Defense Response
The Ukrainian air defense forces engaged the attack using:
- aviation
- anti-aircraft missile troops
- electronic warfare units
- drone systems
- mobile fire groups from the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
By 8:00 AM, Ukraine’s air defense had successfully intercepted or suppressed 246 enemy drones across the northern, southern, and eastern parts of the country.
The report indicated that ten attack drones struck nine locations, with debris from the downed drones scattered across seven sites. The military also warned that the assault was still ongoing as of the morning.
A large-scale drone attack by Russia on Ukraine involved 262 drones, with significant interception by Ukrainian air defense forces. The assault began on May 24 and continued into the morning of May 25, resulting in multiple hits across the country.