In a significant escalation of hostilities, Ukraine experienced a massive drone assault overnight from May 11 to May 12, involving 216 strike drones of various types, including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and imitation drones dubbed Parody.
The launches originated from multiple locations:
- Bryansk, Shatalovo, Kursk, and Oryol in Russia;
- Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, also from Russian territory;
- Temporarily occupied Donetsk and Hvardiyiske in Crimea.
By 9:30 AM, preliminary reports indicated that Ukrainian air defense systems had successfully intercepted or suppressed 192 of these hostile drones across various regions, including the north, south, east, and central parts of the country.
The defense efforts involved a coordinated response from aviation units, surface-to-air missile forces, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups from Ukraine’s defense forces. There were confirmed impacts from 25 drones at ten different locations, with debris from downed drones also reported at five additional sites.
As of the morning, up to ten enemy drones remained airborne within Ukrainian airspace.
Ukraine faced a coordinated drone attack involving over 200 drones, with significant interceptions by air defense systems. This incident highlights the ongoing aerial conflict and the challenges faced in securing airspace.