In the early hours of April 24, Russian military forces conducted a significant aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying over a hundred drones alongside ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defense systems successfully intercepted or neutralized 96 of these drones, although two ballistic missiles and ten strike drones impacted nine locations across the country.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the attack involved two Iskander-M ballistic missiles launched from Russia’s Rostov region, in addition to 107 strike drones of various types, including Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas.
Launch sites included Shatalovo, Bryansk, Orel, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, specifically from Hvardiyiske. Approximately 70 of the drones were identified as Shahed models.
The Ukrainian defense was coordinated by the Air Force, which utilized anti-aircraft missile units, aviation, electronic warfare capabilities, drone systems, and mobile fire groups to counter the assault.
As of 08:00 local time, air defense operations had successfully destroyed or suppressed 96 drones, including models from the Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas categories. Defensive measures were active in the northern, southern, and eastern regions of Ukraine.
Despite the defensive efforts, two ballistic missiles and ten strike drones reached their targets across nine sites, with debris from intercepted drones landing in two additional areas. The military has indicated that the aerial attack is ongoing, with Russian drones still present in the skies. Citizens have been urged to follow safety protocols during air raid alerts.
Russian forces launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine, employing numerous drones and ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted the majority of the drones, but some missiles and drones managed to hit multiple locations.