Russia attacks Ukraine with hundreds of Shahed and jet drones - How air defenses performed
Photo: how Ukrainian air defenses performed during the massive attack (Getty Images)
During the day, the Russian army attacked Ukraine with hundreds of drones. Ukraine’s Defense Forces managed to shoot down most of the targets, according to the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
How the attack unfolded
According to the military, the large-scale attack lasted on May 1 from 08:00 a.m. to 03:30 p.m. The enemy used 409 strike UAVs, including jet-powered Shaheds, Gerbera, Italmas, and other types of drones.
They were launched from multiple directions, including Shatalovo, Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, the temporarily occupied Donetsk region, and Hvardiiske in Crimea. Around 250 of them were Shahed-type drones.
The air attack was repelled by aviation, air defense missile units, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups of Ukraine’s Defense Forces.
Air defense results
According to preliminary data, as of 03:30 p.m., Ukrainian defenders had shot down or suppressed 388 enemy drones. The strike UAVs were neutralized in the north, south, center, and west of the country.
A total of 16 impacts were recorded at six locations, and debris fell in 11 locations.
"The attack is ongoing, enemy UAVs remain in the airspace. Follow safety rules!" the Air Force stressed.
May 1 attack on Ukraine
Overnight and in the morning, Russia carried out a massive air attack on Ukraine. In particular, on the night of May 1, Russia launched 210 strike drones at Ukraine. Air defense forces managed to shoot down most of them, although impacts were still recorded in several regions.
Several regions were affected by the strikes. Ternopil suffered the most, experiencing one of the largest attacks.
According to authorities, more than 50 drones were used in that strike. The massive attack left casualties and caused serious infrastructure damage. The officials noted that such a large-scale attack had not been recorded before.
In addition, Russian forces launched massive strikes on southern regions. In particular, Russia attacked Odesa overnight, once again hitting residential high-rise buildings. Fires broke out in the city after the strikes, and all emergency services were deployed at the scenes.
