Russia fires drones and missiles at Ukraine in overnight attack, air defenses repel strike
Photo: Ukrainian air defenses shot down 115 Russian aerial targets (Getty Images)
Russia launched an overnight attack on Ukraine on July 5 using one Kh-31 anti-radiation missile, three Kh-59/69 guided air-to-surface missiles, and 125 attack drones. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted the vast majority of the incoming targets, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Russia launched:
- one Kh-31 anti-radiation missile from the Black Sea;
- three Kh-59/69 guided air-to-surface missiles from the airspace over the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region;
- 125 attack drones, including Shahed drones (some jet-powered), Gerbera, Italmas, Parodiya decoy drones, and other UAVs launched from Russia's Bryansk, Oryol, Shatalovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as occupied Donetsk and Hvardiiske in occupied Crimea.
The attack was repelled by fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
According to preliminary data as of 8:00 a.m. local time, Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 112 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and other drones across northern, southern, and eastern Ukraine, as well as all three Kh-59/69 guided missiles.
The Kh-31 anti-radiation missile also failed to reach its target.
Authorities recorded four drone strikes at three locations, while debris from intercepted aerial targets fell at eight sites.
"The attack is ongoing. Several enemy drones remain in Ukrainian airspace. Please follow safety guidelines," the Air Force said.
Russian attacks on Ukraine
Late on July 4, Russian forces launched a series of strikes on Zaporizhzhia, damaging a residential apartment building and critical infrastructure. Officials also reported civilian casualties.
The previous night, Russia attacked Ukraine with an Iskander-M ballistic missile, a Kh-59/69 guided missile, and 86 drones. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 69 aerial targets.
