Russia launches 99 Shahed UAVs at Ukraine overnight: Air defense responses
Illustrative photo: Russia launched 99 Shahed drones on the night of March 4 (GettyImages)
In the early hours of Tuesday, March 4, the Russian army launched 99 Shahed drones at Ukrainian territory. Air defense units operated in nine regions, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.
According to the Air Force, on the night of March 4, 2025, starting at 7:00 p.m. Kyiv time on March 3, the enemy attacked with 99 Shahed UAVs and decoy drones.
Russian troops launched the air targets from various locations, including:
- Oryol
- Kursk
- Millerovo
- Bryansk
- Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
Aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups from the Air Force and Ukraine’s Defense Forces countered the aerial assault.
As of 9:00 a.m. Kyiv time, 65 Shahed drones and other UAVs had been confirmed shot down over the Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa regions.
In addition, 32 enemy decoy drones were lost due to electronic warfare measures, without causing any negative consequences. However, as a result of the Russian air attack, the Odesa, Sumy, and Donetsk regions sustained damage.
Night attack on Ukrainian cities
On the night of March 3 to 4, Russian forces attacked Odesa with drones. The assault damaged energy infrastructure, residential buildings, and two private kindergartens. At least four people were injured.
For more details on the attack on Odesa, read the report.
Furthermore, on the night of March 4, Russian forces attacked Sumy with drones. A polyclinic was hit, and the city is experiencing power outages.
