Russia launches drone swarm overnight - Ukrainian air defense responds
Photo: Russia launched more than 60 drones over Ukraine on the night of May 17 (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Overnight on May 17, Russia launched 62 drones at Ukraine, attacking from four directions, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram.
According to the statement, Russia launched both combat drones and decoy UAVs from Kursk, Oryol, Shatalovo, and Hvardiiske (Crimea). The aerial assault was countered by Ukrainian Air Force aircraft, air defense missile units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces.
Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 36 enemy drones across the east, north, south, west, and center of the country. An additional six decoy drones were lost from radar but caused no damage.
According to the Air Force, the Russian attack affected the Sumy, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions.
Strike on a bus near Bilopillia
On the morning of May 17, Russian forces targeted a bus near Bilopillia in the Sumy region using a drone. The head of the Bilopillia community stated that the passengers were being evacuated from the town.
As of 12:00 p.m., the number of injured rose to seven. Nine people were killed in the attack. According to local authorities, most of the victims were elderly women.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that a family traveling on the bus was among those killed by the Russians.
