Russia launches mass missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight: How air defenses responded
Air defense forces shot down 73 drones (Illustrative photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
On the night of December 26, Russia attacked Ukraine using an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 99 strike drones. Air defense forces managed to shoot down 73 enemy uncrewed aerial vehicles, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
According to the military, from 18:00 on December 25 until the morning of December 26, Russians attacked with one Iskander-M ballistic missile launched from the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, as well as 99 strike drones of the Shahed and Gerbera types and other UAVs from the directions of Bryansk, Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, and Hvardiiske in Crimea. About 60 of them were Shahed drones.
The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, and unmanned systems units, as well as by mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
According to preliminary data, as of 09:00, air defense shot down or suppressed 73 enemy Shahed, Gerbera, and other UAVs in the north, south, and east of the country.
Hits of a ballistic missile and 26 strike drones were recorded at 16 locations.
Attacks on Ukraine
On the night of December 26, Russians attacked the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv and its suburbs with several strike drones, primarily of the Molniya type. As a result of the attack, part of the Mykolaiv district was left without electricity.
In Odesa, one infrastructure facility was hit as a result of a drone attack. A fire broke out, and efforts to eliminate the consequences of the strike are ongoing.
Also, on Christmas evening, a strike on a critical infrastructure facility was recorded in the Volyn region.
In addition, Russian forces earlier on December 25 attacked a multi-story residential building with a strike drone, resulting in a fire.
