Russia launches massive overnight drone attack on Ukraine with 289 UAVs
Ukrainian Armed Forces reveal details of Russia's overnight attack (photo: Getty Images)
On the night of March 31, Russia carried out another air attack on Ukraine, using 289 strike drones of various types. Around 200 of them were Shahed drones, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
According to the military, the attack began as early as 18:00 on March 30. Russian forces used strike drones of the Shahed, Gerbera, Italmass types, and other UAVs.
Launches were carried out from the directions of Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russia), as well as Hvardiiske (temporarily occupied Crimea).
The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems units, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
According to preliminary data as of 08:00, air defense shot down or suppressed 267 enemy UAVs.
At the same time, hits by 20 strike drones were recorded in 11 locations, as well as debris from downed UAVs falling in six other places.
"The attack is ongoing, several enemy UAVs remain in the airspace. Follow safety rules!" the Air Force said.
Russian drones
As reported earlier, Russia has invested at least $3 billion in deploying mass production of strike drones, including Shahed drones. More than 900 companies have already been involved in the UAV industry.
According to analysts, Russia is currently capable of producing about 30,000 strike drones per year based on the Iranian model, and this figure could double as early as 2026.
The European Union has also assessed the scale of Russia's plans for this year. According to the European Commissioner, Russia may be ready to deploy between 7 and 9 million drones in 2026.
