Russia strikes Ukraine with over 200 drones overnight: Air defense's work reported
Photo: Russians have launched a new attack on Ukraine (Getty Images)
On the night of March 16, Russian troops launched over 200 drones at Ukraine from various directions. Russia continued to launch drones in the morning, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
According to the Ukrainian military, on the night of March 16 (starting at 6 p.m. Kyiv time on March 15) and throughout this morning, Russia attacked Ukraine with 211 strike drones of the Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas types, as well as other types of drones.
The launches were carried out from Orel, Kursk, Bryansk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russia), as well as from Hvardiiske in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian Air Force emphasizes that a distinctive feature of this Russian attack was an atypical morning strike on the Kyiv region.
"The main targets of the strike were the Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv regions," the Ukrainian Air Force adds.
Russian air attack was repelled by aircraft, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned aerial vehicle units, and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
As of 11 a.m., Ukrainian air defense had shot down or neutralized 194 Russian drones. 16 Russian drone strikes were recorded at 10 locations, and debris from downed drones fell at 11 additional locations.
"Russian attack is ongoing; several Russian drones remain in the airspace. Follow safety guidelines," the Ukrainian Air Force reports.
Russian attacks on Ukraine on March 16
Last night, Russia struck Zaporizhzhia with drones. By morning, three casualties were reported: an 18-year-old man and two women aged 48 and 81.
Russians also launched a massive attack on the Odesa region with strike drones. According to the Odesa Regional Military Administration, air defense forces shot down most of the Russian targets, but damage to civilian infrastructure was recorded.
In the city of Chornomorsk, the facade and windows of a kindergarten, as well as nearby high-rise buildings, were damaged in the attack, but there were no casualties.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv and Kharkiv this morning, where air defense systems were active. The Russian attack on the capital lasted from 8:26 a.m. to 9:57 a.m. Debris from a drone fell in the city center and 2 other districts of Kyiv; there were no casualties.
In Kharkiv, 2 Russian Shahed strikes hit the Shevchenkivskyi and Kyivskyi districts. There was one casualty, and transportation infrastructure was damaged.
