Russia attacks Ukraine with 171 drones overnight: 75 destroyed by air defences, 63 fail to reach their targets

STANISLAV POHORILOV — Thursday, 20 March 2025, 08:46

A vehicle equipped with an anti-aircraft gun. Stock photo: Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs

Russian forces targeted Ukraine with 171 Shahed loitering munitions and various types of decoy drones on the night of 19-20 March. Ukrainian air defence units have destroyed 75 drones.

Source: Ukrainian Air Force Command on Telegram

Details: The Russians launched the drones from the areas of the Russian cities of Oryol, Shatalovo, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk and from temporarily occupied Crimea.

As of 08:30, Ukrainian air defence units have shot down 75 Shaheds and other types of loitering munitions in Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.

A further 63 Russian decoy drones disappeared from radar (causing no adverse effects).

The aerial attack has been repelled by aircraft, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups from the Ukrainian Air Force and defence forces.

The Russian attack has affected Kirovohrad, Sumy and Donetsk oblasts.

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