Ukraine neutralizes 48 Russian Shahed drones, 31 others fail to reach targets; bomb strikes injure two

Russia also targeted Odesa with two missiles, which were intercepted. No casualties were reported from these attacks, but Russian bombs injured two.

Nov 5, 2024 - 13:00
Ukraine neutralizes 48 Russian Shahed drones, 31 others fail to reach targets; bomb strikes injure two

russia assaults ukraine using drones missiles bombs downs most uavs debris russia's shahed one-way-attack drone shot down over chernihiv region 2 november 2024

Ukraine’s air defenses have successfully countered a massive Russian attack involving 79 Shahed drones and missiles overnight on 4-5 November, the Ukrainian Air Force reports, which commands the Air Defense Forces. Meanwhile, Russia’s bomb strikes on Kharkiv City injured two civilian women.

Russia continues its deliberate daily air attacks on residential areas in attempts to terrorize civilians and damage civilian infrastructure. The Russian forces launch dozens of Shahed long-range “kamikaze” drones – usually Iranian-designed Shahed 131 or 136 – every night, often also launching several missiles during the attack. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported yesterday that Russia attacked Ukraine with over 2,000 Shahed drones containing more than 170,000 foreign components in October.

According to the Air Force, Russia launched 79 attack drones, including Shaheds and unidentified UAVs, from Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk, and Orel oblasts. Ukrainian forces shot down 48 drones across multiple oblasts, while 30 others disappeared from radar tracking, and one returned to Russia.

The drones that dropped off radar may have been jammed by electronic warfare tools or were possibly unarmed decoys that ran out of fuel and crashed. Russia frequently deploys false targets in attempts to overwhelm Ukraine’s layered air defense lines.

The Air Force reports that Russian forces also fired two Kh-59/69 guided missiles from the Black Sea toward Odesa Oblast, which were downed, and conducted guided bomb attacks on Kharkiv Oblast.

Public broadcaster Suspilne says that air defense forces shot down both missiles targeting Odesa Oblast after the air raid alert in the region was announced on 4 November at 20:31, following reports of Russian tactical aviation activity in the southern direction.

Other reports on the Shahed attack

The North Operational Command reports in their Telegram channel that “15 drones were destroyed by Siversk Operational Tactical Command forces and means, while 3 were eliminated by air command forces.” The OTC Siversk’s zone of responsibility is northern/northeastern Ukraine’s Chernihiv, Sumy, and Poltava oblasts.

In Kyiv, mayor Vitalii Klitschko reports that air defenses were active in the Holosiivskyi and Obolonskyi districts. According to Ruslan Kravchenko, head of Kyiv Oblast Military Administration,

“The alert lasted almost 10 hours. Air defense forces were actively working in the region. Enemy targets were destroyed. There were no casualties among the population.”

In Cherkasy Oblast, regional military administration chief Ihor Taburets reports that six strike drones were shot down.

“According to preliminary data, six UAVs were destroyed within our oblast. There are currently no reports of injuries or property damage to emergency services,” Taburets stated.

In Khmelnytskyi Oblast, local residents could hear explosions as the air defenses were active last night, according to Suspilne. Khmelnytskyi regional authorities did not report any additional details on the attack.

Kharkiv bombed, two injured

Kharkiv Oblast Chief Oleh Syniehubov reported in his morning briefing that three Russian KAB-guided bomb strikes targeted the region, resulting in two injuries. Specific details on the number of bombs per location were not provided.

Around 00:30 and 00:40, bombs hit two Kharkiv districts – Kyivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi – striking the ground. The blasts damaged windows in three high-rise residential buildings and one detached home, injuring two women, aged 39 and 40. Additionally, a third KAB attack targeted open terrain in the Zolochiv community, Syniehubov says.

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