Ukraine repels Russian drone assault: none of 78 drones reaches targets

Ukraine reportedly downed 32 drones, with 45 more crashing. Kyiv saw damage but no injuries. One remaining Shahed was downed in Lutsk.

Dec 1, 2024 - 15:00

Ukraine repels Russian drone assault: none of 78 drones reaches targets

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Ukraine’s Air Force reported a large-scale drone assault launched by Russia overnight on 30 November – 1 December. The attack involved 78 drones, including Shahed one-way attack UAVs and other unidentified models, originating from Kursk, Oryol, and Bryansk regions in Russia.

Russia continues its deliberate daily air attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure. Since October 2022, it has systematically targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with extensive missile and drone assaults, aiming to disrupt civilian life, particularly during the winter months.

According to the report, Ukrainian air defense units, including missile troops, electronic warfare (EW) systems, and mobile fire groups, operated across six oblasts – Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, and Poltava. As of 9 a.m., 32 drones were confirmed destroyed, while EW systems allegedly caused 45 drones to disappear from radar. One remaining drone was later reported neutralized midair in northwestern Ukraine’s Lutsk.

In Kyiv, approximately ten drones were intercepted during the night, according to Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. While no strikes occurred, crashing debris caused damage in Holosiivskyi district.

“Six vehicles were damaged, and a residential building’s windows were shattered by the blast wave,” Popko stated, reporting no injuries.

Separately, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported a fire in the Obolonskyi district during the early morning air raid. However, the fire, which engulfed kiosks over 100 square meters in a local market, was unrelated to Russian drone activity. No casualties were reported from the incident either.

Later in the morning, the Ukrainian military reported a single drone moving toward Lutsk. Around 11 a.m., explosions were heard in the city, confirmed by Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk. The air defense was reported to be actively engaging the threat. According to airspace monitoring channels, the drone was destroyed using the Browning machine gun.

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