Russia launches 33 strike drones at Ukrainian cities: air defense downs most targets

On the night of January 18, Russia forces attacked Ukraine with 33 Shahed-136/131 strike drones. 

The Ukrainian air defense forces downed 22 targets, Rubryka reports, citing the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Air Force alerted about the "Shahed" threat at 20:05. Terrorists launched the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the southern direction.

Around 21:00, UAVs were also spotted in the northern Sumy region. The Air Force reported successful air defense operations, with four "Shahed" drones shot down over Sumy.

Air defense was also active in the central Dnipropetrovsk region. At 23:06, four "Shahed" drones were reported shot down.

At 00:09, an air raid alarm was declared in the Khmelnytskyi region. The Air Force also warned about the threat to the region. The "Shahed" drones were moving in a western direction.

"Combat UAVs in the Khmelnytskyi region heading toward the town of Staryi Kostiantyniv," military officials reported at 00:51.

Around 04:00, a rocket danger was announced in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Poltava regions.

Later, the airmen revealed that Russians launched UAVs from Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Russia, and Kursk Oblast, Russia. 

The main attack directions were south and north. They also targeted Kharkiv using two guided anti-aircraft missiles, S-300, launched from Belgorod Oblast.

"The Air Force and Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed 22 enemy UAVs. Several drones failed to reach their targets," said the Air Force.

The anti-aircraft missile units, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare teamed up to repel the aerial attack. The air defense system operated within the Sumy, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, and Khmelnytskyi regions.

In related news, Russian occupiers launched drones from the area of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Russia, on January 17. The Russians hit Kharkiv with two S-300 guided anti-aircraft missiles from Belgorod Oblast, Russia.

According to the Air Force, kamikaze drones crossed the Black Sea toward the Odesa region.

Overall, Russian aggressors struck Ukraine with 20 "Shahed" UAVs and two guided anti-aircraft missiles. The air defense successfully destroyed 19 drones.

During the Russian drone attack on Ukraine on the night of January 17, Ukrainian air defense deployed the hybrid FrankenSAM system for the first time, successfully intercepting a combat drone from a distance of nine kilometers.