Ukraine's Air Force repels Russian attacks, destroying 16 kamikaze drones and two missiles
On the night of Thursday, July 18, Ukraine's air defenses destroyed all 16 kamikaze attack drones launched by Russian troops and two guided air missiles.
The commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, reported that on Telegram.
On the evening of July 18, 2024, the enemy deployed:
- 16 "Shahed-131/136" type attack drones from the Kursk region of Russia,
- three guided air missiles from the south,
- two Kh-59/Kh-69 missiles,
- and one Kh-35 missile.
Altogether, 19 aerial targets were identified and monitored by Ukraine's radar forces.
As the general noted, repelling the air attack involved:
- mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine,
- anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force,
- electronic warfare units.
As a result, the defenders of the sky managed to hit all 16 Shaheds and two Kh-59 guided air missiles in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, and Kharkiv regions.
"Most of the targets were destroyed in the eastern direction – in the area of responsibility of the air command "East."
Thank you, soldiers, for the combat work!" the message reads.
Photo: Telegram / Mykola Oleshchuk
For reference:
On July 17, around 11:00 p.m., an air raid alert was announced in several regions of Ukraine. The Air Force warned of the threat of an attack by Russian drones spotted from the north.
Furthermore, that day, a widespread alarm was repeatedly announced across the country due to the departure of Russian MiG planes.
In Kyiv, there was a severe risk of enemy UAVs being deployed during a recent nighttime air attack on July 17.
Also, around 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 18, explosions were reported in Kremenchuk.
"This night, the enemy attacked the Poltava region with UAVs. A civilian house and a yard were damaged in the Kremenchuk district," he said.
According to preliminary information, there were no casualties.