Ukraine downs 35 cruise missiles, 46 Shahed drones overnight

In the early hours of Saturday, June 1, Ukraine’s air defense forces shot down 35 cruise missiles and 46 Shahed-131/136 one-way attack drones.

That’s according to Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukraine’s Air Force Commander, Ukrinform reports.

“Russian invaders launched a powerful attack on critical infrastructure facilities in various regions of Ukraine, using air-, sea-, and land-based missiles, as well as Shahed-type UAVs,” the report reads.

In total, the enemy launched 53 missiles of various types and 47 attack UAVs.

“Thirty-five Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers (launch area - Saratov Region, airspace over the Caspian Sea - Russia); four Iskander-M ballistic missiles (from Crimea); an Iskander-K cruise missile (from Crimea); 10 Kalibr cruise missiles (from the northeastern part of the Black Sea); three Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles (from the airspace of the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region); and 47 one-way attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type (Prymorsk-Akhtarsk launch area - Russia),” the commander specified.

Fighter jets, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, mobile fire groups, and e-warfare units were involved in repelling the attack.

“As a result of the air defense effort, 81 air targets were shot down, including 30 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles; four Kalibr cruise missiles; an Iskander-K cruise missile; and 46 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type,” the report says.

“Russian terrorists do not abandon their intentions to destroy Ukraine’s fuel and energy sector. The Air Force and Defense Forces are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from achieving their goals on every section of the front,” Oleshchuk wrote, thanking air defense units for their work in repelling the Russian attack.