Massive drone attack: Ukraine's air defense forces down 89 Shaheds, one missile

Ukraine's air defense forces destroyed a Kh-59 missile and 89 Shahed UAVs in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 31.

Ukrainian Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk announced this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"Overnight into July 31, the enemy attacked [Ukraine] with a Kh-59 guided air missile launched from the airspace of the occupied Kherson region and 89 Shahed UAVs launched from Yeysk, Seshcha, Kursk, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. The main direction of the attack was the Kyiv region," he wrote.

He added that this was one of the most massive Shahed-131/136 drone attacks.

"The enemy used the same number of Shaheds on New Year's Eve, January 1, 2024. Both then and today, Ukraine's air defense withstood and repelled a massive enemy drone attack. Of the 89 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs detected by the Air Force's radar units, all 89 were shot down!" Oleshchuk said.

According to him, mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, tactical aircraft of the Air Force and army aircraft of the Ground Forces, anti-aircraft missile units and electronic warfare units of the Air Force were involved in repelling the aerial attack. The Kh-59 guided air missile, which the enemy used to attack the Mykolaiv region, was also shot down.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov