Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 35 out of 39 Russian Shahed drones in an overnight attack on 21 July, according to reports from the Ukrainian Air Force. The attack also included ballistic and cruise missiles launched from multiple directions.
The Russian forces launched three Iskander-M ballistic missiles from Kursk Oblast and Crimea, two Kh-59/69 guided air-to-surface missiles from Kursk Oblast airspace, and 39 Shahed-type strike UAVs from three directions: Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and Crimea, the Air Force statement detailed.
Kyiv was attacked at about 3 am overnight into 21 July.
Ukraine’s Air defense systems were active in over ten Ukraine’s oblasts, including Sumy, Poltava, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Cherkasy oblasts.
The Air Force also reported that “due to active countermeasures, Russian guided air-to-surface missiles Kh-59/69 did not reach their targets.”
In Sumy Oblast, a Russian attack targeted critical infrastructure facilities in the Shostka district, Sumy Regional Military Administration reported.
The air assault on 20 July included Shahed-136 kamikaze drones and a new unidentified drone type. The Air Force Command initially reported destroying 13 of 16 Shahed drones and one unidentified drone.
“These systematic attacks by the Russian forces using drones once again prove that the invader is actively looking for an opportunity to hit Kyiv,” Popko said, noting this was at least the fifth consecutive attempt to attack the capital with drones in the past two weeks.
Defense Express reported after the attack that images of the downed unidentified drone have emerged, showing significant differences from the Shahed-136. The new drone reportedly flew at an extremely low altitude of 20-30 meters, suggesting it may be a kamikaze-type drone.
According to Defense Express sources, the mysterious drone has a wingspan of over 4 meters, tail booms with stabilizers, a pusher propeller, and a square-profile fuselage. While it bears some resemblance to the Russian ZALA 421-20 reconnaissance drone, experts doubt this identification due to the low-altitude flight path, the ZALA’s limited production, and its outdated status.
Ukrainian authorities are examining the drone’s remains to determine its capabilities, origin, and components.
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