In the early hours of 26 July 2024, Russian forces launched a combined attack on Ukraine using Shahed drones and an Iskander-M ballistic missile. The assault targeted multiple regions across the country, with a focus on energy infrastructure.
According to Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force, Ukrainian air defense systems successfully intercepted 20 out of 22 Shahed drones. The drones were launched from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea and Russia’s Kursk Oblast, while the Iskander-M missile was fired from Rostov oblast towards Donetsk oblast.
Ukrenergo, the Ukrainian power grid operator, reported that Russian drones struck energy facilities in Zhytomyr and Chernihiv Oblast. As a result, power outages affected both residential and industrial consumers in some districts of Zhytomyr Oblast. However, by morning, electricity supply had been restored to most consumers, with repair work ongoing.
In Chernihiv oblast, the regional military administration head, Vyacheslav Chaus, confirmed that Russian drones attacked the city of Nizhyn. The attack resulted in damage to an infrastructure object and a residential dormitory. One person was reported injured in the incident.
The Kyiv Regional Military Administration stated that air defense systems were active in the region during the two-hour-long air raid alert. According to Ruslan Kravchenko, the head of the Kyiv RMA, there were no casualties or damage to residential or critical infrastructure in Kyiv Oblast. The attack marks the third consecutive night of drone assaults on the region.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, anti-aircraft missile forces, and electronic warfare units of the Air Force were involved in repelling the air attack. The radio-technical troops of the Air Force detected and tracked the incoming Shahed drones, which were subsequently shot down over Kherson, Sumy, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv oblasts.
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