Ukrainian air defenses intercepted and destroyed 34 Shahed-type attack drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles during a large-scale overnight attack on 4 January, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
Shahed drones are Iranian-designed loitering munitions often referred to as “kamikaze drones.” The primary objective of using Shahed drones is to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses and inflict damage on critical infrastructure, especially during winter months when energy facilities are targeted.
These drones can travel distances of up to 2,500 kilometers, allowing them to reach various locations across Ukraine. While Russian authorities claim to target military facilities only, their drone attacks often result in devastating civilian casualties and damage.
Ukraine’s Air Force reports that Russia launched a total of 81 drones from multiple locations, including Bryansk, Kursk, Orel, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
The defense effort involved a coordinated response from multiple military branches, including aviation units, air defense systems, electronic warfare teams, and mobile fire groups.
An additional 47 enemy decoy drones were reported “locationally lost” without causing damage after encountering Ukrainian countermeasures.
The intercepted drones were confirmed across ten regions: Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Mykolaiv.
Despite the successful interceptions, some downed UAVs caused damage to private residences in Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES) also reported that Russian forces targeted a fire station in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
The attack, which included heavy artillery, Grad rockets, and a kamikaze drone, damaged the facility’s windows. The personnel of the fire and rescue unit were not injured.
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