On the morning of 31 October, Ukraine's Air Force reported successfully repelling a significant Russian aerial attack involving multiple missile and drone strikes across nine Ukrainian oblasts.
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed shooting down 17 enemy drones and 2 guided aviation missiles during an extensive overnight operation. The attack originated from multiple directions, including occupied Crimea and Russia's Rostov Oblast.
According to the Air Force report, the Russians launched two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles from Crimea targeting the bridge over the Dnister Estuary in Zatoka, Odesa Oblast. Additionally, eight guided aviation Kh-59/69 missiles were fired from tactical aviation aircraft over the Black Sea region.
Another two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were launched from Rostov Oblast towards Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast. From Kursk and Orel directions in Russia, Russians deployed 43 attack drones, including Shaheds and unidentified drone types.
Ukraine's air defense, comprising anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire groups, responded across Odesa, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Poltava oblasts.
By 08:00, the Air Force confirmed destroying two guided Kh-59/69 missiles over Odesa. Seventeen Russian drones were shot down, with 23 drones "locationally lost" - meaning crashed - and three Russian drones exited controlled airspace towards Russia or occupied Ukrainian territories.
The Air Forces statistics implies that none of the Russian drones reached their intended targets, while only two of 12 missiles were downed.
Related:
- Russian bomb strike killed two including child, injured 34 as section of Kharkiv residential building destroyed
- Russian air attacks on four cities kill at least 5 as Ukraine downs 26/48 drones
- Russian attacks kill at least three civilians as Ukraine downs 41/80 Russian drones
- Ukraine repels Russia’s attack involving 50 drones, 4 missiles; two UAVs again breach Romania airspace
- Russian strike kills three civilains in Sumy, including 14-year-old girl, as Ukraine downs 42/60 Shaheds
