Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack against Ukraine overnight on 21 February, deploying 160 Shahed-131/136 strike drones and various decoy drones, as well as two ballistic missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force reports.
According to the Air Force, Russian forces launched the drones from multiple locations including Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Millerovo, and Shatalovo in Russia. The assault began at 19:00 on 20 February and continued into the early hours of 21 February, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Additionally, two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were fired at Odesa Oblast from occupied Crimea, the report says.
Ukrainian air defense units successfully shot down 87 Shahed drones, while 70 Russian decoy drones disappeared from radar without negative consequences, the Air Force said. This data suggests that at least three Russian drones might have reached their targets.
Air defense units were active in twelve oblasts: Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Dnipropetrovsk.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Odesa, Kyiv, Poltava, and Kharkiv oblasts sustained damage from the attack.
Local authorities did not report any casualties or serious damage.
Yesterday, Russia reportedly launched 161 drones and up to 14 missiles, targeting Odesa power and utility infrastructure for the second consecutive day, and additionally struck a residential high-rise in Kherson with an aerial bomb, killing civilians.
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