Ukraine’s Air Defense Shoots Down 117 Drones and an Iskander Missile in Overnight Russian Strike.

Russia Launches Combined Assault on Ukraine

According to Novyny.live: On the night of March 13, 2023, Russia carried out a coordinated attack on Ukraine, deploying an Iskander-M ballistic missile alongside 126 unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukraine’s air defense systems successfully neutralized 117 of the hostile drones, demonstrating the active efforts of Ukrainian forces to repel the aggression.

Key Details of the Attack

The drone launches originated from multiple regions within Russia, including:

• Bryansk
• Oryol
• Kursk
• Millerovo
• Primorsko-Akhtarsk
• Gvardeyskoye

Approximately 80 of the attacking drones were Shahed-type kamikaze UAVs. The ballistic missile and eight strike drones scored hits across seven different locations, underscoring the large scale of the assault.

Debris from the downed drones fell at five separate sites. In the Chernihiv region, a library was destroyed and civilian infrastructure was damaged in Novhorod-Siverskyi. In the Kharkiv region, a drone struck a residential area, causing additional destruction. These incidents highlight the severe threat Ukraine continues to face amid the ongoing aggression.

This attack is part of the prolonged escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has been ongoing since 2014. The use of advanced technologies like drones reflects the evolving military strategies on both sides and underscores the urgent need to further strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities. At the same time, strikes on civilian targets raise serious concerns about public safety and the humanitarian situation in the region.