Ukrainian air defences destroyed or jammed 309 missiles and drones during a Russian attack overnight on November 2 and 3, according to preliminary figures released by Ukraine's Air Force. Missile and attack drone hits were reported at 23 locations, while debris from intercepted weapons fell at another 14 locations.
The Air Force identified Kyiv, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts as the main targets of the assault. Russia used a combination of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and several types of unmanned aircraft. The figures reflected the situation as of 09:00 on November 3, when the operation to repel the attack was still under way.
The missile launches included Iskander-M and KN-23 ballistic missiles, as well as Zircon anti-ship missiles, fired from Russia's Rostov, Voronezh and Kursk oblasts. The Air Force's account listed these weapons separately from the air- and ground-launched cruise missiles used in the same overnight attack.
Russia also launched 59 cruise missiles of the Kh-101, Kh-59, Kh-69 and Iskander-K types, according to the report. Those launches originated in Russia's Vologda, Orenburg and Oryol oblasts. Ukrainian forces reported intercepting 49 cruise missiles, although information concerning three missiles remained subject to verification.
The drone component comprised 289 aircraft, including Shahed and Gerbera attack drones and Parody decoy UAVs. The launch figures included 120 jet-powered Shaheds. The reported drone launch sites were the Russian cities of Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, along with occupied Donetsk and the locations of Hvardiiske and Chauda in occupied Crimea.
Of the 309 aerial threats reported destroyed or jammed, 257 were Shaheds or drones of other types. That interception total included 89 jet-powered Shaheds. The Air Force also reported three interceptions in the Iskander-M, KN-23 and Zircon category, in addition to the cruise missile interceptions included in its preliminary tally.
Ukraine deployed aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units and electronic warfare assets against the incoming weapons. Unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups from the country's defence forces also took part in the response, according to the Air Force's account of the overnight operation.
Despite the reported interceptions, the Air Force said several Russian UAVs remained in Ukrainian airspace at the time of its update. It warned that the attack was continuing and urged people to observe safety measures.
