Ukraine’ air defenses down 45 Russian missiles, 266 drones

According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram.

Starting at 20:40 on Saturday, May 24, Russian forces launched a massive combined air attack against Ukraine, using a total of 367 aerial strike weapons.

Specifically, the Russian military attacked Ukraine with: nine Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles (launched from Russia’s Kursk region), 55 air- and sea-launched cruise missiles (Kh-101, Kalibr) from strategic bombers Tu-95 and Tu-160 (launches from Saratov region and the Black Sea), one Kh-22 cruise missile from a Tu-22M3 bomber (launched over the Black Sea), four Kh-59/69 guided air-to-surface missiles from tactical aircraft (launched from the north).

Additionally, during the night, the enemy launched 298 strike UAVs, including Shahed-type drones and other decoy drones, from multiple directions: Bryansk, Millerovo, Kursk, Oryol, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia.

The attack was repelled by Ukrainian aircraft, surface-to-air missile units, electronic warfare (EW) systems, drone units, and mobile fire teams of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

As of 9:00 on Sunday, May 25, preliminary data indicate that air defense forces shot down 45 cruise missiles (Kh-101 and Kalibr), two Kh-59/69 missiles were not tracked and presumed lost.

Additionally, 266 enemy UAVs, including Shahed drones and others, were downed across eastern, northern, southern, western, and central Ukraine: 139 drones were destroyed by kinetic weapons (direct fire),127 drones were lost from tracking or suppressed by EW systems.

The attack affected most regions of Ukraine. Hits by enemy aerial weapons were recorded in 22 locations, while debris from intercepted cruise missiles and drones fell in 15 locations.

As Ukrinform previously reported, in Kyiv region, the death toll from Russia’s massive overnight attack on May 25 rose to four, with 16 people injured, including three children.