Nightly conflicts: Ukraine defends against large-scale Russian drone and missile attacks
On the night of Sunday, August 31, Ukrainian defenders faced another extensive aerial assault by Russia.
According to the Ukrainian Air Forces, from 9 PM on August 30 until the early hours of August 31, Ukrainian positions were targeted by a total of 142 drones, predominantly Shahed kamikaze drones and various types of drone-imitators.
The attacks originated from multiple fronts—Russia: Kursk, Millerovo, Primorsko-Akhtarsk—as well as from the temporarily occupied Crimea, specifically from Chuda.
Ukrainian air defense successfully repelled a significant portion of these attacks, destroying or suppressing 126 drones across the north, south, and east regions of the country.
However, reports indicate that 16 attack drones successfully hit ten different locations, with wreckage found at six sites.
The Ukrainian military, including anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare teams, drone systems, and mobile firing groups, constantly engaged in defending the airspace.
In addition, explosions were reported in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where Russian drones attacked, striking the city of Chornomorsk and nearby settlements.
These attacks caused damage to energy infrastructure, leaving over 29,000 residents without electricity.
The threat posed by Russian drones continues to grow, as Moscow prepares to launch up to a thousand Shahed drones daily.
Ukraine remains hopeful for international support in countering this onslaught.
The ongoing debate revolves around whether the “drone shield” will become a tangible reality or remain an expensive illusion, a topic discussed in Yuriy Kas’yanov’s article “Arithmetic of War: Why Cheap Interceptor Drones Are Very Expensive.”