Russia Launches Record 188 Drones Against Critical Infrastructure In Ukraine
Russia in the overnight hours launched a record number of drones against Ukraine in a single night, Ukraine's air force said, tallying that 188 Iranian Shahed and other drones entered Ukraine.
Ukraine says its air defenses shot down 76 drones across 17 oblasts, while it stated another 95 were "lost" - possibly brought down through electronic warfare. Some of the drones reportedly came from Belarus.
"During the night attack, the enemy launched a record number of Shahed strike unmanned aerial vehicles and unidentified drones," the air force said Tuesday.
However, some critical infrastructure was damaged, including parts of the national power grid as well as apartment buildings. No casualties were reported despite the huge number of inbound drones.
"The air raid alert in the Kyiv region overnight lasted more than seven hours," reports Associated Press. "Russia is trying to unnerve civilians and wear down their will to resist in the almost 3-year-old war."
According to details from one hard-hit region:
In the western Ternopil region, which is among those spared the worst of the fighting, authorities said drones had damaged a “critical infrastructure facility,” without elaborating.
They said however that the attack had disrupted electricity in the city of Ternopil and surrounding towns, and that engineers were working to stabilise supplies.
On the ground, Russian forces have been advancing in the Khardiv region, with the defense ministry announcing that it has captured the village of Kopanky.
Meanwhile, Moscow says it is readying major retaliation for the latest Ukrainians strikes which used U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles:
"Retaliatory actions are being prepared," Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that accused Ukraine of launching ATACMS strikes on Saturday and Monday, targeting military sites in the southwestern Kursk region.
The first strike on the Vostochny airbase injured two servicemen, the ministry said, while the second damaged a radar system and resulted in additional injuries.
President Zelensky: "We need greater collective efforts to enforce sanctions and force Russia to stop this war. We must put an end to Russian aggression."
Last night, Russia attacked Ukraine, launching a record number of strike drones—188—against our people. I want to thank our defenders of the sky for repelling the attack. Around 80 drones were shot down, and more than 90 were lost due to location disruption.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 26, 2024
Unfortunately, there… pic.twitter.com/o701zePjHd
The first ATACMS strikes came last week, nearly simultaneous to attacks also with UK-supplied Storm Shadows. This has violated the Kremlin's "red lines" - but so far it appears Putin is trying to take a patient course, awaiting Trump to enter the White House on Jan.20 in hopes that the West will begin to deescalate.