Russia marks invasion anniversary with mass drone barrage on Ukraine, 184 UAVs downed

The attack involved Shahed kamikaze drones and decoy UAVs launched from Russia’s Oryol, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts, as well as Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea.

Ukraine’s air defense, aviation, anti-air missile units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile fire groups downed the drones over Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kherson, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

Despite successful interceptions, damage was reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Kyiv, and Khmelnytskyi oblasts.

Air raid alert was issued across multiple Ukrainian oblasts due to the looming Shahed threat late on Feb. 23. Air defense operated in the capital, with drone debris falling in the Desnianskyi district.

By the morning of Feb. 24, Russian forces struck Kharkiv with a guided aerial bomb, targeting a civilian enterprise.