Ukraine faced one of its largest overnight drone attacks as Russia launched 78 unmanned aerial vehicles from Kursk, Oryol, and Bryansk regions from Saturday to Sunday. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that of these, 32 drones were shot down, 45 were neutralized by electronic countermeasures, and one was destroyed.
The attack targeted six regions across Ukraine, including Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, and Poltava oblasts. Kyiv saw approximately a dozen drones intercepted overnight. No casualties were reported but crashing debris reportedly caused minor damage in the Holosiivskyi district.
In Lutsk, a single drone was intercepted around 11 a.m. using heavy machine gun fire, according to local authorities. In Kherson, a Russian drone strike on a civilian taxi injured at least seven people, following a series of attacks that claimed three lives in the city over the weekend.
The latest assault is part of a larger campaign of “Russian aerial terror,” as described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Over the past week, Moscow has launched approximately 500 bombs, 660 drones, and 120 missiles across Ukraine.
Zelenskyy condemned these strikes as “inhuman pressure” and expressed gratitude for international support.
Last night, and throughout this week, our air defense forces, mobile fire groups, and all air defense units worked to protect Ukrainians from Russian aerial terror. Over 30 strike drones were shot down in a single night. In total, over the course of the week, Russia has used more… pic.twitter.com/40H5xmgjgZ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 1, 2024
President Biden called Russia’s recent missile strikes on Ukraine’s infrastructure “outrageous” and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Ukraine. The Pentagon recently approved a $275 million aid package, part of over $5.5 billion in authorized funds set to be delivered by the end of 2024.
European Council President Antonio Costa and EU Chief Diplomat Kaja Kallas reaffirmed the European Union’s support for Ukraine. “The European Union wants Ukraine to win this war,” said Kallas.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces intercepted 29 Ukrainian drones overnight in a separate operation targeting western Russian regions.
