Published: · Region: Eastern Europe · Category: conflict

Wave of Russian Drones Tests Ukraine’s Air Defenses and City Resilience

Ukraine says it stopped or suppressed 106 of 128 Russian drones overnight, but strikes and debris still hit at least 16 locations, sparking major fires in Sumy and damage in Kharkiv region. The mixed success keeps civilians, power grids and emergency services under constant strain as Moscow leans harder on long-range drones. Readers will learn how this attrition campaign is changing the war for people far from the front line.

Ukraine’s cities woke up on 17 August to another tally from the night sky: more than a hundred Russian drones engaged, dozens of impacts recorded, and yet another test of how long air defenses and civilians can endure a grinding war of attrition. Ukrainian authorities said their forces shot down or electronically suppressed 106 out of 128 Russian drones launched overnight, a high interception rate that still left critical gaps. According to Ukraine’s account, Russia deployed a mix of systems, including Shahed loitering munitions, a jet-powered variant of the Shahed, as well as Gerbera and Parodiya decoys designed to confuse and saturate defenses. Drone impacts were confirmed at 14 locations,…

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