In the early hours of July 4, 2024, Russia launched a significant drone attack on Ukraine, deploying 22 Shahed-131/136 drones from the Kursk region. Ukraine’s air defense forces demonstrated remarkable efficiency, successfully intercepting 21 out of the 22 drones. The Ukrainian Air Force, led by Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, reported that the drones were neutralized across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Poltava.Despite the high interception rate, some damage was reported. In the Chernihiv region, a drone strike on an infrastructure object left nearly 6,000 residents without electricity. In Zhytomyr Oblast, falling debris from an intercepted drone caused a fire in a private home, resulting in one woman being hospitalized.Concurrently, Ukrainian forces launched retaliatory drone attacks on Russian territory. The Kursk region was particularly affected, with acting governor Alexey Smirnov reporting that a drone dropped an explosive device on a residential building in the village of Tetki, injuring a civilian. In the village of Korenevo, seven vehicles were damaged in another attack.Russian air defense systems also saw action, reportedly shooting down four Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk, Belgorod, and Tambov regions. The Russian Ministry of Defense characterized these as part of a ‘terrorist attack attempt by the Kiev regime’.This escalation in drone warfare highlights the ongoing tensions and the increasing role of unmanned aerial vehicles in the conflict. Both sides continue to claim successful defensive operations while accusing each other of targeting civilian infrastructure.
Key points
- Ukraine’s air defense intercepted 21 out of 22 Russian Shahed drones in a nighttime attack.
- Ukrainian forces conducted retaliatory drone strikes on Russian territory, causing civilian injuries and property damage in the Kursk region.
- Both Ukraine and Russia reported successful interception of enemy drones, highlighting the escalating drone warfare.
- Civilian infrastructure in both countries was affected, with power outages in Ukraine and damaged vehicles in Russia.
Contradictions👾While most sources report Ukraine shooting down 21 out of 22 Russian drones, one source claims that only one drone was shot down out of 22 launched.
