Ukraine’s air defense downed 359 Shahed kamikaze drones since the beginning of 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 11.
Russia has been using Iranian-designed Shahed-type loitering munitions to attack Ukrainian cities since September 2022, regularly resulting in casualties among civilians.
“The accuracy of our air defence, the work of the electronic warfare systems, and the support from each of our partners in terms of the sky shield literally save lives,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
The president also said that Ukraine is working to increase the effectiveness of the mobile firing groups and to provide even more regions of Ukraine with electronic warfare systems.
“This is one of the key priorities of the year,” said Zelensky.
The air defense shot down 40 Shahed drones across Ukraine overnight, the majority of what Russia forces have launched against the country.
The Air Force reported on the morning of Feb. 11 that Russia attacked Ukraine with 45 drones launched from occupied Crimea.
From the onset of the full-scale invasion, the Russian military has utilized occupied Crimea and other occupied territories of Ukraine as launch sites for missiles and other weapons targeting Ukraine.
Anti-aircraft missile units, mobile firing groups, and electronic warfare equipment were involved in repelling the air attack, according to the report.
The drones were destroyed over Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Cherkasy, Odesa, Dnipro, and Kherson oblasts.
Read also: ‘My hatred only grows:’ Kyiv residents lament over their homes destroyed by Russian attack
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