Ukraine wins air battle against 17 Russian drones overnight, but Zelenskyy warns that antiaircraft missiles could soon run out

Rebecca Rommen
·2 min read
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  • Ukraine took out 17 Russian Shahed attack drones overnight, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said.

  • The air defense victory comes as Zelenskyy warns of depleting air defense systems.

  • "We must increase the number of long-range antiaircraft defense systems," the wartime president said.

Ukraine's air defense systems successfully intercepted 17 Shahed drones overnight, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported via social media.

Russian forces launched a Kh-31 guided missile from the occupied Luhansk region, an Iskander-M ballistic missile from occupied Crimea, and 17 Shahed-131/136 attack UAVs from Cape Chauda.

As a result of the air battle, the Ukrainian Defense Forces shot down all 17 enemy Shahed attack drones in the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions.

The Defense Forces of southern Ukraine wrote on Telegram that a missile, presumably an Iskander-M, hit Odesa, producing a fire that was quickly extinguished.

The fate of the Kh-31 missile is unclear.

Earlier this week, Business Insider's Sinéad Baker reported that Ukrainian-made drones had struck a facility producing long-range Shahed attack drones.

Shahed-136 drones, developed by Iran, are powered by a propeller and can carry an explosive payload of up to an estimated 110 pounds.

While last night's air defense operation was a success, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the systems are running low.

"We must increase the number of long-range antiaircraft defense systems," the wartime president said.

He stressed that if Russia continued striking Ukraine at the same magnitude as the previous month, "we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it," per Politico.

Ukraine's critical ammunition and defense shortages are being exacerbated by a US congressional gridlock, which is stalling a $60 billion aid package.

Business Insider contacted the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider