On the night of December 23 (from 18:00 on December 22), the Russian forces carried out a combined strike against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure facilities, using strike UAVs as well as air- and ground-launched missiles.
In total, the Air Force’s radio-technical troops detected and tracked 673 aerial attack assets — 38 missiles and 635 UAVs of various types. Among them:
- 635 strike UAVs of the Shahed and Gerbera types (and other UAV types) launched from the directions of Kursk, Oryol, Millerovo, Bryansk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russian Federation), as well as Chauda, Crimea (about 400 of them were Shaheds);
- 3 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles (launch areas: Ryazan Oblast, Russian Federation);
- 35 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles (launch areas: Vologda and Kursk oblasts, Russian Federation).
The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare units and unmanned systems units, as well as mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
According to preliminary data, as of 11:30, air defense forces shot down or suppressed 621 aerial targets:
- 587 Shahed and Gerbera UAVs (and other UAV types);
- 34 Kh-101 and Iskander-K cruise missiles.
Missile strikes and 39 strike UAV hits were recorded at 21 locations; debris from downed targets fell at 8 locations. In addition, three aeroballistic missiles failed to reach their targets (impact locations are being clarified).
