During the night of July 9, Ukrainian air defenses faced a large-scale drone attack, with one of the main targets being a key airfield. The Russian forces have recently intensified their efforts to carry out precision strikes.
Yurii Ihnat, Head of Communications for the Ukrainian Air Force, provided details during a live telethon. According to Ihnat, the attack involved just over 300 Shahed-type drones, most of which were successfully intercepted and destroyed by Ukraine’s air defense systems.
While some Kinzhal missiles were also launched, not all managed to hit their intended targets, minimizing damage.
“Local authorities have confirmed, and we have officially stated, that Volyn and the targeted airfield were among the main focus points of the strike, alongside certain enterprises in that area,” Ihnat said. He added that other regions, including Zhytomyr, were also attacked.
In total, Russian forces launched 728 drones of various types during the night. However, many of these were merely decoys designed to overwhelm air defenses.
“Let’s ease concerns a bit — only about 300 of these were Shahed drones, and most were shot down,” Ihnat emphasized. He also praised the performance of interceptor drones, which successfully destroyed dozens of enemy drones during the attack.
