One of most massive drone attacks. Russia launches 135 drones: air defense downs 80
Hunting for "martyrs" (Photo: Anatoly Shtefan/Facebook)

Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted and shot down the majority of 135 Russian drones launched overnight, according to a statement by the Ukrainian Air Force Command.

The UAVs were launched from the Russian cities of Kursk, Oryol, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk. As of 8:30 a.m. on Friday, the radio-technical troops of the Air Force detected and tracked 135 drones.

As a result of the air defense operations, 80 enemy drones were shot down in the Odesa, Sumy, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Chernihiv, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, Kharkiv, Kherson, Volyn, and Vinnytsia oblasts.

Additionally, 44 Russian drones went astray, two flew into Belarus, and approximately 10 strike drones were still being tracked in the airspace of central Ukrainian regions.

Russia has been launching almost nightly drone attacks on Ukraine. Overnight on October 15, enemy forces attacked with 136 Shahed drones.

Overnight on October 16, the aggressor launched 56 drones and one Kh-59 air-launched cruise missile.