In a display of remarkable resilience, the Ukrainian Air Force has successfully countered a sizable aerial assault by downing all 37 Shahed-131/136 drones launched by Russian forces overnight. The reported incident, occurred on May 19, with Ukraine demonstrating its defensive prowess against Russian attacks that targeted multiple regions.
According to official statements by the Ukrainian Air Force, the drones originated from Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai and from Kursk Oblast. The air defense missile units, mobile fire teams, and electronic warfare units in action, the drones were intercepted and destroyed, preventing potential damage across several Ukrainian oblasts, including the capital Kyiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, and Kherson.
The mayor of Odesa, Henadiy Trukhanov, confirmed the efficacy of the air defense forces, stating, “Air defense forces destroyed an enemy drone over Odesa. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties.”
However, despite the success in repelling drone attacks, other forms of deadly weaponry continue to threaten and inflict civilian casualties. KAB aerial guided bombs and artillery have been reported to have claimed lives and caused injuries. In southern Kherson Oblast, two people were killed and two wounded over the past day, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on May 19. He added that Russian troops had struck an unidentified port infrastructure, and damaged a multi-story building, eight houses, and a warehouse in the region.
In Donetsk Oblast, to the east, one person was killed in Kurakhove, as reported by regional governor Vadym Filashkin. The second-largest Ukrainian city, Kharkiv, saw six individuals wounded by a Russian KAB attack, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov, with two children among the victims. And in the northeast of Kharkiv Oblast, five more people were wounded, with a 60-year-old woman killed in the contested city of Vovchansk.
These persistent attacks have led Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appeal for more robust air defense systems from Western allies to protect civilian lives. Zelenskyy stressed on Telegram, “The world can stop Russian terror — and to do so, the lack of political will among leaders must be overcome.”
Relevant articles:
– Ukraine manages to take down 37 Shahed drones. , aussiedlerbote.de, 05/19/2024
– Ukraine downs all 37 Russian Shahed drones during nighttime attack, Euromaidan Press, 05/19/2024
– Ukraine, Russia attack civilian territories in border regions, Voice of America – VOA News, 05/19/2024
– Air Force: All 37 Russian attack drones targeting Ukraine overnight shot down, Kyiv Independent, 05/19/2024
– Ukraine’s air defense destroys 37 Shaheds in night attack, Yahoo! Voices, 05/19/2024
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