Ukraine’s air defense forces shoot down over 90% of Russian drones; protection against ballistic threats is needed, says Zelenskyy
Ukrainian air defense forces are shooting down more than 90% of enemy drones, but protection against ballistic missiles requires additional reinforcement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this on Telegram.
According to him, in the past week alone, Russia launched approximately 1,900 attack drones, nearly 1,400 guided bombs, and about 60 missiles of various types at Ukraine.
The president emphasized that such attacks underscore the importance of support from international partners, particularly within the framework of the PURL program, as well as the adoption of a new EU sanctions package and a financial aid package.
“Our air defense system is already demonstrating a very high drone interception rate—over 90%. And we need to work to ensure that this percentage continues to grow, not only in terms of drone interception but also in terms of ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy noted.
He added that every additional shipment of missiles for air defense means lives saved and better protection for cities and critical infrastructure.
On the night of April 27, Russian forces carried out a large-scale attack on Ukrainian territory using various types of strike drones. In total, the enemy launched 94 UAVs, including about 60 “suicide drones.”
Odesa suffered another massive attack by Russian drones on the night of April 27. The shelling damaged residential buildings, a hotel, and civilian infrastructure, and there are casualties.
Russian forces carried out 629 attacks on 45 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region over the past 24 hours. A 59-year-old man was killed in a strike on the Zaporizhzhia district.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, three civilians were injured as a result of shelling on April 26.
On the morning of April 26, 2026, Russian troops shelled Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region. Two people were killed in the attack, and another civilian was wounded.
In addition, a 24-year-old man who was wounded during an evening Russian attack on Dnipro died in the hospital.
On the night of April 26, 2026, Russian troops again attacked the Zhytomyr region with strike drones.
Over the past 24 hours, Russian troops shelled 18 settlements in the Kharkiv region, resulting in civilian casualties.
On the night of April 26, Russian troops carried out a massive attack with strike drones on the Odesa region. Once again, the enemy’s primary target was the region’s port and logistics infrastructure.
An attack by enemy drones was recorded in Chernihiv, resulting in fires and damage to residential buildings in the city.
Ukrainian rescue workers have completed emergency restoration work at the site of a four-story building partially destroyed by a Russian strike. Six people are known to have died, and another 23 were injured.
