Nearly a thousand drones in a day: Air Defense Forces shot down 541 enemy UAVs — Air Force

On March 24, Russia launched one of the most massive drone attacks on Ukraine. Over the course of 24 hours—from 6:00 p.m. on March 23 to 6:00 p.m. on March 24—the enemy deployed nearly a thousand attack drones of various types, including Shahed and “Gerbera” models. This was reported by the Air Force. 

During the daytime alone, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., preliminary data indicates that 556 attack drones were deployed.

The main directions of the drones’ approach were from the north, through the Chernihiv and Sumy regions. At the same time, the geography of the strikes expanded significantly to include the Poltava, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Vinnytsia regions, as well as western regions—from Khmelnytskyi to Lviv.

At least 15 hits were recorded.

All components of the air defense system were engaged in repelling the attack: aviation, anti-aircraft drones, electronic warfare assets, and ground-based air defense systems.

As of 6:00 p.m., air defense forces had shot down or neutralized 541 enemy drones. Combat operations are ongoing.

This attack was part of a large-scale air assault by the Russian Federation, which on March 24, 2026, targeted several regions of Ukraine, including critical infrastructure facilities in rear areas. 

As a result of the morning enemy strike on Dnipro, the number of casualties has risen to 13 people.