The enemy launched more than 160 drones at Ukraine: how air defense responded
On the night of December 18–19, Russian forces once again carried out a massive attack on Ukraine, using 160 drones, including Shahed and “Gerbera” unmanned aerial vehicles.
This was reported by the Air Defense Forces.
The attack began at 6:30 p.m. on December 18 from several directions, including Oryol, Kursk, and Bryansk.
Ukraine’s air defense forces, including aviation and anti-aircraft units, managed to destroy 108 enemy drones as of 8:00 a.m. on December 19, although the attack was still ongoing at that time.
As a result of the strike, parts of a five-story residential building were damaged in Odesa. Restrictions on traffic were also reported at certain checkpoints on the Ukrainian–Moldovan border due to the attacks. In the outskirts of Kharkiv, in the village of Blahodativka, a 22-year-old man was killed as a result of an airstrike by Russian forces, while the Kherson Thermal Power Plant continues to come under constant shelling.
This attack became part of Russia’s prolonged military aggression against Ukraine, which has serious consequences for the civilian population and critical infrastructure. Further actions by both sides amid the escalation of the conflict remain uncertain; however, both the Ukrainian and international communities are closely monitoring the situation.
In Odesa, as a result of an enemy attack, one of the city’s densely populated areas was left without water supply, electricity, and heating.
On December 18, the enemy shelled residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Odesa. There were no casualties among civilians; inspections and assistance to residents are ongoing.
Also: “Even in darkness, the city did not break”: How Odesa is enduring the longest blackout in its history (report).
