Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 14 of the 16 Shahed drones Russia launched overnight, the Air Force reported in the morning on March 17. The drones were launched from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea.
Russian forces also launched five S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles against Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, and two X-59 guided missiles targeted Chernihiv Oblast. No information was provided by the Air Force as to the outcome of the missile launches.
The drones were intercepted over Odesa and Mykolaiv Oblasts. Anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force, as well as mobile fire groups were involved in repelling air attack which lasted for almost three hours, Southern Defense Forces reported.
The drones targeted Odesa from the Black Sea and maneuvered between residential buildings and in industrial areas of the city.
In Odesa district, two agricultural enterprises were damaged. The facilities have not been operational. Fire was reported as a result of drone attack and some industrial buildings were destroyed. No casualties were reported, according to Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces.
Drone attacks are a nearly daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. Overnight on March 14, Ukraine’s air defense downed 22 out of 36 Russian drones.
Andrii Kharuk
