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Air Force: Ukraine downs all 17 drones launched by Russia overnight

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Air Force: Ukraine downs all 17 drones launched by Russia overnight
An Iranian-made Shahed 131/136 kamikaze drone, a model often used by Russian forces in airstrikes against Ukraine. (Source: Southern Operational Command/Telegram)

Ukrainian forces shot down all 17 Shahed "kamikaze" drones launched by Russia overnight in the direction of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the Air Force said on Sept. 15.

According to the report, the drones were launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai.

As the Shaheds approached Khmelnytskyi Oblast along different routes, they were tracked and destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses with the support of fighter aircraft and mobile fire groups, the Air Force reported.

The central-western Khmelnytskyi Oblast is not among the regions most commonly targeted by Russian airstrikes, but attacks have been reported here in the past. On Aug. 19, almost 400 buildings were damaged in several local communities by a Russian drone strike.

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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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As Russia bombards Ukraine with Shahed drones almost every night, the 12th Army Aviation Brigade takes to the skies in decades-old helicopters to intercept them. The Kyiv Independent’s Kollen Post joined the pilots to understand how they fly, maneuver, and shoot down drones in darkness — and what keeps them going.

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