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Air Force: Ukraine downs 32 drones, 6 missiles launched by Russia overnight

1 min read

Ukrainian forces downed 31 out of 36 Shahed kamikaze drones, all six Kalibr cruise missiles, and one reconnaissance drone launched by Russia overnight from the south, the Air Force reported on July 18.

According to the report, the missiles were likely fired from the Russian frigate Admiral Essen of the Black Sea Fleet.

Some 36 drones Shahed drones were launched overnight, most likely from a military facility in Crimea.

The Operational Command "South" said that all the Kalibr cruise missiles were destroyed over Odesa Oblast but the debris and the resulting shockwave caused property damage and injured one person in the city.

Out of the total number, 21 Shahed drones were destroyed over Odesa Oblast and four over Mykolaiv Oblast, the Operational Command "South" specified.

According to the Air Force, the remaining drones were shot down over Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

The report added that three Shahed drones, one Lancet strike drone, and nine operational-tactical reconnaissance drones were shot down during the day on July 17.

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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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