In a significant escalation of hostilities, Russia has conducted its largest overnight drone offensive against Ukraine, deploying a staggering 479 drones, as reported by the Ukrainian air force. Alongside these aerial assaults, the Russian forces also launched 20 various types of missiles targeted at multiple locations throughout Ukraine.
Typically, these attacks commence in the late evening and stretch into the early morning hours, a tactic believed to enhance the effectiveness of the drones, as they are less detectable in the dark. Throughout the ongoing conflict, which has now spanned over three years, Russia has consistently targeted Ukrainian civilian areas with Shahed drones, inflicting substantial harm and devastation.
The United Nations has estimated that these relentless drone campaigns have resulted in the deaths of more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, underscoring the grave humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the war.