Russia launches 76 air threats, Ukraine downs 67 UAVs and one guided missile

In the early hours of 30 September, Ukraine’s air defense systems countered a large-scale Russian aerial assault, according to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

Russian aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities have intensified in recent weeks, targeting numerous civilian and infrastructure sites across the country and often leading to civilian casualties and widespread damage to residential buildings. 

The attack began on the evening of 29 September and lasted until 8 a.m., the Ukrainian Air Force of the Armed Forces reports.

Ukrainian military officials reported that a total of 76 aerial threats were detected and tracked. These included: 

• an Iskander-M ballistic missile launched from occupied Crimea
• a Kh-59/69 guided aircraft missile from the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast
• a Kh-31P anti-radar missile over the Black Sea
• 73 Iranian-made Shahed-type attack drones coming from various locations in Russia.

The Ukrainian forces neutralized 67 Shahed drones and one Kh-59/69 guided missile. These interceptions occurred across eleven oblasts, including Kyiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. There were no casualties reported. 

Air raid alerts were triggered in numerous oblasts throughout Ukraine during the night. Residents of Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk oblast reported hearing explosions, indicative of the ongoing air defense operations.

In the aftermath, Kyiv city officials confirmed the discovery of drone debris in the capital’s Obolon district. The Kyiv City State Administration reported that all Shahed drones targeting the city were successfully intercepted and destroyed by Ukrainian air defense systems.

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