On the night of July 21, 2024, Ukraine was subjected to a large-scale attack by Russian forces, which used three Iskander-M ballistic missiles, two Kh-59 guided aircraft missiles, and 39 Shahed attack drones. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, most of these threats were neutralized.
Attack details
Ukrainian air defense forces managed to shoot down 35 of the 39 “Shahed” drones. The Kh-59/69 missiles also failed to reach their targets due to active electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures.
Direction of blows
Russian forces launched strikes from different directions. Missiles were fired from Kursk Oblast and Crimea, while the Shahed attacked from three directions: Kursk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and occupied Crimea.
During the night attack, the radio-technical troops of the Air Force of Ukraine detected and tracked air targets in more than 10 regions of Ukraine. Air defense was operating in Sumy, Poltava, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Odessa and Cherkasy regions.
Attacks on critical infrastructure
On the morning of July 21, the enemy launched a missile and air strike on critical infrastructure facilities in the Shostka district of Sumy region. According to the Sumy regional military administration, all necessary services are working on the scene, and the consequences of the enemy attack are currently being clarified.
Attack on Kyiv region
The Kyiv region also suffered a night attack by strike drones. Despite the absence of hits on residential or critical infrastructure, grassy areas caught fire and minor damage was recorded. Operational teams found debris from the Shahed falling on the territory of two districts of the region. As a result, the facades and windows of two private houses, as well as a car, were damaged.
All drones heading for Kyiv were destroyed by air defense forces and assets on the approaches to the city, preventing significant damage and casualties among the population.
