Ukraine downs 32 Russian drones, says lacks air defenses to protect entire territory

Ukraine’s military shot down 32 out of 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that were launched by Russia overnight, but the air force’s spokesman said Kyiv lacked air defense systems to protect the entire territory of Ukraine from Russian strikes.

The Ukrainian air force said on Telegram that Russia used Shahed drones to strike military and infrastructure facilities and that 30 drones were destroyed by the air force and two were downed by ground forces. However, three drones hit a critical infrastructure facility in Lviv city.

“Air defense forces have been working today in most regions of Ukraine, however, the main direction of attack by Iranian drones is Kyiv region. More than two dozen Shahed drones were destroyed here,” the air force added.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

Spokesman of the Ukrainian air force Yurii Ihnat said, however, that the Shahed drones managed to reach Lviv city because Ukraine lacked air defense systems, according to state news agency Ukrinform.

“Today, air defense systems are deployed where they are most needed, to protect large cities, infrastructure facilities, nuclear power facilities, and the front line. We don’t have enough air defense systems, to put it mildly, to cover such a [big] state as Ukraine with a dome, as Israel did,” Ihnat said.

He added that it was difficult for mobile fire groups to shoot down Shahed drones with small arms at night as they fly along riverbeds using different routes.

Russia has been attacking vital infrastructure in Ukraine since October using drones supplied by Iran.

Iranian Shahed-136 drones are known as “kamikaze” UAVs which explode on impact.

Separately, Ukraine military has successfully used its drone with a range of 1,000 kilometers, spokeswoman for Ukrainian state-owned conglomerate Ukroboronprom said on Tuesday.

Kyiv had in previous months said it was expanding its drone program for both reconnaissance purposes and launching attacks against Russia. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in January that Ukraine’s military will spend nearly $550 million on drones in 2023.

Read more:

Ukrainian forces strike Russians hard, inflicting heavy losses of troops, equipment

Ukraine says fighting ‘difficult’ in east as Russia massed large forces on that front

Putin claims wrecking 5 Patriots, Zelenskyy denies: No Patriots destroyed in Ukraine

Ukraine says ‘biggest blow’ in counter-offensive yet to come, ‘tough’ to advance