Russia launched a drone attack on Ukraine overnight: strikes were reported at nine locations
13 April 09:28
On the night of April 12–13, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukrainian territory. The enemy deployed 98 strike UAVs of various types, and air defense forces neutralized most of the enemy targets. At the same time, hits were recorded at nine locations, and debris from downed drones was found at one additional site. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
How many drones did Russia launch?
According to the Air Force, the attack began at 12:10 a.m. on April 13. Russia deployed 98 attack drones, including Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, and other types of UAVs.
It is noted that about 65 of the total number of drones were Shaheds.
From where did the enemy attack Ukraine
Russian troops launched drones from several directions. Specifically, the attack was carried out:
- from the temporarily occupied Crimea;
- from the Russian regions of Orel;
- Bryansk;
- Kursk;
- Millerovo;
- Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
This indicates the large-scale and combined nature of the nighttime raid.
How many drones were neutralized
The air attack was repelled by:
- air force;
- anti-aircraft missile forces;
- electronic warfare units;
- unmanned systems units;
- mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to preliminary data as of 08:00, air defense forces shot down or neutralized 87 enemy UAVs in the north and east of the country.
In other words, most of the aerial attack assets were neutralized.
Where hits were recorded
Despite the successful efforts of the defense forces, the attack resulted in nine strike UAVs hitting nine locations.
In addition, debris from downed drones was reported to have fallen at one location.
At the time of publication, the exact consequences at each location were not detailed; however, the fact of the strikes indicates that some of the enemy targets were able to reach their intended areas of impact.
What types of drones did Russia use in the attack?
The report states that Russia used several types of drones at once:
- Shahed-type strike UAVs;
- “Gerbera” drones;
- “Italmas” drones;
- other types of drones.
This means the attack was of a mixed nature, which complicates its repulsion and requires the coordination of various components of the air defense system.
Has the attack ended?
The Air Force emphasized that at the time of publication, the attack was still ongoing. Enemy UAVs remained in Ukrainian airspace.
This means that the nighttime strike was not a single, brief raid, but stretched out over time, maintaining the threat even after the morning report.
What does this attack mean
The massive deployment of nearly a hundred drones in a single night indicates the continuation of the Russian Federation’s intensive air terror tactics. The simultaneous use of various types of UAVs, launches from multiple directions, and the duration of the attack show that the enemy is attempting to overwhelm the air defense system and strike various regions of Ukraine.
At the same time, the number of targets neutralized demonstrates the high effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defense forces.
What is known about the Easter truce
During the holiday ceasefire proposed to Moscow by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 175 defenders and 7 civilians were successfully freed from the occupiers’ captivity. Some of them were wounded. Most had been held captive since 2022.
During the major Christian holiday, the enemy cynically killed a Ukrainian Armed Forces evacuation team. At the time of the crime, the truce had already been in effect for an hour and a half.
The occupiers showed no mercy even to their own fighters. They struck Russian soldiers held captive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with drones.
Overall, during the ceasefire, the Russian army carried out over two thousand attacks in a single day. Drones and missiles were not launched, but combat operations did not cease—the occupiers went into battle.
