Ukraine's air defense downs 97% of Russian kamikaze drones in rare mass daytime strike
The Kyiv Independent • • world
Key Points:
- Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 97% of the 556 Russian drones launched in a rare large-scale daytime strike on March 24, shooting down or suppressing 541 drones.
- The defense response involved manned aviation, anti-aircraft drones, electronic warfare, and ground-based air defense systems.
- Fifteen drones hit cities across Ukraine, causing injuries and fatalities, including at least 32 injured in Lviv and two killed in Ivano-Frankivsk.
- Explosions were also reported in multiple other cities, such as Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyi.
- Russia continues near-daily large-scale drone attacks on Ukraine, typically launching 150 to 200 drones per day, with a record strike of 728 drones and decoys reported in July 2025.
