Russia attacked Ukraine with over 850 drones in a day and a half — Zelenskyy

Russian forces used more than 850 drones against Ukraine from the beginning of October 14 to 09:00 on October 15, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called "Shaheds." The massive attack continued in continuous waves, and its consequences are being eliminated in dozens of Ukrainian cities and communities.

This was reported by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his Telegram channel.

According to the head of state, throughout the previous day and the following night, Russian drones were constantly in Ukrainian airspace.

"Actually, all yesterday and tonight, a massive attack of Shahed drones continued, there were continuous waves, and not for an hour was our sky clear of them", — noted Zelenskyy.

One of the main targets was Kirovohrad region, which, according to the president, suffered one of the largest Russian attacks. Hits were also recorded in Kyiv and Kyiv region, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Rivne, Kharkiv, Donetsk regions, in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

Despite the work of air defense, Russian drones managed to inflict dozens of strikes. According to Zelenskyy, six people were killed as a result of the attacks: three in Kropyvnytskyi and three more in Dnipropetrovsk region.

Rescuers, emergency services, and repair crews continue to work at the sites of impacts. They are extinguishing fires, dismantling damaged structures, and restoring infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine provided different figures, as their summary covers a shorter period of the attack. According to the military, from 18:00 on October 14 to the morning of October 15, Russia launched 580 drones of various types, including Shahed, "Gerbera," and imitation drones "Parody." In addition, the enemy used two Kh-59 guided air missiles.

As of 08:00, air defense forces shot down or suppressed 536 Russian drones. Impacts of air attack means were recorded at 31 locations, and falling debris of downed targets at 11 more.

Thus, the Air Force data on 580 drones mainly refers to the night attack, while Zelenskyy cited the total number of drones from the beginning of the previous day until 09:00 on October 15. Moreover, the military report specifically notes the use of different types of UAVs, not just Shaheds.

The president emphasized that the Russian attack took place amid artificial limitation of the speed of communication systems on which Ukrainian defense capabilities depend. In his assessment, Moscow consciously took advantage of these circumstances, as well as the weakening of sanctions and attempts of international pressure on Ukraine.

Zelenskyy accused Russia of using every opportunity to increase strikes and called on partners to strengthen support for Ukraine, primarily with air defense means.

Separately, the president addressed the United States, emphasizing the need to support the protection of Ukrainians and efforts to end the war. In his opinion, international partners should make decisions that will increase pressure on Russia and help Ukraine protect civilians.

Based on materials from: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine