Russia launches record 188 drones against Ukraine overnight, Air Force says

Russia launched a record number of 188 Shaheds and other drones against Ukraine in a single night on Nov. 26, the Air Force said.
Ukrainian air defenses reportedly shot down 76 drones across 17 oblasts, while 95 were “lost,” presumably thanks to electronic warfare means. Five drones flew to Belarus, according to the Air Force.
Russia has deployed cheap “kamikaze” drones, like the Iranian-made Shaheds, against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure since the first year of the full-scale war. Moscow has intensified the drone attacks in recent months, with air raid alerts sounding daily in major cities like Kyiv.
“During the overnight attack, Russia launched a record number of Shahed-type attack drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles of an unknown type from the directions of Orel, Bryans, Kursk, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia,” the Air Force’s statement read.
Moscow launched more than 2,000 strike drones against Ukraine in October, breaking the previous record set in September by nearly 700, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
Talking to the parliament on Nov. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had set a goal of developing an effective countermeasure to Shahed-type drone attacks.
Ukraine was also attacked by four Iskander-M ballistic missiles overnight on Nov. 26, the Air Force said. At least two people were killed and over 40 injured in Russian attacks over the past day.