Ukrainian air defenses down 59 Russian missiles, drones overnight Wed

Units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces destroyed 59 incoming air targets in the early hours of Wednesday, May 8.

That’s according to Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, Ukrinform reports.

Russian invaders launched a combined strike involving missiles of various types, as well as one-way attack drones.

In total, the enemy employed 55 missiles and 21 attack drones, including:

• a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile (launched from Tambov region);
• two Iskander-M ballistic missiles (from the temporarily occupied Crimea);
• four Kalibr cruise missiles (from the Black Sea);
• 45 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles launched by Tu-95 MS strategic aviation aircraft (from Saratov Region and Caspian Sea water area);
• an Iskander-K cruise missile (from Crimea);
• two Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles (from the temporarily captured part of Zaporizhzhia region); and
• 21 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type (from Primorsko-Akhtarsk region, Kursk region).

Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft warfare units of the Ukrainian Air Force, mobile air defense groups, and electronic warfare units were involved in repelling the massive attack.

As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 59 air targets were destroyed, including:

• 33 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles;
• four Kalibr cruise missiles;
• two Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles; and
• 20 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type.

Oleschuk emphasized that Russia continues to target critical infrastructure and other strategic facilities.

The commander thanked all those who undertook maximum efforts to prevent the enemy from achieving their goals.

On May 8, Russian troops attacked electricity generation and transmission facilities in Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia regions.