The night of June 6 turned out to be one of the most tense in recent times: Russia launched an unprecedented number of attack drones against Ukrainian territory — 272 units. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, repelling the attack required the coordination of all available air defense assets, including aviation, surface-to-air missile systems, electronic warfare units, and mobile fire teams.
Scale of the Attack and Drone Types
The enemy wave consisted of various types of UAVs: Iranian Shaheds (including jet-powered modifications), Russian "Gerber" and "Italmass" drones, "Bandrol" loitering munitions, and "Parody" decoy drones. The attack was launched from several directions — Orel, Kursk, Bryansk, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Millerovo (Russia), as well as Gvardeyskoye in occupied Crimea.
Air Defense Results
As of 08:00 on June 6, Ukrainian air defense forces shot down or suppressed 249 out of 272 drones. However, 19 drones still reached their targets — 11 hits were recorded at various locations. Debris from destroyed drones fell on 13 additional points. The Air Force warned that the attack is ongoing and urged civilians to follow safety rules.
Consequences of the Strikes
As a result of the night attack, civilian and critical infrastructure facilities, as well as residential buildings, were damaged in the Odesa region. In the morning of June 6, Russian forces struck Zaporizhzhia — destruction was recorded, with casualties and injuries reported.
The previous night, on June 5, drones hit the "Kernel" terminal in the port of Chornomorsk (Odesa region). Also targeted was the "Yahotynske for Children" factory in Kyiv region — four people were killed and four others injured in the attack.
What’s Next?
Ukrainian authorities continue to assess the damage and assist those affected. Experts note that such massive attacks indicate Russia’s attempt to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defense system and inflict maximum harm on the economy and population. So far, Ukrainian forces have demonstrated high effectiveness in repelling such strikes, but the cost of each night is human lives and destroyed cities.