On the night of November 15, 2026, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike on the territory of Ukraine using 132 attack unmanned aerial vehicles. According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, out of the total number of UAVs, 78 were jet-powered Shahed-type drones. According to preliminary data as of 08:00, air defense forces destroyed or suppressed 106 enemy targets, including 61 jet drones. Meanwhile, the air attack was not yet completed at the time of publication: several attack drones remained in the air, and the combat operations of air defense units continued.
Attack Directions and UAV Tactics
According to the Ukrainian military, the launch of the drones was carried out from the territory of Russia, as well as from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Enemy targets moved from the areas of Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as well as from the temporarily occupied part of the Donetsk region and the territory of Crimea. Such tactics indicate the multi-vector nature of the attack, which significantly complicates the interception task for air defense systems, as the drones approached Ukrainian territory from multiple directions simultaneously.
Composition of Forces Repelling the Air Assault
Units of aviation, anti-aircraft missile troops, electronic warfare, and unmanned systems repelled the large-scale air assault. Mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Defense Forces were also involved in the operation. The coordination of actions of such a wide range of armed formations ensures multi-layered protection: from long-range interception by anti-aircraft missile systems to close combat using mobile fire weapons and the suppression of drone control channels by electronic warfare means.
Consequences of the Attack and Recorded Impacts
The Ukrainian military recorded impacts of enemy air attack weapons at 20 locations across the country. Specific details regarding the nature of the damage, potential casualties, and destruction of civilian infrastructure were not disclosed at the time of material preparation. Considering that the attack was still ongoing as of 08:00, the final figures for both the number of downed drones and the number of recorded impacts may be revised after the completion of the air operation.
Context of Night Attacks in 2026
Massive night strikes using hundreds of drones have become a steady practice during the ongoing conflict. The use of predominantly jet-powered Shahed drones combined with multi-vector launches from various regions allows the enemy to overload air defense systems and increase the probability of a breakthrough by some drones. The Ukrainian side, in turn, is consistently building up its air defense capabilities, involving an increasingly wide range of armed formations and electronic warfare equipment in the defense.
