---
title: "Russia attacked Ukraine with over 410 combat drones: air defense shot down 336, 21 hits recorded"
description: "On September 12, Russia struck Ukraine with over 410 combat drones, including 37 jet-powered ones. Air defense shot down 336 UAVs, 21 hits were recorded, and the attack is ongoing."
date: 2026-09-12T15:58:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russia-attacks-ukraine-410-drones-september-12
tags: [ukraine-war, russian-drone-attack, air-defense, shahed-drones, vsu]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Russia attacked Ukraine with over 410 combat drones: air defense shot down 336, 21 hits recorded

![Ukrainian soldier at an anti-aircraft machine gun at dusk: air defense repels massive strike of over 410 Russian combat drones](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/12/rossiya-ataka-ukrainu-410-dronov-12-sentyabrya/rossiya-ataka-ukrainu-410-dronov-12-sentyabrya-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Between 6:30 and 18:00 on September 12, Russia deployed 410 strike drones against Ukraine, including 37 jet-powered ones.
- Air defense shot down and suppressed 336 UAVs (including 23 jet-powered), and 21 hits were recorded.
- By 18:00, about 55 drones remained in the air and new groups were incoming — the attack had not ended.
- Russia is increasing the share of jet-powered "Shaheds" due to their high speed and difficulty of interception.

On September 12, 2026, Russia carried out one of the most massive daytime drone strikes on Ukraine in recent times. According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as reported by RBC-Ukraine, between 6:30 and 18:00 the enemy deployed 410 strike drones, of which 37 were jet-powered. As of 18:00, the airspace remained under strain: approximately 55 strike drones were still in the air, and new groups of UAVs continued to enter the territory, so, according to security services' assessment, the attack had not yet ended by the time of publication.

### Scale of the daytime strike and structure of the wave

The key feature of the September 12 attack was its duration and "wave-like" structure: strikes were delivered not in a single salvo, but in series throughout the entire daylight period. This forces air defense forces to operate in a continuous interception mode, redistributing anti-aircraft assets between directions. Of the total 410 strike drones, 37 were jet-powered vehicles, a noticeably higher share of such targets than in previous massive attacks, indicating a change in the enemy's tactics.

### Air defense performance and recorded hits

Preliminary data from the Air Force indicates that between 6:30 and 18:00, air defense systems shot down and suppressed 336 strike UAVs, including 23 jet-powered ones. Thus, the overwhelming majority of the deployed targets were intercepted. At the same time, 21 hits by enemy drones on objects within Ukraine's territory were recorded. Since about 55 drones remained in the air by 18:00 and new groups were still incoming, the final figures on losses and hits may be revised once the attack is complete.

### Growing share of jet-powered "Shaheds" as a risk factor

As noted in the context of the attack, Russia has been systematically increasing its use of jet-powered "Shahed" modifications in recent times, using them to compensate for the declining effectiveness of classic suicide drones. The main tactical advantage of such targets is their higher flight speed, which makes them harder to detect and intercept at short ranges. This increases the load on air defense and explains why, even with an overall high shoot-down rate of jet-powered vehicles, the share of recorded hits remains significant.

### Contradictory data

When comparing versions from different publications on the events of September 12, discrepancies in the figures arise, linked to different time windows and the composition of targets counted. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (via RBC-Ukraine) provides an assessment specifically of the daytime strike by combat drones: 410 UAVs, of which 37 jet-powered, with 336 shot down. Meanwhile, other sources describe different snapshots of the same day: materials on the nighttime attack mention missiles and 129 drones, while reports on the massive strike of September 12 cite the shoot-down of around 110 missiles and drones in total. The difference is explained by the fact that some data refer to the nighttime wave with missiles, others to the daytime wave of strike UAVs only, and still others combine both types of weapons. Therefore, the final "overall" counter for the day depends on which waves and target types are included in the count, and the sides publish non-matching values.

As of the evening of September 12, 2026, the situation remains dynamic: Ukraine's airspace continues to be under threat due to incoming drone groups, and the final statistics on shot-down targets and the consequences of hits will be clarified by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine once the attack is over.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Air defense forces shot down over 300 drones since morning, attack continues, - Air Force](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/sili-ppo-ranku-zbili-ponad-300-droniv-ataka-1789228459.html) - Подтверждает массированную дневную атаку ударными дронами и работу ПВО; цифры основания (410/336/21/37/23) согласуются со сводкой Воздушных сил ВСУ.
- [Russia carried out an attack on Ukraine using various drones and missiles: how air defense performed and were there ...](https://24tv.ua/ru/massirovannaja-ataka-12-sentjabrja-sily-pvo-sbili-110-raket-i-dronov-rossijan_n3140682) - Описывает массированный удар 12 сентября с участием ракет и дронов (сбито ~110 ракет и дронов) — иной срез/состав целей, чем дневная волна только ударных БПЛА; источник расхождения в итоговых цифрах.
- [Enemy losses as of September 12, 2026 – General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine](https://delo.ua/ru/news/poteri-vraga-po-sostoyaniyu-na-12-sentyabrya-2026-g-genstab-vsu-472377/) - Сводка Генштаба ВСУ по потерям на 12.09.2026; контекстный источник, не противоречит факту массированной атаки.
- [Missiles and 129 drones: Air Force reveals details of the nighttime attack](https://ru.slovoidilo.ua/2026/09/12/novost/bezopasnost/rakety-i-129-dronov-vozdushnyx-silax-raskryli-detali-nochnoj-ataki) - Относится к ночной атаке (ракеты + 129 дронов), то есть к другому временному окну, чем дневные 410 ударных БПЛА; объясняет расхождение счётчиков.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many drones did Russia use against Ukraine on September 12?
**A:** According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during the daytime (from 6:30 to 18:00) the enemy deployed 410 strike drones, of which 37 were jet-powered. This is only the daytime wave of strike UAVs; the nighttime attack was counted separately (missiles and 129 drones).

### Q: How many targets did air defense shoot down and how many hits were there?
**A:** According to preliminary data, air defense shot down and suppressed 336 strike UAVs, including 23 jet-powered ones, and 21 hits were recorded. By 18:00, about 55 drones remained in the air, so the final figures may be revised.

### Q: Why do different sources give different figures for the September 12 attack?
**A:** The difference is linked to time windows and the composition of targets: some data refer to the daytime wave of strike drones only (410), others to the nighttime attack with missiles (129 drones + missiles), and still others combine missiles and drones into a single counter. Therefore, the final daily figure depends on the counting methodology.

### Q: What are jet-powered "Shaheds" and why are they more dangerous?
**A:** These are jet-powered modifications of suicide drones with a higher flight speed, which makes them harder to detect and intercept. Russia is increasing their share, compensating for the declining effectiveness of classic drones.