Ukraine downs 77 Shahed-type drones overnight, loses contact with 73 decoys
Ukraine's Defense Forces shot down 77 Shahed-type strike drones and other UAVs launched by Russian forces overnight on Saturday, May 3, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported via Telegram.
"As of 9:00 a.m., the downing of 77 Shahed-type UAVs (as well as other drone types) has been confirmed in the east, north, south, and central regions of the country. An additional 73 enemy decoy drones were lost from radar without causing any negative consequences," the statement said.
In total, Russian forces launched 183 drones overnight, both strike UAVs and decoys. Ukraine's air defenses responded with aircraft, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare systems, and mobile fire groups.
Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Mykolaiv regions sustained damage as a result of the attack.
This followed a similar large-scale drone assault two nights prior, when Russian forces deployed 150 UAVs. Of those, 64 strike drones were confirmed shot down and 62 decoys lost from radar without incident. On Thursday night, 170 drones were launched; 74 were destroyed, while 68 decoys were radar-lost.