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None of Russia’s 74 UAVs reach targets in Ukraine, while Belarus uses fighter jets to shoot down stray Russian drone

In the early hours of August 29, Ukraine successfully repelled a large-scale Russian airstrike, shooting down 62 of 79 drones and missiles, including 60 Shahed drones. The remaining drones and at least one missile reportedly crashed without reaching their target. Meanwhile, Belarus, an ally of Russia, had to destroy a Russian Shahed that had entered its airspace.

This attack is part of a series of daily attacks by Russian forces on Ukrainian territory, using a variety of weapons, including combat drones, missiles, guided bombs and multiple rocket launchers. Ukraine routinely shoots down most of the Shahed suicide drones in each attack.

The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, reported on Telegram that the Russian forces launched the attack using the following means:

  • 3 guided missiles of the type Kh-59/Kh-69 and two other missiles of an unknown type from the airspace of the Russian oblasts of Kursk and Belgorod,
  • 74 Shahed-131/136 disposable attack drones from the Russian regions of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Kursk and Yeisk.

Oleshchuk explained:

“As a result of the air battle, two Kh-59/69 guided missiles and 60 Shahed-131/136 combat drones were shot down. Another 14 combat drones were lost on the territory of Ukraine.”

The term “locally lost” in Ukrainian air defense jargon means that a target disappeared from radar before reaching a possible destination and, most likely, simply crashed somewhere along the way.

Local authorities reported no civilian casualties in connection with the airstrike.

In the regions

According to Oleshchuk, Ukrainian air defense systems were active in Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Sumy and Donetsk oblasts.

Regional authorities released further details about the night-time attacks.

In Kharkiv Oblast, a rocket, presumably a Kh-59, hit the Nova Vodolaha territorial region, causing a fire covering an area of ​​200 square meters.

In Kyiv, Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, reported that air raid alerts were issued twice, lasting a total of almost 6 hours. He noted that there were about 15 drones in total, adding:

“None of the enemy attack drones have reached their target!”

Ihor Taburets, head of the Cherkasy Oblast Military Administration, confirmed that eight shaheeds within the oblast were destroyed without consequences. However, he mentioned several hits, including one on a private enterprise in the regional center, where a fire was promptly extinguished.

Minsk deploys fighter jet against Russian Shahed

Belarus reportedly deployed a fighter jet to intercept a stray Russian Shahed drone that entered Belarus during last night’s attack. Last night, Ukrainian air surveillance channels confirmed that one of the Russian Shaheds had entered Belarus from the south.

According to the Belarusian opposition Telegram channel “Belaruski Hajun”, the incident occurred at 03:30 in the Yelsk district. The channel reported:

“A Belarusian Air Force fighter jet tracked the intruder for about 20 minutes, and at around 03:55 at least two explosions were heard and a bright flash was seen in the sky in the Yelsk district of the Gomel region.”

According to the broadcaster, this is the first recorded case in which a Belarusian Air Force fighter aircraft attempted to destroy a real military target in the sky – a Russian Shahed kamikaze drone.

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