Ukrainian forces thwart major aerial assault overnight

On the night of the 5th to the 6th of October, 2024, Russia launched another attack on Ukraine using assault drones and ballistic missiles. The Ukrainian air defence reported numerous successes, intercepting enemy drones and missiles. According to reports from the Ukrainian Air Force, 56 of the 87 Shahed drones and two missiles were brought down.

Following Saturday's attacks, one civilian has been killed in the past 24 hours. Additionally, as reported on Telegram by Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional authorities, 15 people were injured in the Kharkiv region.

Air raid alerts lasted for more than five hours in Eastern Ukraine. The head of Kyiv's military administration, Serhiy Popko, stated that all enemy aerial threats in the capital region were successfully neutralised. He noted that the attack did not cause significant damage in the Kyiv area.

The Russians deployed a variety of weapons to attack Ukraine, using Shahed drones and various missiles. Ukrainians detected over 90 enemy combat units; in addition to drones, they identified two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, one Iskander-K missile, and one guided Ch-59/69 missile, along with 87 drones.

The Russians use two variants of Shahed drones – the Shahed-136 and the Shahed-131, supplied by Iran. Despite their relatively simple design, these drones pose a serious threat to Ukrainians. The Shahed-136 is approximately 3.3 metres in length and can reach speeds of up to 185 km/h, while carrying a warhead weighing around 40 kg. The Shahed-131 is slightly smaller and can carry a warhead of about 10-15 kg.

The Ch-69 (Kh-59MK2) missile weighs about 800 kg, with the warhead accounting for roughly 300 kg. One of the main advantages of this weapon is its long range, which can extend to 400 km. Additionally, its stealth characteristics make detecting and neutralising it during its flight to the target difficult.

The Ch-69 missile is an advanced version of the Ch-59, first unveiled in 1991. Compared to its predecessor, the new missile is equipped with enhanced stealth features, making it more challenging to detect.

Iskander-M is a short-range ballistic missile system that allows for precise attacks on targets up to about 500 km away. This missile, slightly over 7 metres in length, is equipped with advanced guidance systems that enable it to bypass contemporary defence systems.

Iskander-K is a cruise missile system capable of reaching distances up to 600 km. These missiles are slightly smaller than the Iskander-M, with a length of approximately 9 metres. Thanks to advanced stealth technologies, Iskander-K missiles are difficult for enemy air defence systems to detect.

Ukrainian forces took effective action against these offensives. Two missiles and 56 Shahed-type drones were shot down. Defence efforts included aviation, missile units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile firing groups.

After losing communication, 25 drones crashed, likely due to active countermeasures employing electronic warfare techniques. However, the Air Force did not provide specific information regarding the locations where the non-intercepted aerial objects fell.